The Fantasy All-Star team

We all could pick apart certain All-Star selection.

Jason Varitek? Ha.

Carlos Marmol? Yeah, he's been struggling a lot lately. Maybe his arm is about to fall off from overuse (thanks alot, Lou).

But the All-Star selection system is what it is. So, based on pure fantasy output, who would you pick to start this year's Midsummer Classic? Based on offensive results alone, here's how it should have looked:

National League

SP: Dan Haren, Diamondbacks: Second behind Jake Peavy with a 2.72 ERA, his 0.95 ERA is closer-esque and is exactly why the Diamondbacks gave up a truck-full of prospects.

RP: Brad Lidge, Phillies: Still waiting for that Albert Pujols HR to fall from the 2006 playoffs, Lidge has conqured his deamons with a change of scenary. His 55 Ks and 1.19 ERA in 40 innings is stunning, but 20 for 20 in save chances is downright remarkable. Especially for a guy who had seemingly lost his stuff.

C: Brian McCann, Braves: 18 HR, 53 RBI and a .302 average. But it's hard to argue with Geovany Soto.

1B: Lance Berkman, Astros: The No. 1 player in Yahoo!, his statline is a solid year for most 1B: 79 runs, 22 HR, 73 RBI, 15 SB, .347.

2B: Chase Utley, Phillies: 25 HR, 69 RBI and 10 SB from a 2B? Was hitting one out every day for most of April/May before slowing down. Dan Uggla (23 HR) picked a bad year for a breakout.

SS: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: 80 runs, 23 HR, 23 SB, .311. Hard to imagine any player with a better fantasy future. Jose Reyes is quietly right on Hanley's tail.

3B: Chipper Jones, Braves: Despite a run at .400, Jones barely edges David Wright, mainly because he missed a dozen games. And if you take out the batting average edge (.376-.282), Wright is far more valuable, especially in RBI and SB.

OF: Nate McLouth, Pirates: His 19 HR, 65 RBI and 11 SB makes him the Waiver Wire pickup of the Year in most leagues.

OF: Carlos Beltran, Mets: His 8 HR and 24 RBI the past month made amends for a slow start and gives him a remarkably steady 67-15-66-15 line.

OF: Carlos Lee, Astros: An RBI machine, Lee's 76 RBI is 2nd in the NL and his 21 HR and .302 average are well above career splits.

OF Honorable Mention: Ryan Braun, Ryan Ludwick and Matt Holliday are all just a notch below and would make suitable substitutes.


AMERICAN LEAGUE

SP: Roy Halladay, Blue Jays: A 2.71 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, 121 Ks ... how does he do it? One word: Volume. The master of the complete game, Halladay has thrown 146 1/3 innings and makes it look easy. Out of nowhere, Oakland's Justin Duchscherer is somehow just a notch behind.

RP: Mariano Rivera, Yankees: How does a guy like Francisco Rodriguez and his 38 saves not make this list? Enter Sandman. With a 1.06 ERA, a 0.64 WHIP, 50 Ks and 23 saves in 42 1/3 innings, the future Hall of Famer Rivera, 38, is pitching better than ever. (Still, I like K-Rod to set the saves record).

C: Joe Mauer, Twins: Only 5 HR, but 58 runs, 41 RBI and a .322 average sets Mauer way ahead from the rest of the pathetic AL pile, especially after Victor Martinez was injured.

1B: Justin Morneau, Twins: The Home Run Derby champ has been quiet in the power department (14 HR), but his RBI (68) and average (.323) give him the edge over the overachieving Kevin Youkilis (56-15-63-.314).

2B: Ian Kinsler, Rangers: If you saw this type of a season coming, raise your hand. You're all liars. Kinsler is the second most valuable fantasy player with ridiculous numbers: 84 runs, 14 HR, 58 RBI, 23 SB, .337. The once-slumping Dustin Pedroia surged at the finish line to take runner-up honors.

SS: Michael Young, Rangers: Power and speed aren't his thing (7 and 6), but 63 runs, 52 RBI and a .302 average make him slightly better than surprising Johnny Peralta in what may be tabbed as the year the American League fantasy shortstop died.

3B: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: Despite missing three weeks with a quad strain plus all the Madonna rumors and off-the-field distractions, is the top hot corner option with a line of (53-19-53-13-.312)

OF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers: Quick question. Where was Hamilton taken in your draft? No, please don't start cursing. It's OK to cry. Most drafts Hamilton was taken in the double digit rounds, unthinkable after racking up 21 HR, 95 RBI and a .310 average. That's right, 95 ribbies. I don't think he'll catch Hack Wilson, but it's OK to be hacked off about completely missing on Hamilton this year.

OF: Grady Sizemore, Indians: Can a leadoff guy lead the league in home runs? Right now, that's the case with Sizemore's 23 HR pacing the A.L. His 80 runs and 23 SB, along with a .311 average make him the lone fantasy bright spot in Cleveland.

OF: Carlos Quentin, White Sox: TCQ, as he's known in Chicago, is the American League version of Nate McLouth as he was undrafted in virtually every league outside of the South Side. His 21 HR, 76 RBI and .302 average have more owners than just Jerry Reinsdorf smiling.

OF Honorable Mention: Jermaine Dye, Milton Bradley are J.D. Drew are all mid-round surprises and are rewarding owners handsomely.