The Dodgers offense this season has been mostly comprised of the contributions of two men, so it's only fitting that Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are in the hunt for All-Star berths. Ethier and Kemp are fourth and fifth, respectively, among National League outfielders in the first round of balloting released by Major League Baseball on Tuesday. The 2011 MLB All-Star Game will be held on Tuesday, July 12 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
NL All-Star Outfield Balloting | ||
Player | Team | Votes |
Ryan Braun | Mil | 971,809 |
Matt Holliday |
StL | 927,778 |
Lance Berkman |
StL | 872,434 |
Andre Ethier |
LA | 776,971 |
Matt Kemp |
LA | 549,215 |
Ethier was voted as an All-Star starter last season, the first Dodgers outfielder to start an All-Star Game since Reggie Smith in 1980. This season, Ethier is having a good season, hitting .330/.406/.469, and had a 30-game hitting streak, but his power has yet to show up. Ethier has the lowest ISO (short for "isolated power," which is simply slugging percentage minus batting average) of his career, and has five home runs through one third of the season.
Kemp has rebounded from a subpar 2010 campaign to hit .308/.387/.542 this season with 12 home runs, 36 RBI, 33 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. The center fielder has never made an All-Star squad in his career. MLB All-Star voting runs through June 30.
For more news and information on Kemp, Ethier, and the Dodgers, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.