St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan has slipped to fifth place on the National League All-Star ballot for second basemen in the latest phase one voting update. This change comes as fans continue to cast votes nationwide, with the ballots closing on June 26.
In the initial update on June 16, Donovan was in fourth place, trailing Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner by about 18,000 votes and leading New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil by roughly 6,000. Since then, Hoerner advanced to third place with over 636,000 votes, while McNeil surged past Donovan with 550,000 votes compared to Donovan’s 525,000.
Current Standings Show Tough Race to Phase Two
To advance to the second phase of voting, players must be among the top two vote recipients at their position. Donovan now trails over half a million votes behind second place, held by his former Cardinals teammate Tommy Edman. Despite Donovan’s strong performance this season, the voting numbers reflect a highly competitive race for the coveted All-Star spots.
Donovan’s season statistics highlight his impact at the plate, batting .308 with a .806 OPS and contributing 2.1 Wins Above Replacement (bWAR). In contrast, Edman, while delivering solid numbers, maintains a .248 batting average and a .736 OPS. Edman has, however, played in ten fewer games but leads Donovan by six home runs and eleven RBIs.
Cardinals Players in the Voting Mix
Several other Cardinals players appear in the top ten vote counts at their positions, including Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, Masyn Winn, and Ivan Herrera. Although Donovan remains the most voted Cardinals player, each faces significant gaps behind the leading vote-getters. The reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers dominate the ballot, securing at least one player in the top two spots at every position.
Prospects for Donovan and What’s Next
Although Donovan currently sits outside the lead, he remains a strong candidate to be named as a National League All-Star reserve, a selection influenced by players and the Commissioner’s Office in addition to fan votes. Voting will move into phase two starting June 30 at 11 a.m. Central Time, giving Donovan’s supporters the chance to increase his standing.