Mariners’ Jean Segura sent to All-Star Game with Final Vote win

The Mariners asked fans to #SendSegura, and send they did.

Shortstop Jean Segura is headed to Washington, D.C. for the MLB All-Star Game after winning the American League’s Final Vote, becoming the fourth Mariners player named to the AL’s All-Star team.

“It’s unbelievable,” Segura said, per 710 ESPN Seattle’s Shannon Drayer. “To see your teammates and Seattle support me, and Mariners marketing. To see Félix (Hernández) yesterday down the street show his support trying to get people to vote for me. It’s amazing. It feels really good.”

Jesús Aguilar of the Milwaukee Brewers won the NL half of the Final Vote.

The Mariners made a big push to get Segura a ticket to Nationals Park for next week’s All-Star activities after he was named one of five AL candidates for the Final Vote on Sunday. They distributed #SendSegura shirts, partnered with several local businesses on discounts to promote voting and even held open voting sessions at Safeco Field that saw surprise appearances by injured Mariners Mike Zunino and Hernández and general manager Jerry Dipoto.

Mariners fans are special.#TrueToTheBlue #SendSegura pic.twitter.com/IINgrGl93J

— #SendSegura (@Mariners) July 11, 2018

Segura jumped out to the lead on Tuesday and was able to hold off the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton, Boston’s Andrew Benintendi, the Angels’ Andrelton Simmons and the Twins’ Eddie Rosario over the final day of voting. He was the first Mariners player to be included on a Final Vote ballot since it was introduced in 2002.

This is the second career All-Star nomination for Segura, who made the National League team in 2013 as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. He joins Edwin Díaz, Mitch Haniger and Nelson Cruz as Mariners headed to the Midsummer Classic, which is set for next Tuesday. There is still an outside chance starting pitcher James Paxton could be added to the AL team as a replacement for an injured player or pitcher who will be ineligible to appear in the game itself due to pitching on Sunday.

Segura is hitting .329 (fourth AL) with 116 hits (second MLB), 62 runs scored (eighth AL), 14 stolen bases (tied 10th AL) and 47 RBIs. He also has been one of the more clutch hitters in baseball, as evidenced by this walkoff hit to beat Detroit in May.

Jean Segura the WALKOFF MACHINE as @Mariners rally to win in the 11th on @ROOTSPORTS_NW pic.twitter.com/SWciLcr6iE

— ROOT SPORTS™ | NW (@ROOTSPORTS_NW) May 20, 2018

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