While the A.L. starters were fairly predictable, the N.L. starters based on fan voting was capricious and difficult to anticipate. Let’s take a look at the National League starters for this year’s all-star game.

Catcher – Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals.
Molina is a nice player but is not the best catcher on the National League roster. With a .230 average, three homers and 32 RBIs, Molina isn’t exactly lighting it up offensively, though his defensive abilities make him nearly impossible to run on. Molina is a fine all-star backup but Brian McCann of the Braves is probably Kamagra Soft the better choice. McCann is hitting a relatively solid .267 with 10 longballs and 34 RBIs while playing very good defensively as well.

First Base – Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals.
The Machine is having a down year and is hitting .308 with 20 bombs and 61 RBIs. Let’s move on.

Second Base – Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies.
Utley was the one voted in by the fans, though he’s currently on the D.L. and won’t be able to play. It’s actually just as well because both Martin Prado and Brandon Phillips are having better seasons than Utley, who is having one of his poorest statistical years of his career. Prado is probably the best choice as his .332 average and good power numbers for his position have been crucial for the Braves as they have built their slender N.L. East lead.

Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins.
Unlike the league was a decade ago, there are very few shortstops around that put up big-time offensive numbers. Ramirez seems to be the anomaly. Even though his effort can be questioned, Ramirez is having easily the best statistical season out of all the shortstops in the league. With 13 homers, 53 RBIs and a steady .296 average, it doesn’t really matter whether or not he feels like running after the ball on defense.

Third Base – David Wright, New York Mets.
Wright is having a huge year in New York just when the Mets needed him to do exactly that. After many criticized his lack of power in 2009, Wright bulked up in the offseason and has already surpassed his last year’s total in home runs while also leading the N.L. in RBIs with 64. His .317 average suggests that he’s back to being the all-around hitter, though he has been a bit of a human windmill with 96 strikeouts.

Outfield – Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers; Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves; Andre Ethier, L.A. Dodgers.
Braun has definitely slowed from his remarkable start and is on a bit of a skid heading into the break, but he’s still a very solid choice to be a starter. His .287 average, 11 homers and 51 bombs has helped to fill the void left by a down year from teammate Prince Fielder. Braun has also been very efficient on the base paths, swiping 11 bags and getting caught stealing just once.

But while Braun is deserving of a starting spot, the case for Jason Heyward is a little harder to make. No one doubts that Heyward is having a great season for a rookie and he’s certainly going to sell loads of MLB tickets. His power numbers are actually pretty strong but his .251 average suggests that he’s not yet on the elite level as a big league hitter. Heyward deserves an all-star spot but appears to be the benefactor of the hype that has surrounded him, though it’s not exactly his fault that he’s largely living up to enormous expectations. A better option would probably be Corey Hart, who is having a career year in Milwaukee with 19 homers and 61 RBIs already.

If Ethier didn’t break a bone in his hand earlier in the year, he would probably be the MVP of the first half in the National League. Even after missing a bunch of games, his 14 homers and 50 RBIs are still very good, as is his .322 batting average. If the Dodgers are to catch the jaw-dropping San Diego Padres, he’ll have to continue to carry the load in the second half.

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