FanNation

After watching the entire All-Star game (Hooray, me!), I saw many things that stood out, but there was one above all else: the All-Stars had to play as a team. So, it got me thinking. What would my team look like? Focusing on the team concept, I decided to go through with my own 25 man roster. The team isn't stacked with superstars, but rather guys in their roles that will win games. After seeing it, you might be like Tim McCarver last night (and this morning) and go 'Are you kidding me?' Yes, Tim; it was all a joke. Just a big mirage.

Starters

Catcher- Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

The first big shocker was leaving Russell Martin off. You can have Martin, give me Joe Mauer. We saw what he can do two years ago when he won the American League batting tattle. The list of catchers who have won the AL batting title is pretty short: Joe Mauer. And it wasn't a fluke. He is a career .315 hitter who is currently second in the league at .322. He has speed for a catcher, and is a very good base runner. There is more to his game then hitting, he is also very good behind the plate. In his entire career, he has committed just 14 errors. He has a fielding percentage of .995 and has had a zone rating of 1.000 four out of five years. He handles the pitching staff very well, as no starter has a losing record. The bullpen is one of the best in the league, even though it is also one of the younger ones. Mauer can do it all, so he is my catcher.

First Base- Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

How is this guy not on the team? My team needs a superstar, and Albert Pujols can fill that role. I think he is one of the three best players in the Major Leagues, probably second. Where do we start with Pujols? He is a career .333 hitter. This year, he is hitting an incredible .350 with 18 HR's. He hits for both average and power, and does both very, very well. He is the fifth fastest player to get to 300 HR's, and he's showing not many signs of slowing down. He is one of the leading run producers in the National League year in and year out, and he hardly ever strikes out. Pujols is such a good hitter that he has 1444 career hits, and just 442 career strikeouts. Like Mauer, Pujols is a ver smart base runner; something that is very underrated in MLB. On defense, he has a Gold Glove. Not to mention he is great in the postseason. He has a spot on my team.

Second Base- Orlando Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks

WHAT?!?!?! Where's Dan Uggla? Where's Chase Utley? Where's Ian Kinsler? Where's Dustin Pedroia? At second, I chose between two guys; Chase Utley and Orlando Hudson. And I want Hudson. Utley is great, and probably the best in the league. But I don't want a team of superstars, I want a team that will win. Hudson is the type of guy who does everything he can to win games. He is a switch hitter who hits .300 and has gotten 150+ hits the last two years. He doesn't have much pop, but he hits between 13-15 a year, which isn't bad. He has never struck out 100 times in his career. He has won back-to-back Gold Gloves at second, and is one of the best fielders in the league. He does little things, big things and everything in between; so I want him.

Third Base- David Wright, New York Mets

Not the third baseman you were expecting, was it? Let me explain. A-Rod has drama wherever he goes; Madonna won't be the last, and I can guarantee that. He can't hit in the playoffs. He isn't clutch. He doesn't play all that great of defense. That's why I want someone else, somone like David Wright. Wright is a career .302 hitter who drives in runs and hits for power. He already has 70 RBI's this year, which is best in the league for a third baseman. He has 17 home runs so far, and his career low for a full season is 26. Most important is RBI's, though; Wright has gotten 100+ RBI's three years in a row. Also a patient hitter, Wright is top five in the NL in walks. Playing in a league with Chipper Jones, Aramis Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera, among others, Wright won the Silver Slugger. On defense, he is very underrated and won the Gold Glove last year. Being successful both at the palt and in the field gets Wright on my team.

Shortstop- Jose Reyes, New York Mets

Once again, not qute the New York shortstop you were expecting? It was very close between Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes, but I went with Reyes. This team needs a leadoff hitter, and in my opinion, Reyes is the best leadoff hitter in the game. We all know about his speed; he is in the top four in both stolen bases and runs. He is a huge part of success. When he struggles, the Mets struggle. When he plays great, so do the Mets. He is a .300 hitter who can hit both ways and has some power with 10 HR's in the leadoff spot. He also drives in runs: he has 43 RBI's so far. He has gotten 190+ hits the last three years, and already has 119. When on the bases he creates havoc, and was evident last year when he caused not one, but two balks in one inning against the Giants. On defense, he is underrated, and is improving his range at short every year. He has never made 20 errors in a season, something that Ramirez hasn't done. With everything combined, Reyes is the guy I want.

