SF Giants outfielder 3rd in NL All-Star voting through 1st count
At 38-30, the SF Giants are good enough to have multiple representatives at next month's All-Star game. However, one of their outfielders is one of the top vote-getters through the first count.
SF Giants outfielder 3rd in NL All-Star voting through 1st count
Mark Feinsand of MLB.Com released the results so far and Joc Pederson is third in the outfield voting behind only Mookie Betts and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Pederson has proven to be a shrewd addition by the Giants' front office after signing a one-year, $6 million pact in the offseason. The left-handed bat was coming off of consecutive seasons in which he won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
The 30-year-old outfielder is off to an impressive start, slashing .271/.347/.565 (152 OPS+) with 15 home runs, 37 RBI, and 30 RBI in 193 plate appearances. This includes a solid 9.3 percent walk rate against a 22.3 percent strikeout rate.
The home run output is tied with Bryce Harper for eighth-most in the National League. The only other outfielders ahead of Pederson are Kyle Schwarber (19) and Betts (17).
It is going to be tough to overcome either Betts or Acuña Jr as they are two of the top three vote-getters in all of baseball. That said, Pederson has proven to be a popular player in the stops he has made including Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago.
It helps that the All-Star game will be held at Dodgers Stadium. Pederson spent the first seven seasons with the Dodgers before departing via free agency after the 2020 campaign. This did include an All-Star selection in 2015, so being in the race is not entirely new territory for the nine-year veteran.
Outside of Pederson, it feels like Mike Yastrzemski, Carlos Rodón, and Logan Webb should also merit All-Star consideration as Giants representatives. They will likely not all get in, but all are having a strong enough season to have an outside shot, especially as injury replacements begin to be announced.
The first phase of All-Star voting will be open until June 30. The top two vote-getters at each position will be elected as All-Stars, whereas the remaining players will move to the second phase of voting that stays open until July 8.
At that point, the All-Star selections will be announced. Giants fans have been huge supporters of their own players in the past and that tradition needs to carry on if you want to see your favorite players in the All-Star game next month.