Phase 1 of voting for the July 14 All-Star game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia began this week, a reminder of simpler times when I was a kid at Memorial Stadium punching out the squares next to every Orioles player.

Back then, Phase 1 was hoping that I didn’t break the point on my pencil.

I used to think that Major League Baseball constructed the ballot, and perhaps that was the case a long time ago. Teams handle that duty, so the Orioles are responsible for the following:

Designated hitter: Samuel Basallo
Catcher: Adley Rutschman
First baseman: Pete Alonso
Second baseman: Jeremiah Jackson
Shortstop: Gunnar Henderson
Third baseman: Coby Mayo
Outfielders: Dylan Beavers, Leody Taveras, Taylor Ward

Immediate reactions from me are as follows:

Basallo was the right pick at designated hitter, since he’s made 19 appearances in the role. Yesterday’s start behind the plate was his 26th, nine fewer than Adley Rutschman, a two-time All-Star who’s having a bounce back season.

Beavers hasn’t played since May 10 due to a strained right oblique and the latest injury update doesn’t say anything about a pending rehab assignment. But he’s on the ballot instead of Tyler O’Neill, who’s batting .160 with a .500 OPS in 38 games and has a minus-0.6 bWAR to match last year’s calculation.

I never would have predicted over the winter that Jackson would be the candidate at second base.

I never would have predicted over the winter that Mayo would be the candidate at third base.

I never would have predicted over the winter that Taveras would be one of the outfielders.

Mayo seemed a little more likely during spring training after news broke that Jordan Westburg had a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, which eventually led to reconstructive surgery. And Mayo hit .378/.405/.622 with three doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs in 15 exhibition games.

Second base opened up with Jackson Holliday breaking his right hamate bone in February, but Jackson wasn’t assured of breaking camp with the team. He had to win the job, and he didn’t play the position with the Orioles last year.

Names had to be submitted by the last week in May. Makes me wonder if Blaze Alexander became a consideration after his hot month. But his starts are spread out among third base (13), second base (10), center field (six), shortstop (five), left field (three) and right field (one). That’s a utility player, the exact reason why the Orioles traded for him.

Managers can be torn between wanting their players honored with a selection and wanting them to get some rest before the second half postseason push.

“It’s extremely important,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz told the media Wednesday about selections. “I’m very biased of our group because I’m fortunate enough to work with these guys every single day and see their work ethic.

“The more guys we can get would be awesome.”

Ryan O’Hearn was the lone representative last summer at designated hitter. The Orioles had four and five players, respectively, during the back-to-back playoff seasons in 2023-24, and Corbin Burnes was the starting pitcher in ’24. The club settled for one rep from 2017-22, with the 2020 Midsummer Classic cancelled due to the pandemic.

Rebuilds don’t usually attract All-Stars.

Ballots don’t include pitchers, who are chosen by players and the commissioner’s office. The Orioles could get shut out here, but reliever Rico Garcia is getting noticed throughout the league and has a legitimate shot, which would make him an even more interesting story than O’Hearn last year.

Garcia began yesterday ranking among all qualified relievers in opponent average (first at .083), opponent on-base percentage (first at .172), OPS (first at .327), hits per nine innings (first at 2.39), runners per nine innings (first at 5.47), WHIP (first at 0.61) and ERA (fourth at 0.68). His  40.2 percent whiff rate was third highest among guys with a minimum 25 innings behind the Padres’ Mason Miller (52.2 percent) and Blue Jays’ Jeff Hoffman (41.9).

Hoffman ain’t makin’ it.

Kyle Bradish has a chance if he maintains his roll, and there’s no reason to think he can’t do it. Bradish lowered his ERA to 3.44 by posting a 2.80 ERA in six May starts. It’s only 1.72 ERA in his last five outings.

Circling back to position players, Rutschman has a shot at being selected by fans, which happened in 2024. Jonah Heim edged him in ’23. Rutschman collected his 31st RBI yesterday, second in the American League behind Dillon Dingler’s 43.

The Astros’ Yordan Alvarez seems like a lock at designated hitter. He went into yesterday batting .316/.426/.649 with 71 hits, 21 home runs and 44 RBIs. No one in the AL had more hits or homers, or a higher average, slugging and OPS (1.075). The Rays’ Yandy Díaz also will get plenty of votes. But Basallo entered the chat with his .338/.376/.597 month of May, and his 112.4 mph double yesterday was a career high in exit velocity. He lined to center later at 107.3 mph.

The question must be asked. Has any team had two catchers selected to the same All-Star Game?

It isn’t common but it also isn’t unprecedented, and we only have to go back to 2022 with the Braves’ Travis d’Arnaud and William Contreras. But the American League? Go back to the Yankees of Yogi Berra and Elston Howard from 1957-62, per STATS. It started with Bill Dickey and Buddy Rosar of the 1942 Yankees and continued with Rosar and Lou Boudreau of the ’43 Indians. Boudreau caught one game but it counted.

That’s it.

That’s repeatable for the Orioles if Basallo stays hot this month.

We’ll find out whether the star power of Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson get them to Philadelphia. Bobby Witt Jr. is a big roadblock at shortstop and the Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle has made an early bid for Rookie of the Year. And Henderson’s .219/.271/.427 slash line yesterday created a large shadow over the 13 home runs. Alonso has been much better at the plate after a surprisingly slow start to his Orioles career – he had two more hits yesterday – but Yankees fans will go hard on Ben Rice, who deserves the start, and Nick Kurtz could run for mayor of Sacramento.

The White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami is on the 10-day injured list with a Grade two hamstring strain, but his 20 homers lead all first basemen and his .938 OPS is third. The power numbers for the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are down, but he’s made five trips to the All-Star Game and popularity can be a driving force in voting.