Left Field- Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays

Carl Crawford is one of the most underrated players in all of baseball. He is a career .294 hitter who has both speed, and power. That combination is very rare, but it is displayed in Crawford. Like Hudson, he'll give you 13-15 HR's a year. He is an excellent triples hitter has hit more than 15 three times. As if that wasn't good enough, he can also hit doubles and had 37 of them last year. He can drive in runs, and already has 47 this year. On defense, he has never made more than four errors in a season. Yes, you read that right. This has enabled him to have a career .993 fielding percentage. Of course, he was also involved in the brawl at Fenway. He might not have done the excat right thing, but he defended his teammates and stuck up for the Rays; and that is something I think it very good. Puttng it all together, Crawford has a spot on this team.

Center Field- Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

Center field was a three way competition. It included Aaron Rowand, B.J. Upton and Josh Hamilton. But in the end, how can you not go with Hamilton? Yes, we all know his story. It is a tremendous story and I have a ton of respect for him as a person. But if you put that aside, Hamilton is a great baseball player. He is hitting .310, which is excellent for someone who hits in the middle of the order. He has an incredible amount of power, and it showed at Yankee Stadium. But he isn't bad in real games, either, as he has 21 HR's so far. However, what jumps out at me most is his run production. They guy has 95 RBI's; and it is just the midway point of the season. He can drive in runs with the best of them, which is a huge asset. He isn't great on defense, but he isn't bad, either. Plus, he still is only 27 and is getting better. With his incredible amount of talent, he gets the nod in center.

Right Field- Brad Hawpe, Colorado Rockies

The shocker picks just keep on coming, don't they? Brad Hawpe? The guy isn't even the best outfielder on his own team. He plays at Coors Field. He has been hurt. There are plenty of haters (haha), and I mean plenty, who will be all over this pick. I know it. But what I see is one of the most underrated outfielders in the Major Leagues. So far this year, in just 262 at bats Hawpe already has 14 HR's and 40 RBI's. I know you all don't want to do the math, so I'll just tell you that it is an RBI nearly every six at bats. It isn't as good as Hamilton, but with Holliday hitting in front of him and driving in so many runs, I think it's pretty impressive. Of course, this has been a season where he was on the DL. What did he do over the course of a full season? He hit .291 with 29 HR's and 116 RBI's. How many of you knew that Brad Hawpe had 116 RBI's last year? Don't blame Coors Field; so far, he has a higher batting average on the road. He isn't a bad fielder, and he has a cannon in right field. Not like Vladimir Guerrero, but it is pretty good. He might not get much recognition, but he can play on this team.

Designated Hitter- Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins

Not the typical designated hitter that you were expecting? Well, how can I leave Hanley Ramirez off this team? It was between him and David Oritz, and it really wasn't close. I almost put him at short, but he doesn't play nearly good enough defense to be there. He is one of the best hitters in the league, so I put him at DH. Why not? He is hitting .311, which is great. I think designated hitters should have a high average. Nothing says hitting like a batting average and, well, all a DH does is hit. But they do need power, which he has. He has hit 23 HR's already this year, and is still just 24 years old; so he is still developing. He drives in runs, and has 43 so far. Last year he hit .332 with 29 HR's and 81 RBI's, and he should have better stats this year. What is the downfall with this guy? His defense. But he's my DH, so it doesn't matter. This is almost too perfect.

Rotation

Ace- Johan Santana, New York Mets

In my opinion, Johan Santana is the best pitcher in the game. I know he is having an off year, but he isn't as bad as he seems. Santana is a strikeout pitcher, and he already has 114 of them. He has an 8-7 record, but that is misleading. In most of his starts, he has gotten basically no run support. Over six games, he got just 12 total runs. In his 16 starts, 12 of them have been quality starts. Even so, he stll has managed to win eight games so far. But the most telling stat for a pitcher is ERA and he has an ERA of just 2.84. If he had been pitching for the Rangers with that ERA, he might have won 13 or 14 games so far. He is top nine in innings pitched, strikeous, WHIP and ERA. Plus, we know what he can do. Santana has not one, but two Cy Youngs under his belt. He is stil just 29, and has plenty of years left to win some more. He is the best second half pitcher in the league, which is very important. Even if the stats are misleading, Johan is still himself. That is the best pitcher in baseball, and he gets in the rotaion.

Second Starter-Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres

You can never have too much pitching, so my rotation is going to be stacked, lol.  Usually, a team gets only one high powered, in their prime, dominating ace. Well, unless you are the Milwaukee Brewers. Or me. I'm taking Jake Peavy to be my number two starter; I think he'll understand. You probably haven't heard much about him this year, but that is because he has been hurt. This year, he has gone 7-5 with a 2.47 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 94 innings. Sure, it isn't his best year. But he plays on the Padres, so he isn't getting all that much run support. However, he is a great pitcher. He won the Cy Young unaninimously last year. Last year going 19-6 with a 2.54 ERA and 240 strikeouts. When he is on, he is dominant. That's why he gets in the rotation.

