By every indication, Dodgers rookie phenom Cody Bellinger is a lock to participate in this year’s All-Star Game Home Run Derby. In fact, he recently said so himself.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be in it, but they still haven’t asked me yet.”

We then got a laugh when I asked him who they are.

“I don’t know. Probably whoever they pick to be the Derby captain,” added the extremely humble 21-year-old Dodger superstar.

But while being in the Home Run Derby would certainly be a tremendous honor for Belly, actually being on the 2017 National League All-Star team – where he absolutely positively deserves to be – would be a far greater honor. However, because the official All-Star ballot comes out so ridiculously early each season, and because the popular Scottsdale, Arizona native and Dodgers 2013 fourth-round draft pick was not called up to the Dodgers until the fourth week of the season (Grrrr…), he was not included on the ballot.

Oh sure, Bellinger is undoubtedly among the top write-in candidates this year, but making it via the write-in route is an extreme long shot. In fact, the only Dodger to ever make it this way was Steve Garvey in 1974. That was 22 years before Cody Bellinger was even born.

Dodgers rookie sensation Cody Bellinger took his first of what will undoubtedly be many curtain calls in his career on Sunday afternoon after his second home run of the day. It was his sixth multi-home run game of the season, the most by a Dodger rookie in franchise history. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

There is also a possibility that NL All-Star team manager Joe Maddon might select Bellinger to be on his team, but even that would be a long shot. It’s no secret that All-Star Game managers are known for picking their own guys, this in spite of the fact that having the league’s best home run hitter on his team would be a huge advantage for the National League team.

This brings us to the final way in which Bellinger could still represent the Dodgers and the National League in this year’s Midsummer Classic – by way of The Final Vote, which Bellinger, in all probability, will be among the candidates for.

Although there may be some who consider being among The Final Vote candidates a lesser way to make the team than through the enormously flawed regular voting system, the truth of the matter is that The Final Vote candidates are often the guys that fans really want to see based on what they have done this season rather than on name recognition or simply because they made the team in the past. In other words, The Final Vote guys are usually the hottest guys in the game right now – say… like… Cody Bellinger.

Just how flawed is the current All-Star voting system? Check this out. Beloved Dodger outfielder Andre Ethier, who hasn’t appeared in even one game this season and who has been on the 60-day disabled list since Opening Day, is on the 2017 National League All-Star ballot for outfielders. And even though “Captain Clutch” will always be an All-Star in our hearts, he hasn’t appeared in a game since Game-6 of the 2016 National League Championship Series on October 22 and had a grand total of 24 at-bats during the entire 2016 regular season. Now this most certainly isn’t a knock on Andre Ethier, but it shows just how ridiculously flawed the All-Star voting system really is.

The point here is that even if Bellinger makes the Home Run Derby, and it’s a very safe bet that he will, he belongs in the All-Star Game itself – period. But to guarantee that he is, Dodger (and Bellinger) fans must, absolutely must, be prepare to vote for him in The Final Vote, and vote often.

Enjoy Miami, Belly.