Now that the all-star game counts, with the winner grabbing home field advantage for their league in the World Series, the all-star roster means a great deal for the top teams in the National League. Let’s run through the position players who deserve an all-star start for the N.L.

Catcher: Miguel Olivo, Colorado Rockies. Miguel Olivo is finally having the type of season imagined by scouts that thought he could one day be a star. Though Brian McCann will probably get the start because he’s more popular, Olivo is leading N.L. catchers in run production and is sure-handed behind the plate.

Backup: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves. Even if Olivo is having the better season to this point, McCann is still the second most talented catcher in the entire league, trailing only Joe Mauer. He should be on the all-star game roster for a long, long time.

First Base: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals. The Machine isn’t having his best season, but is still one of the best players Levitra in the National League. Only in the alternate universe that Pujols lives in would a .311 average, 16 home runs and 50 RBIs be considered sub-par anyway.

Backup: Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres. If you’re puzzled that the Padres are 12 games above .500 and leading the N.L. West, you’re not the only one. Following a slow start, Gonzalez has really turned it on; as of June 24th, he was hitting .315 with 16 bombs and 48 RBIs in a pitcher friendly ballpark.

Second Base: Martin Prado, Atlanta Braves. Most would expect to see Chase Utley here, but he’s simply having a sub-par year. The Braves are still leading the N.L. East and Prado has been one of their best players, hitting .336 with seven homers and 36 RBIs.

Backup: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds. With a .307 average and 10 steals, Phillips has been a catalyst on the surprising Reds, helping them stay in the N.L. Central race heading into July. His run production is solid but not spectacular, but he’s been the most consistent second basemen in the N.L outside of Prado.

Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins. Even though Ramirez isn’t having a great season, he’s still played well enough to start. With 11 round-trippers and 43 RBIs, he’s leading all big league shortstops in run production, adding in 13 stolen bases just for the fun of it.

Backup: Jose Reyes, New York Mets. Reyes and Troy Tulowitzki are both good options here, but it’s Reyes who has quietly put together a very nice season for the Mets. His .283 average isn’t stellar but it’s getting the job done and he’s still among the league leaders in stolen bases with 19, even though he’s coming off of a hamstring injury.

Third Base: David Wright, New York Mets. Wright is having a beastly season in the Big Apple and is a main reason they are just a half-game out of first place in the N.L. East as of June 24th. Wright is leading the N.L. in RBIs with 56 and his home run swing has returned, giving him 12 for the season. Add in his 12 stolen bases and Wright is a legit MVP candidate.
Backup: Troy Glaus, Atlanta Braves. I expect both Troy Glaus Tadacip and Scott Rolen to make the squad, but Glaus should be the first off the bench. In a comeback season, Glaus is one of the top run producers in the league with 55 RBIs and 14 long balls. Only fools and liars thought those numbers were in the cards for Glaus this season.

Outfield (3): Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers. Braun has tapered off a bit since a monstrous start, though he’s still having a big year. Much like David Wright, Braun has done everything for the Brewers, belting 10 homers, driving in 47 and maintaining a high average of .306. Braun has also stolen 11 bases and played a strong left field.

Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates. McCutchen has been the only one really helping the Pirates sell MLB tickets. Batting over .300 with 18 stolen bases, McCutchen is the most exciting Pirate and would have much better run production numbers if the rest of his team was better. McCutchen may or may not get the starting nod, but he should get on the roster at the very least.

Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers. With Prince Fielder struggling to find his stroke this season, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart have been the bright spots for the Brew Crew. Surprisingly, Hart is leading the Brewers in home runs (18) and RBIs (55) while maintaining a decent average (for a power hitter) of .272.

Backups (3): Chris Young, Arizona Diamondbacks. The best outfielder in Arizona is supposed to be Justin Upton, but this season it has been Young. Young has smacked 12 bombs and drove in 49 runs but has also been a menace on the base paths, piling up 13 steals.

Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals. A late surge by Holliday and limited options should get Holliday back on the all-star team. It seems that he’s got his power stroke going now, which could mean trouble for the N.L.

Marlon Byrd, Chicago Cubs. Byrd is among the leaders in hitting this year with a .326 average and has been a surprisingly effective run producer as well.

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