Catcher: Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants- The two-time Gold Glove Award winner has continued to do a solid job directing a game behind the plate. Molina also has caught a respectable 33% of runners trying to steal. Molina has not been a slouch when hitting either. He owns a .279 batting average, a .307 on-base percentage, and a .399 slugging percentage. Molina has also hit 6 home runs while driving in 56 runs.
First Base: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers- After starting off slowly in 2008, Fielder has really found his groove for the surging Brewers. Fielder is currently 13th in the NL with 20 home runs and has also driven in 57 runs while scoring 54 runs. Fielder is also hitting .275 with a .361 OBP and a .501 SLG as he is starting to regain the form that allowed him to hit 50 home runs this year. Had Fielder started his hot streak a few weeks earlier, he likely would have played in the All-Star game.Second Base: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds- Phillips is a tremendous all-aro
und player, and if it were not for the tremendous years of Philadelphia's Chase Utley and Florida's Dan Uggla, Phillips would have played in the All-Star game. Defensively, Phillips has made just 4 errors for Cincinnati and at the plate Phillips is hitting .278 with a .321 OBP, a .474 SLG, 16 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 56 runs scored. On the basepaths, Phillips ranks 8th in the NL with 20 steals. The 27-year old is fast becoming a 5-tool player and is one of baseball's best young players.Third Base: Jorge Cantu, Florida Marlins- After a rough 2007 in which Cantu was sent to the minor leagues and eventually released, Cantu has had a tremendous season and is one of baseball's best stories. Although he has struggled defensively (14 errors), Cantu has been no slouch at the plate. He is hitting .291 with a .338 OBP, and a .493 SLG. Cantu has also racked up 18 home runs, driven in 58 runs, and scored 59 times for Florida. On arguably baseball's biggest surprise team, Cantu has been their biggest surprise.
Sh
ortstop: Jose Reyes, New York Mets- It is extremely surprising to see one of baseball's most exciting players not be selected to the All-Star team. Despite some negative attention this year, Reyes is turning in an excellent season for baseball's hottest team. Reyes is hitting an even .300 with a .364 OBP, a .482 SLG, 71 runs scored (3rd in NL), 23 doubles, 11 triples, 10 home runs, and 43 RBIs. Reyes is vital to the Mets success, and as he has hit a hot streak, the Mets have been almost unbeatable. He is the table-setter and is currently 2nd in the NL with 33 stolen bases. Reyes is a very exciting player to watch, and it was disappointing to not see him selected to the NL All-Star team.Outfielder: Carlos Lee, Houston Astros- After a slow start, Lee is another player that has turned his season around. Lee ranks 8th in the NL in home runs with 22 and 2nd in the NL in RBI with 78. Lee is also hitting .304 with a .353 OBP, and .550 SLG. Although the Astros have struggled, Lee is not the reason. He should have been an All-Star, as he owns better numbers than All-Star Ryan Ludwick and Nate McClouth. Lee is on pace for the best season of his career, and he should have been rewarded for that.
Pitcher: Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies- Cole Hamels may be the second-b
est left handed pitcher in the National League. His record may not show that, as he is only 9-6, but Hamels has been a true ace for a Philadelphia team that desperately needs one. Hamels ranks first in the NL in innings pitched with 150.2, 2nd in complete games with 2, 2nd in WHIP with a 1.01 mark, 3rd in strikeouts with 133, and 8th in ERA with a tiny 3.11 mark. Hamels does all this while pitching most of his games at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. Hamels deserved to be on the All-Star team more than anyone on this list, but he should get there in the future. He is only 24 years old and he should get better every year, a scary thought for every other team in baseball.
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