Texas’ best shot seems to be Marcus Semien, who is running second among American League second basemen.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Rangers might be hosting the Major League Baseball All-Star Game just one season too late.
After having four starters in the Midsummer Classic in Seattle last year, the Rangers, who are hosting this year’s All-Star Game at Globe Life Field, might not have a single player in the American League starting lineup.
Major League Baseball released the initial all-star fan voting results Monday, and Texas isn’t looking too great, as the vote tallies seem to mirror the club’s World Series hangover.
Of the seven position groups — each infield position, not including the pitcher, plus the outfielders in one group and the designated hitter — none feature a Ranger atop the voting.
Texas’ best shot seems to be Marcus Semien, who is running second among American League second basemen. Semien trails the Astros’ Jose Altuve by about 80,000 votes. This is just Phase 1 of the voting, and it runs through June 27. But if Altuve can hold off Semien until then, he’ll earn the starting spot at second base. Maybe the mere thought of an Astro starting an All-Star Game at Globe Life Field will be enough for Rangers fans to rally behind Semien.
The rest of the Rangers on the ballot will need a late surge in the voting if they want a chance to start.
Corey Seager is running fourth among American League shortstops, behind Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., and Anthony Volpe. Henderson and Witt are having career years, and while Seager’s offensive numbers are better than Volpe’s, the younger Volpe is having a breakout season, and it also helps that he plays for the Yankees.
Nathaniel Lowe is fifth among first basemen, nearly 600,000 votes behind leader Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Jonah Heim is also fifth among catchers, and the same goes for Josh Jung at designated hitter, which is interesting considering Jung plays third base and has been shelved by injury since early April.
Rangers slugger Adolis Garcia, who had a blistering April but has struggled mightily ever since, is running eighth among outfielders.
It won’t be a total whiff for the Rangers. Every team is guaranteed at least one All-Star representative, and Semien is likely a lock to make the squad. They just likely won’t have a starter.
Last year, Semien, Seager, Heim and Jung all earned starting nods, and Garcia and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi also made the team.
Texas is coming off getting swept by the Seattle Mariners over the weekend. The Rangers are now 8.5 games behind Seattle in the American League West, and the Astros, who stumbled out of the gate, are only a half-game behind Texas.