The Last Time A Black Player Led In All-Star Voting Was Ken Griffey Jr. In 1999 | Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge Can Change That
Phase 1 of the fan voting process of the 2022 MLB All-Star game was just complete, as the MLB released its standings. The two leaders so far: Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts.
Aaron Judge is on a tear for the best team in baseball, the New York Yankees, as the team has earned a 52-19 record so far, and is on pace for 120 wins. During the 58 games that he has played, he is batting .304, with 27 home runs, 53 RBI, with an on-base percentage of .379, and a slugging percentage of .658. He also has a total of 79 hits and 58 runs scored.
His runs scored and home run total are both leading all of baseball, and Judge is on pace for 60 home runs, which would be the first time anyone has reached that milestone since 2001, when both Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds each hit over 60.
Mookie Betts, who just recently went on the injured list with a cracked rib, had one of the best months of May in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers. During that month, he had 12 home runs, 27 RBI, an on-base percentage of .411, a slugging percentage of .741, and was batting .342 during that span. Overall, in the 60 games he has played, he is batting .273, hitting 17 home runs and 60 RBI, a .349 on-base percentage, and a .535 slugging percentage.
If Betts or Judge can continue to lead the All-Star polls, and either be the voting leader when it is all said and done, it would be the first time a Black player would have the most All-Star votes since Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners did it in 1999.
As Betts locked in his massive deal back in 2020, now it is Judge’s turn to get his. Judge, who had just agreed to a one-year, $19 million contract to avoid arbitration, is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2022 season.
He turned down an seven-year, $213.5 million offer at the beginning of the season from the Yankees, and with the season he is having, it is looking like he made the right decision. He is set for an even bigger payday, whether that is from the Yankees, or from a different team.
As Judge is essentially a lock to start in the Midsummer Classic, Betts will be, too, if he can make it back from the IL in time. After the All-Star break, the next focus is to continue their respective sensational seasons during the second half to try and lock up awards for the season, like MVPs, All-MLB team slots, and most importantly, a championship. Although there are nine players in each lineup, plus the pitchers, neither the Dodgers nor the Yankees will be the last one standing without their stars continuing to do what they are doing.
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