MLB to utilize new All-Star Game voting process

Major League Baseball and the All-Star Game host team, the Cleveland Indians, announced Tuesday a two-phase process to determine the All-Star rosters that varies from the voting process in previous years.

The voting process opened Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern with “The Primary,” a new idea that is essentially a round to determine the starters for the game, which will be held on Tuesday, July 9 at Progressive Field. The Primary round will end on Friday, June 21 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

MLB also teamed up with Google to give fans “an easy, new way to vote just by searching for ‘MLB Vote’ or the names of their favorite players,” according to a press release from the league. You can vote for up to 17 players every day on Google, and an additional five ballots per day on MLB.com. During the initial voting period, fans can submit up to five ballots per 24-hour period on MLB platforms, and can vote for every position, or up to 17 unique players per day on Google.

On the evening of June 21, during the MLB Network Showcase telecast of the New York Yankees hosting the Houston Astros, the top three vote-getters at each position (and the top nine outfielders) in each league will be revealed. Those players will move on to the second phase of voting.

The second round, dubbed “The Starters Election” will begin at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, June 26, with fans voting among the finalists at each position during a 28-hour window that concludes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on June 27. The results of this round will be announced three hours later, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

During The Starters Election, in which fans can submit one ballot on MLB platforms and up to 17 unique player votes on Google, vote totals will reset and the winner at each position will be named a starting position player for the All-Star Game.

The American League team will be managed by reigning World Series champion and Boston Red Sox manager, Alex Cora. Meanwhile, the National League team will be led by reigning National League champion and Los Angeles Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts.

The pitchers and reserves for both teams – totaling 24 for the NL and 23 for the AL, as the American League has an additional fan-selected player with the designated hitter – will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. The final of the rosters will be announced on Sunday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

As always, fans will be able to vote for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award during the All-Star game. “Fans can vote exclusively at MLB.com and the 30 Club sites – online or via their mobile devices – with the 2019 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their collective voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining this year’s recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy,” as per the press release.

The All-Star Week includes the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on July 9, All-Star Workout Day and the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on July 8, and All-Star Sunday featuring the All-Star Futures Game and All-Star Celebrity Softball Game on July 7.

Make sure to cast your vote before it’s too late.