Mike Moustakas, Whit Merrifield enter top five in All-Star voting

Let the ballot-stuffing by Royals fans begin!

With the surge in the standings by the Royals has come a surge in popularity in voting for the All-Star Game. Last week, Eric Hosmer surged into the lead in voting at first base, joining Salvador Perez as potential starters. Hosmer has opened up his lead to about 71,000 votes, while Salvy will almost certainly lock up his third straight start at the All-Star Game.

But surging as well are other Royals - Mike Moustakas, Whit Merrifield, and Lorenzo Cain. Moustakas and Merrifield both jumped into the top five at their positions this week, with Lorenzo Cain breaking the top 12 among outfielders.

Moose joins a pretty crowded third base field this year, and with the kind of year Miguel Sano is having, Moose seems likely to make the club as a reserve. Statistically, Merrifield falls well short of other second baseman, but he has been a fun story for the Royals and is a fan-favorite, so it is not too surprising he is faring well in voting. Lorenzo Cain has been outstanding in the month of June, and is now tied for seventh among AL outfielders in fWAR.

This is the last week of voting, and you can vote here up to 35 times. The All-Star teams will be announced this Sunday, July 2 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The 2017 MLB All-Star Game will be held Tuesday, July 11 in Miami.