Preview/Prediction

In a few days, Major League Baseball will break for the All-Star Game. It'll be a nice, lighthearted exhibition for everyone involved.

But after that, things are going to get nutty.

After months of voting, only two spots remain unfilled for the 87th annual MLB All-Star Game, which will be played Tuesday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET in San Diego's Petco Park. Fans have until Friday, July 8, at 4 p.m. ET to vote for the players they believe deserve to join the festivities.

For the first time since 2009, a pitcher doesn't appear on the ballot, which is comprised of both seasoned veterans with previous All-Star experience and up-and-coming youngsters looking for their first taste of the Midsummer Classic.

Can Mike Trout make it three All-Star Game MVP awards in a row?

That's the question for the Los Angeles Angels phenom as he was once again voted into the starting lineup for the American League Tuesday night. The All-Star Game will be played July 12 in San Diego, California.

The All-Star Game is one week away, and Major League Baseball will announce the starting rosters for the American League and National League on Tuesday night.

While there is a chance for some changes in voting based on last week's results, the tightest races are in the American League's outfield and the National League's catching showdown. 

Fans can decipher most of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game starting selections before Tuesday night's lineup reveal.

Based on the final update that MLB Communications provided last Monday, most of the voting leads are too sizable to erase. Tight battles are brewing in the American League's outfield and behind the National League's plate, but voters have flocked to the deserving candidates in recent weeks. 

At this time of year, numerous articles attempt to predict who will make the trip to the MLB All-Star Game.

With the rosters set to be revealed Tuesday night ahead of the July 12 All-Star Game in San Diego, we've decided to take a slightly different approach here.

Rather than focus on forecasting the actual roster, we've predicted who fans will talk about once the rosters are announced.

Whether or not they win their respective leagues, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are set to make a mark on this year's World Series.

Home-field advantage plays a pivotal role in any playoff series, so MLB naturally lets an exhibition game decide who gets an extra home game during the championship showdown. If the Red Sox or Cubs don't make the Fall Classic, the participants can thank or blame the All-Star Game outcome.

The votes are in, and now we wait for the official word on who's invited to the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Perhaps there will be some surprises.

Unless, of course, all of our predictions come true.

Attention big league shoppers: You have four weeks left to find the piece—or pieces—you need for the stretch run. That might seem like a long time, but it's not. The Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline will be here before you know it.

As a result, the rumor mill has been buzzing. It's not spinning as fast as an Aroldis Chapman fastball, but it's certainly moving faster than what passes for a heater from Jered Weaver these days.

As voting for the All-Star Game reached the home stretch, it's clear that fans have given the Chicago Cubs quite a bit of respect.

The Cubs are hoping that the 2016 season will see them gain their first spot in the World Series since 1945 and their first championship since 1908, and the team's tremendous first half of the season is reflected in the All-Star voting.