Hurry! All-MLB Team voting ends today, 4 CT
KANSAS CITY -- Who qualifies for the All-MLB Team in 2019?
You have a chance to decide, and the Royals have two nominees, super-utility man Whit Merrifield and American League home run champ Jorge Soler.
The selection process for the 2019 All-MLB Team began Monday and runs through 4 p.m. CT on Dec. 3, with 50 percent of the vote coming from fans and 50 percent coming from a panel of experts.
Fans may vote once every 24 hours between now and when voting ends next Tuesday. The inaugural All-MLB Team will be announced on Dec. 10 at baseball’s annual Winter Meetings in San Diego.
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There will be a first team and second team All-MLB, and voters are asked only to consider performance during the regular season when casting their ballots. Each team will include one selection at each position (including designated hitter and three outfielders, regardless of specific outfield position), five starting pitchers and two relievers.
• All-MLB Team nominees, club-by-club
The Royals' candidates certainly have a case.
Soler broke through with the greatest home run season in Royals history. He shattered Mike Moustakas’ club home run record of 38 set in 2017 by smashing 48 homers in '19, and adding 117 RBIs and a .922 OPS.
“When he hits the ball,” teammate Hunter Dozier said, “it seems like a video game. It’s like he isn’t playing real baseball.”
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Merrifield continues to be a rising star in baseball. He led the Majors with 45 stolen bases and 192 hits in 2018. He followed that up with 206 hits to again lead all of baseball in '19. He also hit .302.
“He’s the engine that drives us,” teammate Alex Gordon said. “He does so many things to help us.”