Phase one of MLB’s All-Star fan vote gets underway today and with eight weeks of the 2021 season in the rearview mirror, the players worthy of a trip to Denver for the Midsummer Classic are starting to separate themselves from the pack. The players who are still struggling are running out of time to claim a “slow start”. The guys who jumped out of the gate hot and have kept it rolling are no longer the beneficiaries of small sample sizes – Memorial Day has passed us and we’re in the thick of it now, folks.
As things crystalize, we’re getting a better idea of who might represent their club at Coors Field on July 13th. Even clubs without any standout performances this year will see their logo in the Mile High City thanks to a league mandate requiring at least one player from all 30 teams. Let’s take a look at one player from each National League squad that best stands to add “All-Star” to their list of accolades in 2021.