Despite having the best record in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays don't have a single played leading All-Star voting after the first update. The American League is filled with incredibly talented players, but having no representative from the top team on the ballot is shocking. Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco and Yandy Diaz all have legitimate claims to being the best AL players at their position.
This All-Star fan vote is not the sole way players can make the All-Star team, which is a blessing for the Rays. Their great players will still have the opportunity to play themselves onto that illustrious team if fan voting doesn't swing their way. The Rays have seven more wins than the next best team in baseball, and fans are concerned they aren't getting the recognition they deserve.
Fox Sports posted a graphic featuring every player leading in the votes at this time on Twitter.
Unfortunely, this is nothing new for Rays fans who understand that they are one of the less popular teams in baseball. With their small fanbase, it is hard to compete with players from the New York Yankees, Houston Astros or Toronto Blue Jays. Especially when the players have the followings that Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani do.
Whenever individual awards come up, many players will immedaitely shift the attention away and focus on the team. But, deep down, every player wants to be recognized for their tremendous play on the field. While the fan support may not be there right now, Tampa Bay Rays fans have plenty of time to turn things around.
All-Star weekend is MLB's biggest celebration of the year, and is a great time for fans and players alike. The annual event has become a staple for fans across the country. Having no players from what is quite literally the best team in baseball as it stands right now would be a miscarriage of justice.
The Tampa Bay Rays are being left off the All-Star team for now, but it is becoming harder and harder to ignore their win total.
Can the Tampa Bay Rays hold on to the best record in baseball all season?
After a perfect start to the season, everybody expected the Tampa Bay Rays to fall back down to Earth. They have a little bit, but proved that their hot start was no fluke. They have one of the best offenses in baseball and excellent pitching.
At this point, saying that the Rays are going to slow down seems certain to be an unforced error that I would like to avoid.