Now I need to preface my selected roster with a couple rules here. Just like NL manager Bruce Bochy, I'll also make sure my roster includes a representative from each NL team. Unlike Bruce however, players have to be eligible at this point in the season for the batting title. In other words, players must have at least on average 3.1 plate appearances to be considered. Why? Well, I believe players should have been playing most of the first half of the season. This would cost some of the elite players which would have normally gotten the nod due to injury (Brian McCann, Chase Utley and Bryce Harper come to mind) as well as players that might not have been playing the full amount of games most regulars would have played to the break (two come to mind: Yaisel Puig and Evan Gattis). All of those I mentioned have a case to be included, however, my roster, my rules. All stats mentioned are as of July 1st, 2013.
Now, without further ado. Here we go...
Catcher
Buster Posey - San Francisco (Starter)Yadier Molina - St Louis
Russell Martin - Pittsburgh
Posey gets the nod at backstop after a .319/.393/.538/.931 first half with 12 HRs and 48 RBIs. This would be the Leesburg, GA native's second straight All-Star start after going 0-2 with a walk and a run scored in last year's game at Kaufmann Stadium in KC. Molina has had a splendid first half of the season keeping the Cards at or near the lead in the Central. This would be Molina's 5th straight All-Star appearance. The story of the first half is the resurgence in Pittsburgh, led in part by Martin's 8 HR 30 RBI work at the plate and his work behind the dish with Pittsburgh's staff ERA of 3.11. Martin would be making his 4th AS game appearance.
First Base
Joey Votto - Cincinnati (Starter)Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona
Freddie Freeman - Atlanta
Votto would be making his 4th straight appearance at Citi Field in NYC in a couple weeks after posting a .325 batting average for the first half along with 14 HRs and 38 RBIs. I don't think anyone would have expected the kind of season that the Diamondback's Paul Goldschmidt is having (.303/.382/.557/.939 with 20 HRs and 69 RBIs), and on a lineup that is known for their free swinging ways, Freddie Freeman has shown me some outstanding plate discipline this year, particularly with two strikes. A .307 average doesn't hurt either. Goldschmidt and Freeman would each be making their first appearance.
Second Base
Matt Carpenter - St Louis (Starter)Marco Scutaro - San Francisco
Carpenter's had an outstanding first half for the Cardinals (7 HRs 32 RBIs .322/.397/.482/.879) and Scutaro has played well out in San Francisco after garnering the 2012 NLCS MVP last fall. Utley and the Padres' Jedd Gyorko would also be in the conversation for me with more PAs. Both Carpenter and Scutaro would be making their first AS game appearance.
Shortstop
Jean Segura - Milwaukee (Starter)Everth Cabrera - San Diego
Ian Desmond - Washington
Troy Tulowitzki's broken right rib opened the door for the Brewers' Jean Segura here. Segura has had a stellar first half in what has otherwise been a forgettable first few months of the season in Milwaukee with 11 HRs and 33 RBIs. Cabrera has hit .305 for the Padres in the first half and leads the NL in stolen bases with 32 (Segura ironically is 2nd). Ian Desmond has hit well in the first half for the Nats (15 HRs and 49 RBIs). This would be Desmond's second AS game appearance and the first for Segura and Cabrera.
Third Base
David Wright - New York Mets (Starter)Ryan Zimmerman - Washington
Wright gets the vote for the home town All-Star team with his typical first half stats (12 HRs 42 RBIs .306/.393/.520/.914) and Zimmerman has played well of late, hitting .297 from June 20th to July 1st and raising his batting average almost 10 points over those 11 games. The Braves' Chris Johnson and the Pirates' Pedro Alvarez also get consideration here. Wright would be making his 7th AS game appearance and Zimmerman his 2nd.
Outfield
Carlos Gonzalez - Colorado (Starter)Carlos Beltran - St Louis (Starter)
Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh (Starter)
Michael Cuddyer - Colorado
Carlos Gomez - Milwaukee
Shin-Soo Choo - Cincinnati
Hunter Pence - San Francisco
Domonic Brown - Philadelphia
Lots of outfielders having great seasons this year makes things difficult when trying to settle on 6-7, so 8 made the cut this year for my roster. Gonzalez is the NL HR leader with 23, Beltran is hitting .308 and McCutchen is hitting .292 and has swiped 16 bases. Cuddyer is hitting .344, Gomez is having a great first half in Milwaukee, Choo and Pence are hitting for power and Domonic Brown is coming on strong at the end of the first half. The NL has a tremendous amount of outfield talent thus far in 2013. This would be appearance number one for Gonzalez, Gomez, Choo and Brown, number two for Cuddyer, number three for Pence and McCutchen and number eight for Beltran
Pitchers
Matt Harvey - New York Mets (Starter)Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles
Patrick Corbin - Arizona
Jeff Locke - Pittsburgh
Adam Wainwright - St Louis
Mike Leake - Cincinnati
Cliff Lee - Philadelphia
Jose Fernandez - Miami
Rex Brothers - Colorado
Mark Melancon - Pittsburgh
Kevin Gregg - Chicago Cubs
Jason Grilli - Pittsburgh
Craig Kimbrel - Atlanta
I don't believe middle relievers get the love they should come All-Star time, so I usually pick at least one middle reliever and this year two made my cut. My starter would be Matt Harvey of the Mets, again a home town selection who has really been outstanding in the first half of the season (7-1 record, 2.00 ERA, 10.9 K/9 innings). Locke and Kershaw have both also been outstanding as has Corbin. Rex Brothers and Mark Melancon are my middle reliever selections and my closers are the three-headed monster of Gregg, Grilli and Kimbrel. This would be Harvey, Corbin, Locke, Leake, Fernandez, Brothers, Melancon, Gregg and Grilli's first AS game appearance, 2nd for Wainwright, 3rd for Kershaw and Kimbrel and the 4th for Lee.
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