Last chance: Simba needs Final Vote help

Fans have until Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT to help send shortstop to ASG

July 9th, 2018

ANAHEIM -- has never been selected to an All-Star team, but he has a chance to finally add that distinction to his resume.
VOTE SIMMONS: 2018 Camping World MLB Final Vote
Simmons is one of five Camping World Final Vote candidates in the American League, giving him an opportunity to join Angels teammate at the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17. On Wednesday, he'll have to leapfrog the other four players vying for the final spot on the AL squad as he trails Mariners shortstop , Red Sox outfielder , Yankees outfielder and Twins outfielder . Voting closes at 1 p.m. PT.

"It's a great accomplishment, especially with all these great shortstops right now in the American League," Simmons said. "It'd be special. It'd be a milestone for me, but first of all, I'm just happy I'm here in this position."
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Simmons has long been one of top defenders in baseball, but he's enjoying a career season after taking a big step forward in his offensive development. The 28-year-old is batting .312 with an .814 OPS, 17 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 41 RBIs in 81 games.
"Best shortstop in the league," Trout said. "Obviously, there's great shortstops -- Correa, Lindor and Machado -- but I see how hard he works every day. His defense makes my job easy in center field. Balls up the middle, I don't really have to go for it anymore. He's catching everything, and obviously his bat this year has been great."
By cutting down his chase rate and maintaining a high rate of contact, Simmons has become one of the toughest hitters to strike out, with just 15 K's on the season.
"Some of it is just maturity," Simmons said of his improved offense. "Some of it is just talking to my teammates, listening to the coaches. I've got to give it to my teammates for giving me advice here and there whenever I'm not feeling good or they're seeing something. It wasn't just wake up and get better. It was a lot of help. I needed a lot of help, so I've got to thank the people around me."

Fans can cast votes for the final player on each league's roster -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online as part of the 2018 Camping World MLB Final Vote, as well as via the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark mobile apps, until Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT.
Then on Tuesday, July 17, while watching the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, fans can submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2018 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote.
The 89th Midsummer Classic, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., 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 of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.
For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.