TORONTO — Jose Bautista is the people’s choice heading into the all-star game.
The Toronto Blue Jays slugger received a record 7,454,753 fan votes ahead of the annual game at Chase Field in Phoenix on July 12.
Bautista’s total surpassed the previous mark of 6,069,688 set by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1994.
Bautista is the first Blue Jay to lead voting for the game and the first Toronto player to be voted to the game since first baseman Carlos Delgado in 2003.
“It’s crazy,” he said before Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. “It’s a good feeling, something I’ll never forget. Hopefully I can keep improving every year.”
New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson was second with 6,683,877 votes.
Bautista homered Saturday off Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay, then hit his major league-leading 27th homer Sunday against Cliff Lee.
The home run in the eighth inning put the Blue Jays into a 5-4 lead and they went on to win 7-4. Bautista has now hit a home run in three consecutive games for the second time this year.
Bautista is averaging a homer every 10.07 at-bats and lead the majors with an on-base percentage of .471 and slugging percentage at .688 after going 2-for-4 Sunday. He is batting .331 with 56 RBIs.
“He’s definitely amazing player,” said Blue Jays centre-fielder Rajai Davis. “He’s learned so much over the time that he’s been here with Toronto. He seems to get better and better. He’s just consistent. He’s always looking to help out his teammates.”
Bautista has played most of the season in right field but was moved to third base last Tuesday to help give the team more offence from the position.
“I got a lot of votes from different territories so it’s a good feeling,” Bautista said. “People are recognizing that you’re doing well and for me it’s been in three different territories, the United States and Canada and the Dominican. I can’t even describe how good that feels.”
Bautista, 30, is a native of the Dominican Republic.
He was added to the team last season when he went on to lead the majors with 54 home runs.
Bautista will be joined by Jays manager John Farrell, who was picked by Texas manager Ron Washington to join him on the American League bench for the all-star game.
New York Yankee catcher Russell Martin of Chelsea, Que., is on the AL team as a reserve. He’s batting .223 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs.
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto of Toronto made the National League team as a reserve. He took a .316 batting average into Sunday with 12 homers, 51 RBIs with a .436 on-base percentage.
The AL starting lineup: Adrian Gonzalez at first base, Robinson Cano at second, Derek Jeter at shortstop, Alex Rodriguez at third base, with Bautista, Josh Hamilton and Granderson in the outfield, Alex Avila behind the plate and David Ortiz at designated hitter.
The NL starters: Prince Fielder at first, Rickie Weeks at second, Jose Reyes at short, Placido Polanco at third, with Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp and Lance Berkman in the outfield and Brian McCann catching. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy will choose the DH.
Fans can vote on MLB.com through Thursday for the 34th player on each side. Injuries are sure to impact the final rosters, too — three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols was left off while recovering from a broken left wrist and Reyes is nursing a hamstring problem.