MLB Twitter reacts to All-Star voting surge that kept Toronto Blue Jays stars out of starting nine

Just a week ago, three Toronto Blue Jays players led All-Star voting at their respective positions. Now, it appears as though the league's only Canadian team will be shut out of the AL All-Star starting lineup for the first time since 2019.

Voting, which closed on June 29, is done on a position-by-position basis. Fans vote for their top spot at each position, with the two highest candidates by vote share facing a runoff.

Last week, three quarters of the Toronto Blue Jays infield was leading the way. Bo Bichette was the top pick at shortsop, Matt Chapman at third base, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base. Additionally, Whit Merrifield and Kevin Kiermaier were both in the running as well.

However, after announcing the lineups, it was determined that Tampa Bay Rays first baseman had defeated Guerrero Jr, Chapman came second to Josh Jung of the Rangers at third, Corey Seager edged out Bo Bichette at shortstop, and Marcus Semien of the Rangers overcame Whit Merrifield at second base. Additionally, Kevin Kiermaier won runner-up mentions in the outfield.

"#Blue Jays won't have any All-Star Game starters voted in this year" - Ben Nicholson-Smith

Following the uncanny surge in voting numbers, fans are wondering what happened. Some have even gone as far to suggest the league may have tampered in voting numbers to ensure that the league's only Canadian team was not overrepresented.

Despite pointing out the strangeness of having five Toronto Blue Jays in second place, many do not think a lot of the players mentioned deserved the honor. The only exception being Bo Bichette, who is hitting a league-best .319, alongside 14 home runs and 48 RBIs.

The All-Star game will be played on July 10 at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners. Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr. were the two players to surpass the second round of voting after leading the first round. Unfortunately for Toronto Blue Jays fans, they will have to wait until one of their players comes into the game off of the bench.

Toronto Blue Jays have more pressing concerns than the All-Star game

While All-Star weekend is an unquestionnably fun time for fans and players alike, the Toronto Blue Jays need to keep their season alive. Still ten games back in the AL East, the team sits just half a game ahead of the Houston Astros in the third AL Wild Card spot. Whatever happens at the All-Star game, it is sure to be a whirlwind rest of the year for the team.