Third Starter- Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

How many of you know that Tim Lincecum has a legitimate chance at the Triple Crown this year? He is 11-2, which is third in the NL. He has 135 strikeouts, which leads the league. He has a 2.57 ERA, which is second in the league. As if that wasn't enough, he also fourth in innings pitched and leads the league in winning percentage. Yeah, this kid is legitimate. And I say kid for a reason; Lincecum is just 24 and is already making great impressions in the National League. Remember the fact that he still has a few years to develop, and he is a few years away from his prime. It's scary. But scary in a good way, which is why Lincecum gets in the rotation.

Fourth Starter- Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox

Like Hamilton, Jon Lester is another great story. Again like Hamilton, Lester is also a very good baseball player. You might remember what he did last year, when he started game four of the World Series for the Red Sox. He won the clinching game. Now, he has really come onto the scene. This year, he pitched a No-Hitter against the Royals and later shut out the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He has gone 7-3 so far with a 3.38 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 81 innings; with a WHIP of 1.33. Lester can be an overpowering pitcher at times, and is still just 24 years old. He could be dominating in a few years, and another lefty is great. He can have a spot in the rotation.

Fifth Starter- Brandon Backe, Houston Astros

What? Brandon Backe? Why is this guy in the rotation? I have always liked Backe and I think he is a better pitcher than people give him credit for. Injuries have killed this guy. His best season was in 2005 when he went 10-8. Only twice has he pitched more than 100 innings, with this year being one of them. I think that given a chance, he has the ability to be a very good pitcher. However, he brings more to the table. He is hitting .345 and has gone deep three times in his career. He's not Micah Owings, but he is pretty good. He also had a 1.000 fieldind percentage five years in a row and has just one career error. Not many people can say that. What is my point with all of this other stuff? They guy is an athlete; and he is a gamer. When he has been healthy, he isn't a bad pitcher; and he does have a good WHIP. All in all, the rotation is stacked; and Backe fits in nicely as a fifth starter. 

Bench

Catcher- David Ross, Cincinnati Reds

Every good team has a reliable backup catcher, and this team is no exception. David Ross is the perfect backup catcher, well, because he is a backup catcher. But he is a very good one. He has 153 career RBI's in just 1085 at bats. That is excellent production from a backup catcher, and it doesn't stop there. Ross has tons of pop, which was on display last year when he 17 HR's in 311 at bats. Behind the plate he is a career .990 fielder and has handled pitching staffs nicely. He isn't a great hitter or a great fielder, but he is good at both; which is important for a backup catcher. His power is a great alternative to Mauer, so he gets the coveted backup catcher role.

Infielder- Nick Punto, Minnesota Twins

Every team needs a defensive whiz, and Nick Punto provides that for this team. Punto is one of the best infielders in the Major Leagues, and isn't bad offensively, either. He has made countless remarkable plays, and would have a legitimate chance to win a Gold Glove if he played 162 games every year. He's no slouch at the plate, as he is currently hitting .324 with 18 RBI's. He doesn't strike out a lot and has a good eye. Punto can do it all off the bench, and he gets the role of backup infielder.

Oufielder- Endy Chavez, New York Mets

Who doesn't remember that catch from the 2006 NLCS? Endy Chavez went back, crashed into the wall and roobed Scott Rolen of a homer that would have given the Cardinals the lead. Then, he doubles Jim Edmonds off at first base. If the Mets had won that game, Chavez would have one of the greatest playoff catches ever. He is good defensively, which is a very good thing to have. He is a .271 career hitter, which isn't great, but isn't bad, either. He doesn't strike out much, and has speed. Chavez is a complete bench player, and he gets a spot on this bench.

Utility- Mark DeRosa, Chicago Cubs

Every team would love to have Mark DeRosa; and I am no exception. He can play seven positions: first, second, third, short, left, center and right. He is incredibly valuable because he can play good defense at all of them. He is also a good hitter, and is hitting .283 this year and has some pop with 11 HR's. He can hit doubles, triples and home runs; which is a great talent. He can knock in runs, and has a decent eye. But he's on here for his versatility and defense. DeRosa makes this team easily. 

Bullpen

Long Reliever- Darren Oliver, Los Angeles Angels

Middle Reliever- Joe Smith, New York Mets

Middle Reliever- David Aardsma, Boston Red Sox

Middle Reliever- J.P. Howell, Tampa Bay Rays

Set-up Man- Brandon Morrow, Seattle Mariners

Set-up Man- Scot Shields- Los Angeles Angels

Closer- Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins

Well, there you have it. That would be my 25 man roster. If you took the time to read this, please leave a comment. Thank you.