Picking players deserving of the All-Star team can be a dicey challenge. The argument is often made between picking a player who is hot in the first half of a season versus a player who has performed at a high level in the past. Since fantasy baseball is all about the here-and-now (what have you done for me lately?), I will piece together my list based upon current performance and who deserves the honour right now.

CATCHER

Alex Avila (DET) – Tied for 1st among AL catchers with 32 RBI, leading all AL C with .535 SLG (10th overall among all AL batters) and tied for 2nd with 9HR. For a team that boasts V-Mart, Avila is proving to be the real deal at the backstop position.

FIRST BASE

Adrian Gonzalez (BOS) – The numbers don’t lie: .335 AVG, 12 HR, 18 doubles and an AL-leading 53 RBI are impressive. However, it’s the eye-catching 142 total bases that tell the real story. With a .359 home BA, life at Fenway is friendly to A-Gone.

SECOND BASE

Robinson Cano (NYY) – Leading all AL second basemen with 12 HR and 39 RBI, power is the name of the game with Cano. With 5 SB to boot, he is the class of the position.

THIRD BASE

Adrian Beltre (TEX) – That .257 BA isn’t pretty but the 12 HR, 43 RBI (3rd best in entire AL) prove that Beltre is still a relevant offensive player. Furthermore, he continues to display a good glove at the hot corner.

SHORT STOP

Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE) – He has shown glimpses of excellence before but an injury-free 2011 has allowed Cabrera to shine. Playing for a rejuvenated Tribe only helps his cause.

OUTFIELD

Jose Bautista (TOR) – The best player in baseball is also a team leader who is great in the clubhouse. Hits for power and average and is a game changer in the line up. Didn’t he also split the atom?

Curtis Granderson (NYY) – Whether or not he can maintain his early season levels all year remains to be seen.  With 47 R, 17 HR, 41 RBI and 9 SB, Granderson is an All-Star in 2011.

Matt Joyce (TB) – While he has cooled off significantly lately, Joyce is among the top 5 in many key offensive categories including AVG, SLG and OPS. He deserves to stand among his peers at the Mid-Season Classic.

What are your thoughts? If you think there are more deserving players than these, let me know in the comments section below.