Brewers: 3 Position Players Who Need Your 2021 All-Star Vote

The return of a full 162-game season brought back plenty of exciting things for Brewers fans. There was the return of fans to the stands, which increases to full capacity later this month. There was the return of the team’s minor league affiliates. And there is once again an MLB All-Star game.

One of the best parts about the All-Star game for any sport is the chance to vote one of your team’s players into the game. Today, voting officially opened, meaning Brewers fans can try to give their favorite players a chance to attend the midsummer classic.

As usual, fans only are able to vote for position players, not pitchers, and Brewers fans can vote for only Milwaukee players if they choose to do so. With how the offense has been at times, though, actually getting a position player to the All-Star game will be a tough task.

Here are three Brewers position players who have a chance to make it and could really use your All-Star vote!

1. C Omar Narvaez

Let’s start with the team’s most consistent offensive threat for the 2021 season so far. Catcher Omar Narvaez has rebounded from what would generously be described as a nightmare 2020 season to become a pleasant surprise at the plate on most nights for the Brewers.

Narvaez is currently sitting on a .302/.383/457 slash line, worlds better than the .176/.294/.269 that he put up in 2020. His batting average and on base percentage would both set new career highs, as would his 130 OPS+ and 133 wRC+.

Among fellow National League backstops with at least 100 plate appearances, his 1.5 fWAR ties for fourth. Against other catchers on the ballot, though, he has the second best batting average and the third best OPS (.840).

Narvaez will find it hard to take a starting spot from Buster Posey, who is having a resurgent season with the Giants with his .987 OPS, 10 homers, and 21 RBIs. He stacks up just as well against all the other NL catchers, though, and if he keeps up his current pace, Narvaez could possibly make the game as Posey’s backup.

2. 2B Kolten Wong

Brewers fans, not to mention the rest of the NL, were already plenty familiar with new second baseman Kolten Wong, and he has been as good as advertised. But would you believe that the two-time Gold Glove winner hasn’t yet made an All-Star game in his career?

Perhaps it is because he has had generally solid, but never “blow you away” offensive numbers in the past. His career .262/.334/.388 slash line is decent, however he has never had more than 12 homers, 61 RBIs, or 71 runs scored in any single season.

This year, Wong is stepping up a few of those offensive numbers. While his .283 batting average is hovering around his .285 career high, his .447 slugging percentage, .793 OPS, 116 OPS+, and 117 wRC+ would all represent career highs.

The offense has been good for Kolten Wong, and the defense has been stellar, but is it good enough to make him a Brewers All-Star?

The competition at second base is tight in the National League this year, but Wong still compares favorably. His batting average is fourth out of the fifteen second basemen on the ballot while his OPS ranks eighth.

And though defense unfortunately doesn’t always translate to All-Star appearances (just look at his track record) it could be argued that he is the best defensive second baseman on the ballot. Wong hasn’t made an error yet in 2021 and his six defensive runs saved rank second among qualified second basemen, one off the lead.

Like we mentioned, though, the competition is stiff. Ozzie Albies of the Braves (9 HR, 30 RBIs) has a previous All-Star appearance and name recognition in his favor. The Rockies’ Ryan McMahon (13 HR, 32 RBIs) and the Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. (9 HR, 30 RBIs) have had big seasons for their respective clubs as well.

There is now runaway favorite at the second base position, though, so voting will be tight. Should Wong go on a hot streak and keep up his amazing defense, he could sneak his way into his first career All-Star nod.