The MLB Non-Star Team

Every year I like to give a group of players that don't make the MLB All-Star game some recognition.

I don't have set criteria; for the most part I try to choose guys who are having under-the-radar type seasons for their clubs. But, I also want to assemble a balanced lineup.

Sometimes I'll include All-Star snubs, but most of the time the players that make the team are ones that have a significant hand in their team's success, but don't get the publicity for it.

I select 20 players, including a starting lineup, five starting pitchers, two set-up men, a closer, and four reserves. In the AL it is only three reserves because of the DH.

Here are the players that made it last year.

American League

C: Kenji Johjima, 1B: Kevin Youkilis, 2B: Dustin Pedroia, 3B: Casey Blake, SS: Jhonny Peralta, OF: Jose Guillen, Curtis Granderson, Reggie Willits, DH: Gary Sheffield, SP: Jeremy Guthrie, Kelvim Escobar, Chad Gaudin, Erik Bedard, Fausto Carmona, SU: Rafael Betancourt, Scot Shields, CL: Joe Borowski, RS: Carlos Pena, Kenny Lofton, Chone Figgins

National League

C: Jhonny Estrada, 1B: Adrian Gonzalez, 2B: Brandon Phillips, 3B: Aramis Ramirez, SS: Hanley Ramirez, OF: Eric Byrnes, Brad Hawpe, Shane Victorino, SP: Ian Snell, John Maine, Tom Gorzelanny, Derek Lowe, Noah Lowry, SU: Heath Bell, Rafael Soriano, CL: Jason Isrignhausen, RS: Xavier Nady, Edgar Renteria, Hunter Pence

Without any further anticipation, here is this year’s list of MLB Non-Stars, voted on by myself and myself alone.

American League Position Players

2B - Akinori Iwamura, Rays: While he doesn't have the runs batted in that Jose Lopez does or the stolen bases that Brian Roberts has, Akinori Iwamura has made the transition to second base seamlessly. His two errors are the lowest among AL second basemen with at least 300 total chances. Iwamura also sets the table for one of the best teams in the American League.

CF - B.J. Upton, Rays: I'm going to stick with what's working and take two of the top three in the Rays' lineup. Upton has a great blend of base running, defense, hitting, and he's getting on base at a .392 clip.

RF - Nick Markakis, Orioles: It isn't very often you find a young hitter like Markakis with an on-base percentage hovering near the .400 mark. He's hitting .300 with the third most hits among AL outfielders.

3B - Mike Lowell, Red Sox: How does one of the most deserving Red Sox not make the All-Star roster? He leads all AL third basemen in RBI, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

DH: Aubrey Huff, Orioles: I was going to go off the page and select the best available player for my DH, but Aubrey Huff is a nice player to have. He's knocked in 56 runs this year, more than All-Star starter Milton Bradley has, and he's in the thick of it for the AL home run lead.

SS - Jhonny Peralta, Indians: The pickings are slim and I need a run producer. Iwamura and Lowell will shield his defensive range but Peralta's surging power numbers will be a boost to the lineup. He leads all AL shortstops in home runs by a large margin, holding double the number of Michael Young with 14.

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