Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that there appears to be an increasing likelihood that there will be a change to All-Star game voting.
In replace of the current system, an Election Day will be instituted where fans will have the opportunity to pick the starter for the game. This is one of the possible changes to the collective bargaining agreement made by Major League Baseball as well as the Major League Baseball Players Association.
The proposed set up for Election Day is that like every other year, there would be an online voting system that fans engage in. After this period ends, the top three vote-getters at each position would then be placed on a ballot for Election Day.
Fans would then be able to vote their top choice on the ballot for each position and the player with the most votes at each position would then be named the starter for the All-Star Game.
The apparent reasoning behind this change is that both MLB and MLBPA see this set-up as a better way to engage baseball fans in the sport, as well as social media as a whole.
Other discussions have been made between the two organizations, including economic issues, an increase in prize money for the Home Run Derby, and an expansion of the MLB roster from 25 to 26 players. As part of the proposed expansion, there would be a maximum of 13 pitchers.
This year’s All-Star game will be played at Progressive Field which is the home of the Cleveland Indians, while the 2020 All-Star Game will be played Dodger Stadium.
