RON SEIBEL: Early returns giving Braves players All-Star edge

With the success the Atlanta Braves have enjoyed, somewhat unexpectedly, during the first half of the season, it’s only logical that Braves players are popular when it comes to All-Star Game balloting.

The fan vote has long been part of the All-Star process, one that is a special part of the sport. With voting now handled online, the masses can truly determine who they want to see start the Midsummer Classic.

It’s kind of strange that several Braves players are leading in the voting, considering Atlanta’s reputation as a city that doesn’t always pull out all the stops for the home team. But with the Braves in contention for the first time in several years, folks are paying attention.

What’s the voting looking like? Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the NL side, with voting through last Monday:

First base: Freddie Freeman has the starting spot all but locked up. He leads all NL players with 1.43 million votes, with some 900,000 votes separating him from the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo. Freeman’s the heart of the Braves’ roster this season, and he definitely deserves the honor.

Second base: Ozzie Albies leads by about 140,000 votes over the Cubs’ Javier Baez. There’s no sophomore slump for the Braves’ most anticipated rookie from last season, and he continues to spark excitement at SunTrust Park. He’s one big postseason away from becoming a household name in the majors.

Shortstop: A 550,000-vote lead appears to give the Giants’ Brandon Crawford a lock on the starting shortstop position. Dansby Swanson is in second but having the type of year that should earn him a spot as a reserve, although the Rockies’ Trevor Story is having a hot month.

Third base: Name recognition might keep Johan Camargo off the all-star roster. He’s third in the voting behind the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, and he trails Freeman, Albies and Swanson with just 395,000 votes.

Catcher: Lee County’s Buster Posey leads the Cubs’ Willson Contreras by about 90,000 votes in his quest for a fourth straight All-Star start. The Braves’ Kurt Suzuki is third, about 40,000 votes behind Contreras. How about that for a dilemma, south Georgia voters?

Outfield: Nick Markakis is having a really strong year, and he’s being rewarded with the top spot in outfielder voting so far. The Nationals’ Bryce Harper is second, with the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp, who played for the Braves last season, sitting in third. There’s about a 250,000-vote gap between Kemp and fourth-place Charlie Blackmon, with Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna and Ender Inciarte in the next two spots.

Pitching: Fans don’t get to vote on pitchers, but with Sean Newcomb and Mike Foltynewicz among the NL’s ERA leaders there’s a strong case for both to be named to the NL roster.

Voting concludes July 5. Votes can be cast — multiple times, in fact — at https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot.

Contact sports editor Ron Seibel at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ronseibel.