Alec Bohm's Surprising 2nd Place in NL Third Base Voting

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From The Just Baseball Show

Debating the NL Third Base Voting and Other All-Star Selections

The Second-Place All-Star voting for NL third baseman Alec Bohm has sparked considerable debate. Despite the fact that the game is set to be played in Philadelphia, Bohm's current stats are less than impressive with a WRC+ of -0.34 71 and a batting slash line of .219/.273/.352. Although he has shown improvement over the last month, his placement in the voting raises questions about fan bias and the overall strength of candidates in that position.

Many believe that candidates such as Nolan Arenado, who has experienced a slight resurgence, are more deserving of the starting spot. The field at third base is generally weak this season, with other players like Nick Gonzalez performing well from a bat-to-ball perspective, but not excelling enough to be unambiguous choices. Surprising vote counts for players like Luis Rengifo, who may not even retain his role, also draw attention to the quirks of fan voting. Meanwhile, Jake Bauers ranks fourth in NL first base voting and arguably deserves more recognition than he gets.

Shortstop Joey Ortiz has also been a contentious figure, garnering significant votes despite frequent critiques. The discussion extends to other positions and leagues, noting the strong fan turnout from Braves for MLB voting, leading to questionable placements such as Ronald Acuña Jr. who, despite being a popular player, has not been on the field enough to merit an All-Star start over teammate Michael Harris.

The hosts also express frustration over potential All-Star exclusions like James Wood and Corbin Carroll, both described as electrifying players who deserve recognition over others like Teoscar Hernandez. They suggest an adjustment to the voting system where fans could still vote players onto the team but leave starting lineups to managers, thereby ensuring deserving players get game time without being sidelined by less suitable vote winners.

Finally, there is a call to scrutinize the voting process itself, with anomalies such as Pete Crow-Armstrong’s low ranking despite belonging to a large, active fan base like the Cubs’. This points to a need for a deeper investigation into how votes are being funneled and the overall integrity of the voting system used to determine All-Star game participants.