All-Star Balloting: Berkman's Bat Leads the Way in the National League

The Brewers have fallen off, and the St. Louis Cardinals are one of the hottest teams in the National League. Led by two superb bats that do not belong to Albert Pujols, the Cards have one of the scariest lineups in the game.

But the Cardinal bats are not the only ones showing what they can do. There are a few established superstars continuing their good work, as well as some surprises taking the league by storm.

This is a list of the hottest bats in the National League as of May 9th.

10) Ryan Howard, PHI

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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 27: Ryan Howard #6 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the Major League Baseball game at Chase Field on April 27, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Phillies defeated the Diamondbacks 8-4. (Photo by

Howard keeps on finding a way to impress. While the home run numbers may be falling, Howard is showing his maturity, finding a way to drive in runs with more than just the long ball.

Second in the league with 30 RBI, Howard continues to be the big bat that supports the Phillies offense. Look for him to produce another good year.

9) Ike Davis, NYM

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DENVER, CO - MAY 10: Ike Davis #29 of the New York Mets hits a two RBI single off of starting pitcher Jason Hammel #46 of the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Coors Field on May 10, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The sophomore first baseman for the Mets has continued to impress for the last-place New York Mets. Along with Jose Reyes, Davis has been a key piece of Mets production.

Once David Wright, Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran can start hitting for a little more consistency, Davis’ numbers may start to inflate, so keep an eye on the young slugger.

8) Prince Fielder, MIL

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ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 8: Prince Fielder #28 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a single against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on May 8, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Prince Fielder has been struggling right along with Ryan Braun and the rest of the Brewers. With only two hits in 25 at-bats in May, Fielder is a contributing factor in the Brewers' 1-7 record over that span.

Fielder and the Brewers will find a way out of their current slump, and the numbers will start to bounce back up in due time.

7) Matt Kemp, LAD

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 04: Matt Kemp #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on May 4, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Matt Kemp has been outshined by the hitting streak that Andre Ethier was able to put together, but Kemp has been a key piece of the Dodgers lineup, outshining Ethier in both home runs and RBI.

Kemp is hitting an impressive .338 with six home runs and 21 runs knocked in. He may take over the spotlight in LA as Ethier’s streak concludes.

6) Joey Votto, CIN

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CINCINNATI, OH - MAY 04: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds swings at a pitch during the game against the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park on May 4, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The MVP is beginning to drop off a bit, but that does not keep his numbers from looking impressive. The slugging first baseman is hitting .333, but the power numbers remain low. Votto still has only five home runs and has not hit one since April 27. He also has only 18 RBI.

While the Cincinnati Reds are happy with what Votto has produced, they would like a little more.

5) Placido Polanco, PHI

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ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 08: Placido Polanco #27 of the Philadephia Phillies against the Atlanta Braves during their opening day game at Turner Field on April 8, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Polanco has filled the void in the lineup that second baseman Chase Utley has left admirably. The 35-year-old third baseman is hitting a remarkable .364 so far this season, a mark that should only get better once the Phillies lineup can get healthy.

Look for Polanco to keep up the good work as a centerpiece in the Philadelphia lineup.

4) Andre Ethier, LAD

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 17: Andre Ethier #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat against the St Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on April 17, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

With his 30-game hit streak at an end, the buzz surrounding Ethier may begin to wear off. However, baseball fans should keep an eye on Ethier as he continues to hit and hit well.

Ethier did not scratch by as his streak progressed, accumulating 11 multi-hit games during his streak. With the streak over, look for him to continue his good work, improving his stalwart .371 batting average.

3) Ryan Braun, MIL

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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 13: Ryan Braun #8 of the Milwaukee Brewers walks to the dugout after striking out during their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 13, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

The Milwaukee Brewers are struggling, and as much as he is trying to hold them up, Ryan Braun has hit a bit of a bump along with them.

However, Braun’s stats have not completely fallen off. He is still sporting an average over .300 with 10 homers and 23 RBI, but in the month of May, he has only two hits in 25 at-bats, so look out for Braun’s numbers over the next few weeks.

2) Matt Holliday, STL

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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 12: Matt Holliday #7 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the Major League Baseball game at Chase Field on April 12, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Cardinals 13-8. (Photo

Not to be outdone by his veteran counterpart, Holliday is leading the majors in batting average with a mark of .398. Some thought that Holliday was just off to a hot start that might begin to fade away after missing the first few games of the season; he has proven the doubters wrong.

Holliday could legitimately have a shot at not only winning the batting title, but perhaps eclipsing the .400 mark as well.

1) Lance Berkman, STL

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ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 5: Lance Berkman #12 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases after hitting the game-winning three-run home run against the Florida Marlins at Busch Stadium on May 5, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Ima

Berkman has been the surprise of the 2011 season. Hitting an incredible .374 into the month of April, the 35-year-old leads the majors with 32 runs batted in and ranks among the top sluggers with 10 home runs early on.

Time will tell if the veteran can keep up his good work for the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals, who also lead the league in slugging percentage and OPS.

This article was originally featured on Fantasy Baseball Sportal.