Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Tops AL First-Base All-Star Vote Despite Offensive Slump

In Phase 1 of the AL All-Star voting, Toronto’s first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. holds a 93,184-vote lead over New York Yankees’ Ben Rice, with 603,014 votes to Rice’s 509,830. The Monday release reflects fan-driven selection rather than on-field performance and positions Guerrero as the AL’s first-base starter pending the next round.

New York Times

All-Star starters are chosen by fan ballots, rewarding name recognition and market size. Guerrero, a five-time All-Star, benefits from a large Canadian fan base—Canada’s population exceeds that of New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles combined—and heightened visibility after the Blue Jays’ World Series appearance last season.

New York Times

Guerrero’s output is a career-low .737 OPS with three homers and 27 RBIs, all below his averages. Rice posts a .998 OPS with 16 more homers and 20 more RBIs. Guerrero’s 603,014 votes are the fewest among AL position leaders.

New York Times

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Guerrero’s fan appeal “plays into” his voting edge, highlighting the team’s reliance on popularity. Guerrero said he will honor the fan decision. Utility player Davis Schneider credited his return from Triple-A with resetting his swing and boosting the lineup’s power.

New York Times

Analysts note Guerrero’s subpar .737 OPS and limited power, and that his vote total is the lowest for any AL position leader. The narrow margin makes him vulnerable to a challenger such as Rice or Nick Kurtz in the upcoming head-to-head round, raising questions about fan voting versus merit-based selection.

New York Times

• “There’s a lot of first basemen doing a better job than me. But I don’t control the fans, I don’t control the vote.” — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays 1B

New York Times

• “If they vote for me, I gotta go,” — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays 1B

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• “If numbers aren’t on the scoreboard, who are you paying to come watch?” — John Schneider, Blue Jays Mgr

New York Times

• “And mentally wise too, and playing every day helps a lot, just to figure out what I’m doing with my swing.” — Davis Schneider, Blue Jays Utility

New York Times

The top two vote-receivers at each offensive position will face a secondary fan vote on Tuesday. If Guerrero retains his lead, he will start the All-Star Game in Philadelphia; a loss could end his five-year All-Star streak. The Blue Jays will monitor the vote while seeking to improve his offensive production.

New York Times