Here are the nine players that I think should receive the starting nod for the National League in the 2009 All-Star Game. (Note: All statistics are as of July 1st.)

Catcher - Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: There isn’t much to vote for among catchers in the National League. Russell Martin is having a down year and there just isn’t a plethora of hitting catchers in the league. McCann is having a solid year, batting .308 with eight home runs and 31 RBI. Those are good overall numbers for a catcher, though McCann has shown that he’s got a bit more power than that.

First Base - Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals: This was the easiest pick in either league. Pujols, if he remains healthy, is destined to go down as one of the game’s all-time great hitters, both for power and average. He’s hitting .332 with a major league-leading 30 home runs and 77 RBI. He’s also swiped a surprising nine bases this season while scoring 61 runs. His .453 on-base percentage is perhaps the most impressive number of them all. If I could purchase MLB tickets to see one player hit, it would be Pujols, without a doubt.

Second Base - Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies: There really isn’t a second baseman that can challenge Utley for this spot. Brandon Philips is having a good year in Cincinnati, but not nearly enough to dethrone the Phillies second baseman. Utley is hitting .304 with 17 home runs and 52 RBI and is a rare power hitter at the position.

Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins: He’s the best player at the position in the majors and will be an All-Star starter every season in which he is healthy for the next decade or so. His combination of power and speed are exceptionally rare, especially with you factor in his ability as a hitter. He’s batting .341 with 13 home runs, 56 runs batted in, 12 stolen bases and 49 runs scored. He’s one of the best players in the game, regardless of position.

Third Base - David Wright, New York Mets: Wright may not be hitting for power this season, which can be partially attributed to the cavernous Citi Field, but he’s producing in every other way. He’s hitting .345 and has swiped 20 stolen bases and is trying to keep the Mets’ heads above water.

Outfield - Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers: Braun is having yet another great season, hitting .327 with 16 bombs and 57 RBI, and adding a pinch of speed as usual with seven steals.

Outfield - Carlos Beltran, New York Mets (Replaced by Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks, due to injury): Beltran deserves the nod for his overall production and his fielding prowess, but he’ll likely miss the game due to a bone bruise. Upton is having a breakout season, showing signs of bigger things to come. He’s hitting .320 with 14 home runs, 45 RBI and 10 steals.

Outfield - Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies (Replaced by : Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers, due to injury if necessary.): Ibanez was the hottest hitter in the league early in the season, but an injury sidelined him. If he’s unable to play, I’d give Kemp the nod. He’s producing across the board and is another one of the game’s rising stars.

Pitcher - Time Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: Tiny Tim has officially elevated himself to the consensus best pitcher in baseball as far as I’m concerned. He’s dominant on a nightly basis and is the most exciting pitcher to watch in the majors.

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[tags]MLB, sports, tickets, baseball[/tags]