It’s arduous to argue that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is not presently mired within the worst season of his MLB profession. Toronto Blue Jays fans voted him into the 2026 MLB All-Star Game anyway.
Minutes after being named the American League’s beginning first baseman, Guerrero advised reporters he intends to skip the sport to recuperate from a decrease again problem he has had for practically a month per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.
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He reportedly mentioned he was grateful for the followers who had voted for him and mentioned it was “one of the hardest parts of not going. It’s very difficult for me. But I really have to take care of myself and I’ve got to put my team first for the second half.”
The beginning spot at first base got here down to Guerrero and New York Yankees slugger Ben Rice within the second section of All-Star fan voting. It’s arduous to discover a significant stat wherein Rice has not had the superior season and you’ll usually suppose the assist a Yankees participant ought to get would have cinched the race for him, however Blue Jays followers have confirmed to be the strongest voting bloc on this yr’s vote.
Every single place race in Phase 2 had a Blue Jay among the many contenders, although each participant besides Guerrero wound up dropping his race. The solely different Toronto starter might be second baseman Ernie Clement, who won an automatic spot as the leading AL vote-getter in the first phase of voting.
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Pitchers Dylan Cease and Louis Varland made it 4 Toronto All-Stars complete, tied for probably the most within the American League.
Rice earned a reserve spot on the AL workforce as effectively and now has an opportunity to be the beginning first baseman after all, although Athletics star Nick Kurtz has a reasonably robust case as effectively.
Ultimately, Guerrero earned his unused All-Star spot not by way of his efficiency within the first half, however by way of a possible Hall of Fame profession spent solely in Toronto that noticed him do some ungodly stuff in final yr’s playoffs. It’s not what number of imagine the All-Star Game ought to work, however in the end an All-Star Game is about giving followers what they need, and fairly a couple of of them apparently needed Guerrero due to some mixture of Blue Jays fandom, title recognition, trolling and the need to stick it to the Yankees.
The All-Star Game will happen at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14 (8 p.m. ET on Fox).