VOTE NOW, NL C: Contreras, Grandal, McCann
With less than an hour to go as the 4 p.m. ET deadline nears, many races are still too close to call. Your votes will have a huge impact, as most position battles have yet to be decided.
Here's a look at who's leading as of 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday. Winners will be announced tonight at 7 ET on ESPN.
- Willson Contreras (Cubs): 44.8%
- Brian McCann (Braves): 32.6%
- Yasmani Grandal (Brewers): 22.6%
Learn more about the NL All-Star candidates at catcher:
Willson Contreras (CHC): 1-time All-Star (1 start)
Already an All-Star starter at catcher for the National league last year, Contreras is off to an even better start at the plate this year. He’s on pace for career highs in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging and has surpassed his 2018 home run total -- closing in on his career high of 21. Contreras could be the second Cubs catcher to start multiple All-Star Games at the position, joining Gabby Hartnett (1934, ‘36, ‘37).
Yasmani Grandal (MIL): 1-time All-Star (0 starts)
Grandal has been a boon to the Brewers behind the plate, on pace to set numerous career highs. He is slugging well over .500 and soon should reach the 20-homer plateau for the fourth straight season. In his first season in Milwaukee, Grandal could join Jonathan Lucroy (2014) and Ted Simmons (1983) as Brewers catchers to start an All-Star Game.
Brian McCann (ATL): 7-time All-Star (1 start)
McCann has been an All-Star seven times, but not since 2013. He has just one hit in his All-Star career, but he made it count. McCann’s go-ahead, three-run double in the top of the seventh in 2010 put the NL ahead 3-1 to cement the Senior Circuit’s first All-Star win since 1996. Back with the Braves for 2019, McCann is having a renaissance at the plate, on pace to hit for a higher average than any season since ‘08.
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.