MINNEAPOLIS -- Let the “Vogey for the Derby” push begin.

Mariners designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach says he’s not going to promote his own candidacy for the Home Run Derby at next month’s MLB All-Star Week in Cleveland. But if asked, sure, he’d love to compete.

“I don’t think I’d campaign for myself, but it’s definitely something I would do if they asked me,” said the burly 26-year-old. “It’d be fun and just another competitive thing I’d be willing to do.”

Vogelbach has hit 17 homers over 62 games in his first full season as a starter and launched some prodigious shots, including one into the upper deck above the Hit It Here Café at T-Mobile Park on a day the Statcast recordings weren’t working.

But while he’s not going to campaign for himself, others certainly will.

“I think everybody would love to see that,” said Mariners teammate Kyle Seager. “He’s got so much personality, I think that would come through in the Home Run Derby. But the guy can absolutely hit the ball a mile, too. So it would be entertaining, it would be fun and I think he’d make a pretty good run at it.

“He certainly has that in the tank. He would not only hold his own, he could absolutely compete and maybe even win the thing.”

Vogelbach brings not only a fun-loving attitude, but a unique physique that makes him relatable for fans.

“He’s a cartoon character,” said manager Scott Servais. “That’s a term I’ve used. I was on MLB Network Radio yesterday and they asked me to compare him to somebody and, you know, you put No. 3 on him and, I never played with Babe Ruth, but he’s got some of the characteristics.

“Vogey likes to talk to everybody, too,” Servais said. “I think about players back in my day. Sean Casey was that guy. You’d get to first base and he could hold a conversation with anybody. Sean has a great personality and Vogey does, too. They’re a little different, but Vogey either talks to everybody or has played with everybody. For a young guy, he’s comfortable.”

Servais didn’t get much traction when he jokingly campaigned for Ichiro to enter last year’s Home Run Derby in Washington, D.C., so he’s not sure if his endorsement will do Vogelbach any good. But he’s on the bandwagon.

“It certainly is great for exposure for players,” Servais said. “And a guy like Vogey, who is kind of having a breakout year, it’d be great if he got that opportunity. Sometimes the home run hitting contest isn’t the best thing for players. You can get a little too caught up in it and kind of lose your swing a little bit.

“But I don’t have any concerns about Vogey. If he gets the opportunity, he should definitely do it and enjoy it. Vogey does enjoy most things he does. And he should. He’s Vogey and he’s hitting bombs, so why wouldn’t he?”

Vogelbach finished second in the 2017 Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby, but there’d be a bit more at stake in the MLB Derby. To encourage more participants, this year’s event will now include $2.5 million in prize money, with $1 million to the winner.

For a guy making the MLB minimum of $559,000, that would be a nice pay day. So let the campaigning begin.

“That would be awesome for him,” Seager said. “He certainly deserves it. You look at BP and stuff, he has some serious thump. And it’s such a fun event, he’d be awesome at it.”