WASHINGTON -- The Nationals' most consistent and steady hitter did not appear on the latest All-Star ballot revealed Monday, but Anthony Rendon has been making a case for why he is worthy of his first career spot in the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.
• VOTE NOW: 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot
The only Nationals position player to appear on the ballot is Bryce Harper, who continues to maintain a comfortable 467,000-vote lead over Charlie Blackmon for the final starting spot in the National League outfield. Harper has said he will participate in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby as long as he is on the NL roster.
• Harper wants to give first base a chance
Rendon, who homered in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Red Sox, has been one of the Nationals' hottest hitters lately, reaching safely in 16 of his last 17 games and batting .388 with six homers and 16 extra-base hits during that span. It has raised his overall slash line to .291/.356/.537 on the year with 12 home runs. He is second among NL third basemen in Wins Above Replacement, according to Fangraphs.
And yet Rendon was absent from the list of top five National League third baseman vote-getters on the 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star ballot, with only three days left to vote. It underscores the fact that Rendon continues to be one of the most underrated players in baseball as he searches for his first career All-Star Game bid.
"I've always thought he was a really good player, very talented," Nats manager Dave Martinez said. "Now that I'm here, it's fair to say that's he's underrated because to me, he's an All-Star. He's that good. What he does for our club, he's a consistent guy. Defense. Hitting. Driving in runs, all that stuff. He does that every day."
Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark mobile apps. Each fan can vote up to five times in any 24-hour period, for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.
Following the announcement of this year's All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should return to MLB.com and cast their 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Final Vote for the final player on each league's roster. Then on Tuesday, July 17, while watching the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, fans may visit MLB.com to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2018 MLB All-Star Game 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, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.