(670 The Score) In the MLB All-Star voting update that was released Monday afternoon, the National League designated hitter balloting featured Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani with a strong lead and newly acquired Giants slugger Rafael Devers in second.
Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki was a distant third in that voting amid his strong season. Suzuki is hitting .261 with 18 home runs, 61 RBIs and an .853 OPS in 69 games. His 61 RBIs rank second in all of baseball.
Suzuki’s opportunity to earn All-Star honors for the first time will likely have to come the secondary phase of the process, in which a combination of a player ballot and the commissioner's office picks the reserves. The Cubs hope he gets that recognition.
“It’s pretty obvious that Shohei is going to be the guy in that spot,” Cubs left fielder Ian Hap said on the Rahimi & Harris Show on Tuesday. “But I really hope the coaches vote and Seiya gets in there. He really, really deserves it. The year he’s had, what he’s done in his career to this point, like, he deserves to be in that game. So, I really hope that he gets in there.”
Suzuki is playing his first season as the Cubs’ primary designated hitter after the team acquired star right fielder Kyle Tucker in a trade last December.
The Cubs (45-28) share the top record in the National League and own a 6.5-game lead in their division. That margin increased with their 5-3 win against the Brewers on Tuesday, when Suzuki delivered a go-ahead three-run homer.
“Seiya has been really incredible,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said on the Spiegel & Holmes Show on Tuesday. “We’re not in our position as a team without everything that he’s done as a player, just as a staple in the middle of the lineup, the way he’s hit with runners in scoring position, impactful homers, the raw numbers, playing good defense when he was out there.
“I think the world of Seiya. He’s been a great player in this league for a while. But I think he’s taken another step this year. And I think an All-Star nod would really solidify that in a pretty cool way.”
The MLB All-Star Game will take place on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta. The Cubs currently have a player in the top five of voting at each position.
The Cubs and Brewers play the second game of their series Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field. Pregame coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. CT on 670 The Score, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.