Bellinger elected to start All-Star Game

DENVER -- He's had a first half for the ages, and now Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger has officially been elected a starting outfielder for the National League in the 2019 All-Star Game.

"It's definitely special," Bellinger said before the Dodgers' 12-8 victory over the Rockies. "In '17 I went as a reserve, and it was awesome. But being a starter just makes it even more special. I'm going to enjoy every second of it when I'm out there."

• Here are your All-Star Game starters

Bellinger was a finalist in the Starters Election after receiving 3,685,170 votes during the Primary Round of balloting, the most of any player on the ballot. He received 21 percent of the vote among the nine NL outfielders in the Starters Election, behind the Brewers' Christian Yelich (22.3 percent) and ahead of the Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. (15 percent).

Bellinger went 2-for-4 Thursday, lifting his Major League-best batting average to .356, along with a .454 on-base percentage (second only to Mike Trout) and .719 slugging percentage. Bellinger hit his 27th home run (after hitting 25 all of last season) and had eight stolen bases.

"I was feeling good in Spring Training with my swing," Bellinger said. "I didn't expect this back in spring, but I was feeling good and just trying to carry that into the season. I've been making adjustments throughout the year and just trying to stay constantly right."

Fellow Dodgers slugger Joc Pederson finished ninth on the ballot, with 4 percent of the vote. Though he was not elected as a starter, he can still make the NL All-Star team if selected as a reserve. Pederson entered Thursday hitting .232/.324/.549 with 20 home runs.

• How are All-Star reserves picked?

The 2019 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be played on Tuesday, July 9, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. It will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. During the game, fans may visit MLB.com and the 30 club sites to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.

When asked how he would arrange his starting outfield for the upcoming Midsummer Classic, manager Dave Roberts, who by virtue of leading the Dodgers to the World Series last season is the manager of the NL All-Star squad, said he would have Bellinger in center field, Yelich in right and Acuna in left.

While it will be the first All-Star start for Bellinger in his young career, the 23-year-old is already accustomed to playing under bright lights, having manned the outfield for Los Angeles in two World Series. That doesn't mean the lights at Progressive Field next month will shine any less bright for him, however.

"It's different," Bellinger said. "It's cool, man. Especially when you walk in the locker room and see dudes that you just played against, but for those two days, you get to play with them. It's special. It's going to be really cool to be a starter this year."