Choices for the 2011 NL All-Star Team
By: Mike Reisman
As some of you may, or may not know, Phighting On is a proud member of the
Baseball Bloggers Alliance, (or the BBA for short) and every year they choose who they think are deserving of different awards. They have already chosen who should be Hall of Famers, and last year
I helped them select some other awards. Well now, with the All-Star game coming up, the Alliance is compiling a list of who should be in this year's All-Star game. So now that I'm done boring everyone, here are my choices.
Catcher: Brian McCann-Atlanta Braves McCann has proven over the last few years that he is a top NL catcher, and this year is no exception. He is tied for the 2nd best average for an NL catcher (.297) and is leading NL catchers in home runs (11) and RBIs (39). His two stolen bases also put him behind just Buster Posey for most stolen bases.
1st Base: Prince Fielder-Milwaukee Brewers On the surface, Fielder may look like your typical power only first baseman, however this year he is proving many people wrong. He is still leading all NL first basemen in homers (20), and he's leading the entire NL in RBIs (61), but this year he is doing it all with a stellar .301 batting average. He is also 2nd in runs (44) behind only the now injured Albert Pujols.
2nd Base: Rickie Weeks-Milwaukee Brewers If Chase Utley had been playing all year, this position would probably be his, but his recent drop in batting average has given Weeks the spot. Another Brewer, he's leading all NL second basemen with 14 homers, and 51 runs. He is also just one point behind the leader, Freddy Sanchez, in batting average (.288).
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki-Colorado Rockies This selection is tough, especially because Jose Reyes, the other logical choice has completely different stats. However, I'm personally a person that appreciates power numbers, and Tulo definitely has good power stats. He easily leads all NL shortstops with 13 homers and 46 RBIs, all while maintaining a solid .276 average.
3rd Base: Placido Polanco-Philadelphia Phillies Polanco is one of the few legitimate candidates this year, leading all NL third basemen (that are eligible for the batting title) with a .295 batting average. He is also 2nd in RBIs (38) and 1st in runs, with 30. He also has a .319 batting average with RISP, sweetening his already good stats.
Outfield (3): Matt Kemp-Los Angeles Dodgers Kemp is the leading player in most fantasy baseball leagues across the country, and his stats are certainly impressive. His .327 average is 2nd best among NL outfielders, and 2nd among all players in the NL. His 20 homers and 57 RBIs also lead all NL outfielders.
Ryan Braun-Milwaukee Brewers Braun is not having a year like Kemp, but his stats are nothing to overlook. His 15 homers are 5th among NL outfielders and his 51 RBIs tie him for 2nd behind only Kemp. All of these stats are in addition to his 54 runs, which are the most for an NL outfielder. His .310 average is also an impressive 5th.
Lance Berkman-St. Louis Cardinals Berkman has certainly slowed down from his incredible start, he is still having a great year. He has 17 home runs, and 51 RBIs, both of which are both for the former Astro. Berkman has also shaken his title of a power-only hitter by hitting for a great .308 average.