SAN FRANCISCO -- Joc Pederson has done something rare in his first few months as a Giant. After spending just about his entire career in Dodger blue, Pederson has quickly won over the rival fan base and there's no doubt that he's currently one of the most popular players on the roster.
Pederson's popularity was on display Monday in Atlanta, too, and on Tuesday morning it became clear that all of the good will -- plus all of those homers -- might land him in the All-Star Game for the second time.
The first round of All-Star balloting was released and Pederson sits third among NL outfielders, behind only Mookie Betts of the Dodgers and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves. Pederson has nearly 200,000 more votes than fourth-ranked Starling Marte, but more importantly, he has nearly double the votes of Mark Canha, who is seventh.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The top six in voting as of June 30 advance to the second phase, with three starters being selected from that group. Pederson should benefit from the way this year's ballot is set up, as Bryce Harper -- who is traditionally an easy choice for voters -- is listed among the DH candidates this time and seems likely to sail through as the starter.
Pederson hasn't been an All-Star since 2015, his first full season in the big leagues, but he leads the Giants with 14 homers and ranks sixth in the NL in wRC+, an all-encompassing measure of offensive production. His popularity was evident Monday night when he got a standing ovation from Braves fans who watched him help lead the team to a title last year, and it probably doesn't hurt Pederson's cause that he became such a national storyline after the Tommy Pham incident.
Pederson is likely to be the only Giant to move on to the next phase of voting. Mike Yastrzemski has a slight shot at getting into the top six for outfielders, but the rest of the position players are far back. If Pederson does make it, he could be joined by at least one pitcher, with Carlos Rodón and Logan Webb looking like possibilities to be named to the team.
