Miggy setting the pace in AL All-Star balloting

Miggy setting the pace in AL All-Star balloting
Slugger, Hunter in position to start; Fielder, Peralta lag leaders

By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 6/3/2013 2:20 P.M. ET

DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera is finally getting the All-Star attention he deserves. The question now is which Tigers will join him at next month's Midsummer Classic.

The first American League All-Star balloting update, released Monday, shows how much Cabrera's Triple Crown season in 2012 and record-setting pace this season have vaulted him among the game's biggest stars. Once an annual snub in All-Star fan balloting, Cabrera not only is firmly in line to be voted into the All-Star Game for his first time in his career, he currently leads all AL players in votes, topping the 1.5 million mark already.

At third base, where Cabrera finished second to Texas' Adrian Beltre last year in his first season back at the hot corner, Cabrera's 1,500,165 votes are more than double that of his nearest competitor, Baltimore's Manny Machado.

Cabrera has a lead of about 265,000 votes on Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano for the AL's top vote-getter. It's a pace that seems fitting for a hitter who entered Monday on track to hit 50 home runs and drive in 191 runs. The two-time defending batting champ holds a firm lead in this year's batting race as well with a .367 average.

Cabrera's lone All-Star start came in 2010 as an injury replacement for Justin Morneau at first base. He has six other All-Star appearances as a reserve, including the past two seasons as a Tiger.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via your mobile device --using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday, July 4, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Fans may submit twenty-five (25) online ballots during the voting period, but can also earn a one-time bonus of ten (10) additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, visit www.mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

This week's homestand is the final chance for fans to cast ballots in person at Comerica Park, where paper balloting ends on Sunday.

While Cabrera has a firm lead, a slew of other Tigers are looking for votes. The only other Detroit player in line to start is Torii Hunter, third among AL outfielders with 761,937 votes. He holds a slim leads over Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz, while looking up at Angels sensation Mike Trout and Orioles center fielder Adam Jones.

Prince Fielder, meanwhile, needs some help if he's going get the starting nod at first base again. Though Fielder topped the million-vote mark already at 1,059,300, he trails hot-hitting O's slugger Chris Davis by just under 117,000 votes. Though Fielder has followed up his impressive first season in Detroit with a pace for 130 RBIs, Davis' start -- including 20 home runs -- has taken a lot of the spotlight beyond Cabrera.

The bigger snub could be at shortstop, where Jhonny Peralta's hot start earned him just a third-place showing behind Texas' Elvis Andrus and Baltimore counterpart J.J. Hardy. However, shortstop is shaping up to be one of the tightest races on the AL ballot, with about 187,000 votes separating Peralta from Andrus' leading total.

Omar Infante's quietly strong season has him ranked fourth among AL second basemen with 417,333 votes. Victor Martinez, despite his slow start, ranks fifth among designated hitters with 340,967 votes, about 675,000 behind Boston's David Ortiz.

The 2013 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 7, on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, televised nationally on TBS. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the All-Star Game Final Vote sponsored by freecreditscore.com on MLB.com.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.

Fans can also once again participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15.

The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.