Harper, Murphy lead early All-Star Game voting

SAN FRANCISCO - Major League Baseball made an announcement today about Bryce Harper. But not the one everyone has spent the last 18 hours anticipating in the wake of yesterday's brawl at AT&T Park.

This announcement, though, underscored just how popular Harper is, not only among Nationals fans but across the sport. Which is why the 24-year-old has received more All-Star votes so far than any other player in the National League.

The first All-Star Game ballot update of the year was unveiled today, and Harper is just one of many Nats to occupy the leaderboard.

Harper has received 900,079 votes to date, tops among NL players by a vast margin. The player who has received the second-most votes in the league: Daniel Murphy, who is winning the race at second base with 669,643 votes (nearly 200,000 more than the Cubs' Javier Baez).

Ryan Zimmerman, meanwhile, sits in second place at first base. The veteran enjoying a huge comeback season has received 359,055 votes, trailing only the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo (452,620).

All seven of the Nationals' healthy regulars made the leaderboard, with only the injured Adam Eaton not cracking the list.

Matt Wieters ranks fourth among NL catchers with 177,957 votes. The Giants' Buster Posey leads with 559,428 votes.

Anthony Rendon ranks fifth among NL third basemen with 137,767 votes. The Cubs' Kris Bryant leads with 632,900 votes.

Trea Turner ranks fifth among NL shortstops with 180,184 votes. The Dodgers' Corey Seager leads with 399,347 votes.

Jayson Werth ranks 13th among NL outfielders with 127,511 votes. The Rockies' Charlie Blackmon (520,479) and the Cubs' Jason Heyward (344,166) rank second and third, respectively, behind Harper.

This is by far the best overall showing for the Nationals in All-Star balloting over the years. They've had only two position players selected by fans to start the Midsummer Classic: Harper in 2013, 2015 and 2016; and Alfonso Soriano in 2006.