Featured Video
Tolle's Immaculate Inning โ›ฝ

2010 MLB All-Star Game: What the National League Starting Lineup Should Be

Daniel Malkin
Jun 21, 2010

After taking a look at the American League All-Stars for this year's game, I will now take the time to discuss who should be suiting up for the National League.

Once again, a few of the current voting leaders do not deserve to be in the starting lineup. Here is who should be taking the field first:

Catcher: Miguel Olivo

The Rockies catcher is off to a great start. He is hitting about .300 and has some nice power every time he steps to the plate.

Even though Chris Iannetta has been taking some at-bats away from him, Olivo has still compiled a very nice season to this point.

First Base: Joey Votto

Albert Pujols will obviously be elected to serve as the National Leagueโ€™s first baseman for yet another season. His numbers have been strong, just not as dominant as past years.

With that said, Joey Votto has compiled a very impressive season of his own and deserves some recognition. He is hitting for a higher average then Pujols, and has scored more runs than the former All-Star. Votto is my man to be starting at the right corner.

Second Base: Martin Prado

The little-known second baseman from the Atlanta Braves is having a stellar season.

He is close to hitting for a .340 average, and leads all players at his position with hits. He scores a ton of runs for his squad, while consistently getting on base. Martin Prado should be the leading vote-getter while representing the infield.

Third Base: David Wright

None of the National League candidates to start at third base are having truly amazing seasons.

This yearโ€™s class is led by David Wright and Scott Rolen. Wright has had a solid year and continues to be able to mix a decent average with consistent power and speed. Rolen has really rebounded well this year and is having a very strong season.

It is a tough decision, but I give the nod to Wright.

Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez

Another relatively slow position for the National League is at the shortstop spot.

Had he not been injured, I would have given my vote to Troy Tulowitzki. However, with Tulowitzki out, my vote goes reluctantly to Hanley Ramirez.

The Florida Marlins shortstop is a star, but he is having somewhat of an off season, and his no-hustle escapades last month really rubbed me the wrong way. However, he is the best player at his position and should be in the starting lineup.

Outfielders: Ryan Braun, Andrew McCutchen, Andre Ethier

Ryan Braun is having yet another very impressive season as he continues to be the face of the Milwaukee Brewers franchise. Braun is a great young player who should continue to be a member of the All-Star game outfield for years to come.

My second and third All-Star selections for the outfield were difficult, and really shows how much stronger the American League has been this year.

McCutchen is having a great season as he continues to improve as an everyday hitter. He hits over .300, steals a lot of bases, and scores plenty of runs. The Pirates are a pathetic team, but McCutchen is the one good thing going for that franchise.

Before going down with a finger injury, Ethier was having an MVP-type season.

He has slowed down a decent amount since returning from the disabled list, and I look for him to improve as time goes on. He still is putting up strong numbers and should earn a starting position.

That is what the 2010 MLB National League All-Star team should look like. With less than two weeks to go, it should be interesting to see how it all plays out.