By: Hunter Sanders, Clarksville Now

CLEVELAND, Ohio – (CLARKSVILLENOW) Each of the four major sports leagues host an all-star event and for some fans they are becoming increasingly anticlimactic and decreasingly popular.

While the game doesn’t have many high stakes, the accolade of being named to the All-Star team is still a huge honor for the players. In addition to being an honor for the players, each one is voted in solely by the fans.

The ever-popular fans selection to the All-Star game is an interesting dynamic, as it becomes more of a popularity contest. Some players are elected based off past success, and other players are left out simply for lack of popularity. For example, in the 2011 NBA All-star game, fan favorite Yao Ming was selected to the all-star roster despite playing in just 5 games the whole season.

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For the 2019 MLB All-Star Game, there are some winners and there are some losers. Here are some highlights from the voting:

Winners:

Christian Yelich – It’s no surprise that the reigning National League MVP will be starting on July 9. Yelich leads the league in Home runs (29), slugging (.723), fourth in avg. (.332) and he is tied for second in RBI (63). He has taken his game to another level this year.

Cody Bellinger- Batting an outstanding .354, Bellinger is a no-brainer all-star selection. He is first in OPS (1.163) and has led the dodgers to an MLB-best 55 wins, as they are on track for their third straight NL pennant.

Ronald Acuña Jr.- Alongside Cody Bellinger in the outfield will be Acuña Jr. The Atlanta Brave came into 2019 fresh off a Rookie of the Year award in 2018. Acuña Jr. has met the high expectations and earned himself an all-star bid. At just 21-years-old, he will be the first player to start an all-star game age 21 or younger since Mike Trout and Bryce Harper in 2013.

Losers:

Edward Encarnacion – Three time all-star and 15-year veteran, Encarnacion was left off the American League roster. The newly acquired New York Yankee is leading the AL with 24 bombs, and is sixth in the league with 54 RBI’s.

Anthony Rendon- On pace for a 150-hit season, the Nationals’ infielder was once again snubbed of an all-star selection. Despite leading the league in doubles and finishing 11th in MVP voting last year, he was forgotten. History has repeated itself in 2019, as he’s hitting .307 with 75 hits and 55 RBI’s, only to be left out of the voting. Rendon will likely be selected as reserve.

Charlie Blackmon- Another player who was snubbed from the roster this year is the center fielder for the Colorado Rockies. Blackmon is in the midst of a stellar season, hitting .330 with 18 homeruns, 51 RBI’s and 94 hits. Largely due to playing in a small market without much national TV coverage, Blackmon is quite possibly the biggest disgrace to the all-star game.

Honorable Mentions:

The two biggest story lines this past off-season, without a doubt, were free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

Harper, who signed a 330 Million dollar contract with the Philadelphia Phillies last spring, is known for the violent hacks he takes at a baseball. With just 14 long balls (61st in the league), he has not been his best and was rightfully left out of the first round of voting.

Also left off the first round of voting, and rightfully so, is San Diego Padre Manny Machado. After signing a 300 million dollar deal with the Padres, the infielder is hitting just .280 with 17 homeruns, and will not be not be participating in the midsummer classic.

Listen to the MLB All Star game on ESPN Clarksville 104.1FM July 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m. You can also stream the game here.