Vlad Jr. leads early All-Star Game voting
Matz to COVID-19 IL; Thornton touches 97.5 mph
Keegan Matheson
@KeeganMathesonBOSTON -- In a season that has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on an MVP Award-winning trajectory, the 22-year-old star leads all players in voting for the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.
Guerrero has received 857,956 votes, giving him a narrow lead over Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. with 834,287 votes and Mike Trout with 706,503. Phase 1 of All-Star Game voting goes until June 24, at which point the top three vote-getters at each position, plus the top nine outfielders, will move on to the second phase of voting to determine the starters.
As baseball’s hottest hitter, Guerrero has earned each vote. Entering play on Monday, Guerrero leads the Majors in home runs (21), RBIs (55), on-base percentage (.450), slugging percentage (.688) and OPS (1.137). His .344 average ranks him second, behind only the Reds' Nick Castellanos.
Combine all of this with Guerrero’s vastly improved defense at first base and quickness on the bases, both aided by an offseason focus on fitness, and Guerrero isn’t just a bat. His 4.1 WAR (FanGraphs) is, you guessed it, the best in baseball. Even as Guerrero sits near the top of every statistic in the game, though, he continues to say the same thing after each of his game-changing performances: He’s not about the numbers.
“Whatever I have to do for the team to win, I’ll do that,” Guerrero said. “I’m willing to do anything, defensively or offensively. If for some reason I make an error, I’ll keep my head up and try to keep helping the team. It’s all about winning here. I will do anything to help my team win.”
Guerrero's success didn't come as suddenly as many of the players he's competing against in All-Star voting. Baseball's former No. 1 prospect spent his first two seasons showing flashes, but never truly putting together the full package after being billed as a generational hitting talent. It took a minute, but it's happening.
“He feels good about himself. That’s one thing about young guys; sometimes you have to be patient," said manager Charlie Montoyo. “That’s what we do here, we’re patient with our guys. Some guys might take a couple of years. Vladdy took a couple of years, now he’s doing what we thought he was going to do.”
Guerrero isn’t alone, of course. Marcus Semien, fresh off being named the American League Player of the Month in May, leads all second basemen in voting by a comfortable margin with 561,326. Semien is hitting .294 with an .889 OPS, fully recapturing the form that landed him third in AL MVP Award voting in 2019, and he has been the catalyst for one of baseball’s strongest lineups from the leadoff spot.
Bo Bichette ranks second in shortstop voting (252,479) behind only Xander Bogaerts (502,629) of the Red Sox, while Teoscar Hernández (224,441) ranks fifth among outfielders, ahead of Randal Grichuk (201,307) in sixth. Down in 14th place in outfield voting is George Springer, who’s raked in 90,016 votes despite playing in just four games this season.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is fifth in DH voting (82,792), while Cavan Biggio (84,307) ranks seventh in voting among third basemen.
Matz tests positive for COVID-19
Starter Steven Matz tested positive for COVID-19, the Blue Jays announced Monday. Matz was initially placed on the COVID-19 IL Sunday after his test came back with inconclusive results before a follow-up revealed the positive result. Matz is currently free of symptoms.
According to MLB’s health and safety protocols for the 2021 season, Matz will be required to spend at least 10 days on the IL, during which time he’ll undergo testing and be monitored by the club’s medical staff. Matz must then be cleared by the Joint Committee and the Blue Jays’ physician, including a mandatory cardiac evaluation, following a negative test to determine he is safe to return to the club.
The Blue Jays do not have immediate plans for Matz's replacement in the rotation, but they will need to decide on one soon as they're in the middle of 13 consecutive games, their next off-day not coming until June 28.
Thornton finding a little extra
Trent Thornton came out Sunday at Fenway Park and threw harder than he ever has in the big leagues, touching 97.5 mph and reaching at least 96 mph six times. Thornton is feeling like his arm is all the way back after having bone spurs removed from his elbow last season, and his extra life on his pitches is giving him confidence that he can pitch in higher-leverage spots after opening the season with a 3.52 ERA over 30 2/3 innings.
“Mentally, you’re a little more confident in your stuff, letting it eat, when you see it come out at 96, 97, 98,” Thornton said. “My stuff has been playing a bit sharper. I feel good with where I’m at right now and I want to continue attacking hitters the way I have been.”