Vladdy falls behind Mountcastle in first-base All-Star voting
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*Read our story* on the balloting format, which includes two phases of fan voting to determine the All-Star starters.
BOSTON -- Ryan Mountcastle has found a new way to upset the good people of Canada.
He’s unseated Vladimir Guerrero Jr. atop first-base voting for the 2024 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, and thankfully for the Blue Jays, Mountcastle doesn’t visit Rogers Centre again until after voting closes.
- Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles: 1,400,373
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays: 1,338,688
Mountcastle has absolutely dominated the Blue Jays, particularly on their side of the border. He’s hit 17 home runs against them in 58 games, including two earlier this season. Guerrero still has a shot to catch Mountcastle before Phase 1 of voting ends Thursday at noon ET, but it’s looking clear that the two will advance to Phase 2 of voting, where fans will select starters at each position.
Still, chasing Mountcastle -- and the Orioles -- is a little too familiar for Vladdy and the Blue Jays.
“Maybe it’s something here in Toronto that [Mountcastle] likes, whether it’s Tim Hortons, poutine or the backdrop here,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked last August. “Who knows?”
Guerrero had his finest moment of the 2024 season Monday night at Fenway Park, though, even if it was eventually squandered by the toughest loss of their season. Welcome to the past week for the Blue Jays.
Vladdy belted the longest home run of his MLB career, a 471-foot shot that broke the game wide open -- at the time, at least -- and flew out of the stadium entirely, over the Green Monster. The three-run shot brought out the best in Guerrero, all of that confidence and swagger his teammates say they’ve seen building lately.
His 471-footer ties the second-longest by the Blue Jays since Statcast began tracking in 2015 (Edwin Encarnación in '16 and Randal Grichuk in '18; Justin Smoak has the longest, 474 feet in '15). It’s also the fourth-longest home run hit in the big leagues this season, trailing only Shohei Ohtani (476), Aaron Judge (473) and Mike Trout (473).
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Guerrero has earned his All-Star consideration, though, whichever order it comes in. He shook off a very slow start to the season (.678 OPS through April) and got his season back on track with an excellent month of May, when he hit .357 with a .916 OPS. His June had lived more in the middle until Monday’s big swing, and coming off a strong end to his series in Cleveland, Schneider had a feeling Guerrero was getting close.
“He’s swinging at better pitches and he’s not in a rush,” Schneider said before the game. “When he was really good in May, he wasn’t in a rush. He knew he didn't have to be swinging early. I just think that pitch selection is so vital for him. Yesterday, he’s hitting the ball in the air. The single to left was scorched. The line drive to left was scorched. The home run was scorched.”
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On the position player side, it’s looking like Guerrero is the Blue Jays’ only shot at an All-Star hitter in 2024. Danny Jansen ranks fourth among catchers, but trails well behind Adley Rutschman of the Orioles and Salvador Perez of the Royals. Davis Schneider, Bo Bichette and Isiah Kiner-Falefa all rank fifth or sixth at their respective positions while Daulton Varsho ranks 12th in outfield voting.
If Guerrero is selected, this would be his fourth career All-Star Game appearance (2021, ‘22, ‘23). He also won the Home Run Derby in '23, and while he’s only hit nine this season, he could always take a run at a second crown.