2010 MLB All Star Rosters + Midyear Thoughts

Close enough to 81 games in - this is the third and final look at my 2010 MLB All-Star rosters.

I'll select an actual DH for the AL team, as that's how it's listed on the ballot.  21 position players for each league, 13 pitchers, every team represented.  My picks are solely based on the first half of the 2010 season; there are other approaches one could take. 

AL Starters
C J.Mauer (Min)
1B J.Morneau (Min)
2B R. Cano (NY) - MVP
SS A.Gonzalez (Tor)
3B E.Longoria (TB)
LF C.Crawford (TB)
CF F.Gutierrez (Sea)
RF J.Hamilton (Tex)
DH V.Guerrero (Tex)
P R.Romero (Tor) - Cy

Reserves
C. J.Jaso (TB) J. Molina (Tor)
1B K.Youkilis (Bos) M. Cabrera (Det)
2B D. Pedroia (Bos -Inj) (Injury Replacement - B. Zobrist TB)
SS E. Andrus (Tex) C. Pennington (Oak)
3B A.Beltre (Bos) A. Rodriguez (NY)
OF B. Boesch (Det) D.Dejesus (KC) A. Rios (Chi)

-Wells gets screwed here, given the need to get Rios on the squad. 

P C. Buchholz (Bos)
    J. Lester (Bos)
    C. Pavano (Min)
    D. Price (TB)
    S. Marcum (Tor)
    J. Verlander (Det)
    J.Weaver (LA)
    C. Lewis (Tex)
    F. Carmona (Cle)
    J. Guthrie (Balt)

RP    J. Valverde (Det)
         M. Rivera (NY)

NL Starters
C M.Olivo (Col)
1B A.Gonzalez (SD)
2B M.Prado (Atl)
SS T.Tulowitzki (Col - Inj)
3B D.Wright (NY) - MVP
LF M.Holliday (StL)
CF A.McCutcheon (Pit)
RF J.Willingham (Was)
DH A.Pujols (StL)
P U.Jimenez (Col) -Cy

Reserves
C. B.McCann (Atl) I.Rodriguez (Was)
1B A.Huff (SF) J.Votto (Cin)
2B C.Utley (Phi-injured) R.Weeks (Mil) J.Uribe (SF - Injury Replacement)
SS R.Furcal (LA - Replacement Starter) H. Ramirez (FL - Injury Replacement)
3B S.Rolen (Cin) R.Zimmerman (Was)
OF A.Pagan (NY) A.Torres (SF) M.Byrd (Chi)

-Werth and Braun are both having representative years; in fact each has jumped Byrd since I put this together two days ago, and obviously both are better players.  So, I'll take Braun now for that last spot.

P J.Johnson (FL)
   Y.Gallardo (Mil)
   T.Hudson (Atl)
   A.Wainwright (StL)
   R.Halladay (Phi)
   M. Pelfrey (NY)
   L.Hernandez (Was)
   R.Oswalt (Hou)
   R.Dempster (Chi)

RP B.Wagner (Atl)
      T.Clippard (Was)

-Garcia has jumped Oswalt and Dempster, but those are the only reps for the Astros and Cubs (now that I replaced Byrd). 

My spring training picks are here.  I had the Phils winning the NL East with the Braves taking the WC - at the halfway point Atlanta looks to be the side in the East and while the Phils still have the horses to come from the outside and take the WC - were I to pick right now it would be the Reds (about whom I wrote "they aren't a wild card contender").  Picking the Reds to win the WC means that I think St Louis wins the Central, as did I in the spring.  I liked the Rox to win my West in the spring - but now I am foresquarely in the camp of the Padres, for whom you can still get a really good price if you are interested in investing. 

In the spring I thought the 3 best teams in baseball were in the AL East (and still do) I said, largely just because you had to pick someone, that it would be the Yanks who missed the playoffs.  But now they look like the strongest team to come out - the Boston injuries have been overwhelming, and I'll say the Pedroia/Martinez combo means they stay home in October, with the Rays getting the WC (but it's still close).

I picked the Twins to edge out the Tigers in the spring - and it's a coin flip but I'll still say they will.  And I liked Texas to win the West and it's basically a lock. 

I'm currently in second place in two of my fantasy leagues, and in first in my NL only league.  I was in last in the AL league for the first month, so I'm sort of pleased with how I've played.  I'm a distant second in the mixed league, the guy in first has had a chokehold on it all season.