Jays’ first baseman among 12 first-time all-star starters

NEW YORK — Once again, a late push of online votes from Canadians has made one of the Toronto Blue Jays a starter for the American League all-star team.

Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak was among 12 first-time starters elected Sunday for the all-star game at Miami on July 11, the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.

Smoak bounced back to beat Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer by 555,000 at first base, two years after Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson set the record for most votes ever to surge into that year’s all-star game.

“It’s awesome. It’s an honour. I think it’s something as a young kid you always dreamed of. It’s what you wanted to be was an all-star in the big leagues,” said Smoak. “I think early in my career, coming up through the minor leagues and getting drafted, that’s what I expected of myself. It didn’t happen that way but I’m here now and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Smoak has 22 home runs and is hitting .303 — both career highs — so far this season for Toronto. He stepped into the starting first baseman role for the Blue Jays after former all-star Edwin Encarnacion signed with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in the off-season.

Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Nolan Arenado are also firsttime all-stars and just one player was picked from the World Series champion Cubs: reliever Wade Davis, who wasn’t even with Chicago when it ended a 108-year title drought last fall. Just past the halfway point, the Cubs are 41-41.

“Maybe this is actually a good thing. Right now, rest is not a bad word,” said Chicago’s Joe Maddon, who will manage the NL.