2009 MLB All-Star Game

With the All-Star game less than one month away, I wanted to break down each team in the National League and list the possible All-Star selections.

We all know that every team has to have at least one representative. This rule may not be the most popular, but at least it gives the game some diversity—a dozen Yankees and Red Sox players doesn't appeal to everyone.

The National League looks to break the stranglehold that the American League has had on it for the last decade or so. 

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Time once again for an update on the National League all-star race.

As expected Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez have held on to the top spots for the second base and outfield positions. Utley did give up the overall lead for votes to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols however.

Here's my third update on how I think the All-Star rosters should look like, following the rules of at least one player from each team and overall 32 players. An asterisk* denotes injury. Agree or disagree? I'd love to hear.

American League:

First Base: Justin Morneau (Min) continues to be looked over for the two players in the AL East. He leads American League first basemen in RBI (56) and hits (84). He's also second in batting average (.324) and is very underrated defensively.

The All Star Game has taken its fair share of hits over the last 10 years. Whether it's ending in a tie or being the deciding factor for home field advantage in the World Series, the ASG has seen its better days.

Continuing his steamroll to the overall lead in votes received for the All-Star Game, St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols is one of two players to have received more than 1 million votes so far, according to the latest poll results released by Major League Baseball on Monday afternoon.

Pujols has received 1,240,395 votes, more than twice as many as the second-place first baseman in the NL.

Everyone knows that All-Star games are often a popularity contest. However, the fans generally get the majority of their selections correct.

Only the first round of votes has been reported, but it seems that there are several players that could be snubbed come All-Star break. Numbers may change between now and then, but the stats that have been gathered give us a pretty good idea of what a player may accomplish before the All-Star break.

On July 14, baseball's best players will head to the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis for the 80th annual MLB All-Star Game.

The question I impose: Which New York Yankees will make it?

Voting will end on July 2.

Catcher Jorge Posada has been injured most of the season, so he is pretty much out of the question.  However, his hamstring strain in his right leg is getting better and could return in a few weeks.

Mark Teixeira could very well make the roster this year.  He has really turned it around as of late.

We're already almost halfway to the 2009 MLB All star game. I know, time flies huh?

About one quarter of the way into the season, a lot of players, young and old, are putting up some eye-popping numbers. There's little doubt that some of the current league leaders won't stay there, but I'd like to recognize some of the top performers this far into a young season.

For this piece I'm going to stick with position players.

American League

Catcher - Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians