Cal Raleigh leads my picks for All-Star starters and reserves

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty ImagesAll-Star voting is currently open, which is always an exciting time to reflect on standout performances, and a nice distraction if your favorite team has been falling down rather than standing out lately. Each squad has 32 spots on it, 20 for position players and 12 for pitchers. Fans will elect the starters through a two-round voting process. Players select another 17. And the Commissioner’s Office fills the last six, often to ensure the one real rule here, which is that every team is guaranteed at least one slot on the roster. Below, I’ve played the part of all three sections of voting. I can’t emphasize enough that this is not a prediction. It’s my If I Were King of the World ballot of starters and reserves for the American League. We’ll talk NL next week. This is just my current ballot. Things can and do change over the course of the voting period. An All-Star ballot is fundamentally a personal exercise, so I’d love to hear from you in the comments. You can also submit your actual votes, here through June 26.

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