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Here are my picks for the NL All-Star team. To see my AL picks, click here. Keep in mind, this is not a prediction, but rather who I feel deserves it (after the fan-elected starters).

First Base

Candidates: Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, Joey Votto

Pujols is the undisputed best player in baseball right now, so his selection is fairly obvious. Gonzalez is putting up excellent hitting numbers despite playing in a pitcher's park. And Prince Fielder is a fat little man, but he is hitting very well this year. Votto hasn't played enough games to make it, although if he had, he would be deserving.

Verdict: Pujols, Fielder, Gonzalez

Second Base

Candidates: Chase Utley, Orlando Hudson, Freddy Sanchez

Once again, Utley is clearly the cream of the crop here, as he leads NL 2B in home runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Oh yeah, and he's also a great fielder. Freddy Sanchez is having an excellent year, better than his last All-Star season in 2007, and would be the choice of backup here even if he wasn't the sole Pirates representative.

Verdict: Utley, Sanchez

Third Base

Candidates: David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Pablo Sandoval, Chipper Jones

Wright is running away with the vote, and despite a lack of home runs, is having a typical great David Wright year. Sandoval, who many people only knew of because he's catcher-eligible in fantasy, is actually having a better year at the plate than Wright, although he is nowhere near as good defensively.

Verdict: Wright, Sandoval, Zimmerman, Reynolds

Shortstop

Candidates: Hanley Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, Miguel Tejada, Yunel Escobar, Ryan Theriot

Ramirez has been the best shortstop at the plate by far this year. Rollins has had an abysmal year, but was close enough in the fan voting that he could possibly take over the number one spot, taking an All-Star appearance away from a more deserving player. Tejada has had a very good year after some people were wondering if he was in the twilight of his career, although he (like Ramirez) isn't a good defensive shortstop.

Verdict: Ramirez, Tejada

Catcher

Candidates: Yadier Molina, Brian McCann, Bengie Molina

Amazingly enough, a Molina has never made the All-Star game (even though I couldn't sworn Bengie had made it before; maybe I just thought he deserved it). Yadier is the premier defensive catcher in the game, and was leading the voting to start in his home ballpark. Brian McCann has by far been the best offensive catcher in the NL and deserves to start in my opinion. Even if McCann overtakes Yadier in the voting, the younger Molina should still be the backup. Bengie, despite his decent power numbers, has a .270 on-base percentage. Anyone who gets an out 73% of the time shouldn't even be considered as an All-Star.

Verdict: Y. Molina, McCann

Outfield

Candidates: Raul Ibanez, Ryan Braun, Carlos Beltran, Justin Upton, Adam Dunn, Shane Victorino, Scott Hairston, Manny Ramirez, Brad Hawpe, Hunter Pence, Matt Kemp, Alfonso Soriano

Beltran is currently third in the voting, but could be overtaken by either Victorino (deserving) or Soriano (very much undeserving). Even if Beltran is voted in, he will not play in the game due to injury. Ibanez is also hurt, and although nobody is sure yet, it seems unlikely he would play in the game. That opens up a couple more spots.

Verdict: Ibanez, Braun, Beltran, Upton, Hawpe, Kemp, Dunn, Pence, Victorino

Starting Pitching

Candidates: Dan Haren, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Ted Lilly, Yovani Gallardo, Chris Carpenter, Javier Vazquez, Zach Duke, Chad Billingsley, Jair Jurrjens, Johnny Cueto, Josh Johnson, Jason Marquis, Johan Santana, Doug Davis

Haren has been absolutely lights out and deserves to make his second career All-Star start. Lincecum is following up his Cy Young year with another excellent one, but this year he is being matched step-for-step by teammate Cain. Santana looked like the easy (and obvious) choice at the beginning of the year, but a bad last month have knocked him off of my list. Lilly makes it as the lone Cubs representative, although if Soriano ends up on the team, he gets bumped off in favor of Vazquez.

Verdict: Haren, Cain, Lincecum, Johnson, Gallardo, Lilly, Cueto, Carpenter

Releif Pitching

Candidates: Francisco Rodriguez, Heath Bell, Trevor Hoffman, Ryan Franklin, Francisco Cordero, Brian Wilson, Jonathan Broxton, Huston Street

Rodriguez has not disappointed Mets fans after signing as a free agent in the offseason. As a matter of fact, he's been one of the few bright spots on the team. Bell has been excellent as Hoffman's replacement in San Diego, but Hoffman has proved he isn't done yet either. However, due to DL time and not having as many innings as the other guys, Hoffman misses the cut. Franklin has followed an up-and-down year with an absolutely lights-out performance this year after not even being the closer at the start of the year.

Verdict: Rodriguez, Franklin, Bell, Cordero, Broxton

That is my 35 man roster (including Victorino and Pence as injury replacements for Ibanez and Beltran).

We'll see how much the fan voting, player voting, and manager's picks agree with me. Do you agree with me? Feel free to leave a comment.