Unlike the AL, The NL All-Star team will feature a more diverse group of players. Without Albert Pujols there won't be a road block at first base and if it weren't for fan voting every other position might be locked down already. The pitching might not be as obvious in the NL as it is in the AL, but the lineup stacks up nicely against that of the junior circuit. There are even a few players who could get the chance to play the whole game because of the lack of a decent second option.
Here is the 2011 fantasy baseball All Star lineup for the national league:
Catcher: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves- He leads NL catchers in home runs, RBIs and batting average what isn't to love? He isn't always the first catcher taken off the board, but his numbers prove that he is the best on the field. He could potentially play the whole game.
First base: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers- It couldn't be any body else, could it? With Prince Albert out with an injury and Joey Votto lacking a bit in the power department, Fielder has taken his place as the best first baseman in the NL. His 21 homers are second best and his 69 RBIs pace the NL.
Second base: Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals- This is a close call between Espinosa and Pittsburgh Pirate Neil Walker. Espinosa's 15 HRs are good for best in the NL among second baseman, but his 48 RBIs trail Walker by three. Neither have the best average, but we'll let that slide because the second base class in the NL isn't too promising this year.
Shortstop: Jose Reyes, New York Mets- At the start of the season Troy Tulowitzki was the favorite for this spot, but Reyes has been the most electrifying player in all of baseball this season. His .352 average leads the NL and his 30 steals are just four behind Houston's Michael Bourn for second in baseball.
Third base: Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs- With Ryan Zimmerman and Pablo Sandoval losing time early on with injuries and David Wright still on the DL the third base pool is exceptionally shallow when it comes to performance. Ramirez has been the most steady at the hot corner this year with a solid .292 BA, 10 homers and 40 RBIs. He's another player I would choose to go all nine innings.
Left field: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers- Without a doubt Braun has been the best left fielder in baseball this year. He has 16 homers and 60 RBIs to go along with a .316 average and his 19 steals are just one less than his previous career high when he swiped 20 bags in 2009.
Center field: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers- Kemp already has a 20/20 season in the bag and has restored his place among baseball's best players, that deserves an All-Star nod. He leads the NL in homers and his .331 average is second best. He is on pace to shatter his career highs in HRs, RBIs and average.
Right field: Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks- Upton is quietly putting together the season we all dreamed he would when we drafted him in the second round on our 2010 drafts. He is still just 23 and has lots of room for growth, but he's hitting .304 with 13 HRs, 43 RBIs and 14 steals. He leads NL right fielders in steals and is among the top five in average and homers.
Starting pitcher: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies- This might be a closer call is Jair Jurrjens had more than 55 K's. Doc is already the front runner for NL Cy Young for a second straight year and would be my pick to start the NL All-Star game. Even though starters only go an inning or two, Halladay would go all nine if he were asked. His 5 complete games, 127.1 innings and 10 wins lead all NL pitchers and he is second in strikeouts, WHIP and ERA.
Relief Pitcher: Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates- I am shocked that I actually wrote that name, but Hanrahan has been the best closer in the NL and is one of the reasons the Pirates are actually winning games. He trails SF's Brian WIlson by only one save with 23 and his 1.21 ERA and 0.94 WHIP lead NL closers. There are a bevy of qualified finishers this year so if Hanrahan can't lock down a lead for the NL squad in this year's games then someone else will be able to.
Reserves: Miguel Montero, Michael Morse (that's right, no Votto or Howard.), Neil Walker, Troy Tulowizki, Chipper Jones, (sentimental reasons), Carlos Gonzalez, Andrew McCutchen, Lance Berkman, Jay Bruce, Jair Jurrjens, Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmerman, Anibal Sanchez, Brian Wilson, Heath Bell, Craig Kimbrel
