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You know how many Royals were voted All-Stars starters by MLB players? Zero

(AP)
(AP)

The process by which we determine who starts the MLB All-Star game is completely up to fans. If you've been paying attention the last two months, you know this quite well. It was hard to miss all the handwringing about how many Kansas City Royals players might start because of their fans' feverish online ballot-stuffing.

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In the end, four Royals were voted as starters — catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Alcides Escobar and outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon. As many as eight Royals were leading their positions just a few weeks ago, so four Royals seems like a fair enough compromise between over-eager K.C. clicksters and the rest of baseball.

But you know who wasn't nearly as keen on Kansas City's All-Star class? MLB players.

When the entire All-Star rosters were announced Monday, the results of the players' vote was also made public. The "players ballot," as it's called, is cast by players, managers and coaches. Here are the results of that vote and — spoiler alert — not a single Royals player finished No. 1.

AL Starting Pitchers
Dallas Keuchel, HOU – 381
Chris Archer, TB – 365
Sonny Gray, OAK – 352
Chris Sale, CWS – 306
David Price, DET – 242

AL Relief Pitchers
Dellin Betances, NYY – 222
Wade Davis, KC – 208
Glen Perkins, MIN – 131

AL Catchers
Stephen Vogt, OAK – 482

Jose Iglesias, not Alcides Escobar, was the players' vote for AL shortstop. (Getty Images)
Jose Iglesias, not Alcides Escobar, was the players' vote for AL shortstop. (Getty Images)

AL 1B


Miguel Cabrera, DET – 753*
Albert Pujols, LAA – 298

AL 2B
Jason Kipnis, CLE – 529

AL 3B
Josh Donaldson, TOR – 649*
Manny Machado, BAL - 271

AL SS
Jose Iglesias, DET – 369

AL OF
Mike Trout, LAA – 785*
Adam Jones, BAL – 424
Jose Bautista, TOR – 320
J.D. Martinez, DET – 315

AL DH
Prince Fielder, TEX - 533

*Denotes starter chosen by fans

This is all academic, of course, since the fan vote rules for All-Star starters. Winning the players' vote, however, does come with a reserve spot in the game if that player wasn't already voted in by the fans. That's the reason Kipnis, Vogt, Iglesias, Jones, Bautista, Martinez and Fielder were all named reserves. Albert Pujols would have also been a reserve too, but he slides into the starting spot because of Miguel Cabrera's injury.

Academic as this may be, it's still interesting to see the difference between what players think and what Royals fans All-Star voters think.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!