The 2011 Major League Baseball game is a week away. After weeks of fan balloting, the starters for each league were announced on Sunday and, as always, the fans connected on some pitches and badly missed on others. I entered a ballot at both Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium this spring. Sadly, those ballots had more of an influence on the final selections than this column. The below list of players include who should have been voted as a starter and who actually will start. American League Catcher: Alex Avila, Detroit (Avila): This is perhaps the easiest position to fill. Avila has broken out this season and other AL backstops have been largely mediocre. He entered the season with just 133 major-league games under his belt, but he is hitting .297/.373/.528 and has helped the Tigers remain near the top of the AL Central. First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, Boston (Gonzalez): Already considered one of the best players in the MLB, Gonzalez is on pace for a career season. He could flirt with 140 RBI and he is hitting .348/.404/.586 while playing great defense at first for the Red Sox. He is my early pick for AL MVP. Second Base: Robinson Cano, New York (Cano): Cano is having a season a little below his standards in terms of average, but he leads his position in triples, home runs, RBI, SLG and OPS. After a rough May, Cano hit .302/.362/.469 in June. Shortstop: Jhonny Peralta, Detroit (Derek Jeter, New York): This spot belonged to Asdrubal Cabrera for a while, but Peralta has been tremendous as of late. In close to 60 fewer at-bats, Peralta has the same number of home runs and RBI as Cabrera. He is also hitting .314, twenty points higher than his Cleveland contemporary. Third Base: Alex Rodriguez, New York (Rodriguez): I thought long and hard about bucking the system a bit and giving Miguel Cabrera the nod, but A-Rod is worthy in his own right. Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Beltre have more RBI, but Rodriguez has the edge in home runs, average and slugging. He is also had quite a few RBI taken from him by Teixeira, who hits in front of him. Outfield: Jose Bautista, Toronto (Bautista): The legend of Joey Bats lives on. He has virtually carried the Toronto offense with 27 home runs in his first 78 games. More impressively, he has been even better in 2011 than in his breakout campaign a season ago because he is hitting .329 after posting a .260 average in 2010. His OPS (1.146) is the best in baseball by more than a full point. Outfield: Curtis Granderson, New York (Granderson): The first season from Granderson in New York was a disappointment, but he has made up for it in the first half of 2011. He is on pace to surpass his career-high in home runs (30) in late July/early August and he has also been very patient at the plate. No one has scored more runs than the outfielder, who hits in front of three MVP-caliber players. Only Teixeira and Bautista have more home runs than the once light-hitting outfielder. Outfield: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston (Josh Hamilton, Texas): He shares a lineup that includes a number of much bigger names, but Ellsbury has been a sparkplug for the Red Sox this season. After playing just 18 games last season, he has already matched his career-high in home runs and he sets the table for the big Boston sluggers, while also displaying his speed on the base paths. The Oregon native also runs down balls in the Fenway Park outfield better than anyone else. Designated Hitter: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit (David Ortiz, Boston): OK, I am going to buck tradition a bit, slotting Cabrera into a position he has played just once this season. He would make a great DH, which is way I chose him over teammate Victor Martinez and Ortiz. He has put off-field issues behind him to hit .324/.444/.567 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI. He is also striking out less and walking more than ever before. Starting Pitcher: Justin Verlander, Detroit (TBA): If I were making the rules, I would give the starting job to the pitcher that leads the league in wins. Verlander was tied with CC Sabathia (11 wins) heading into action on Tuesday. In cases such as this, I would have the acting manager decide between the two. Verlander has a sparkling ERA of 2.32 (better than the 3.01 posted by Sabathia) and he leads the AL in strikeouts (130). National League Catcher: Brian McCann, Atlanta (McCann): He is one of the most unassuming superstar-caliber players in baseball. He manages games well, while also providing Atlanta with above-average offensive production. If he maintains his current pace, he will post career-highs in hits, home runs and RBIs. First Base: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee (Fielder): This would have been a three-way race had Albert Pujols not injured his wrist. Fielder edges Joey Votto thanks to his better power numbers (10 more homers, 19 more RBI and a 1.017 OPS). He has not been quite as good as he was in 2009, but that just goes to show you how special he was two seasons ago. Second Base: Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee (Weeks): I am opening myself up to the wrath of Brandon Phillips, but Weeks has simply been more valuable. Phillips has been a singles hitter (73.4%), while Weeks has 37 extra-base hits. Phillips has the slightly better average, but Weeks takes the cake in OBP, SLG and OPS. Shortstop: Jose Reyes, New York (Reyes): After two rough seasons, Reyes picked the perfect time for a career year. He will be a free agent this winter and he is hitting .354/.399/.529 for a resurgent team that he has put on his back. Reyes is on pace for close to 250 hits, but his hamstring strain could derail his chances. Third Base: Aramis Ramirez, Chicago (Placido Polanco, Philadelphia): A bright spot for the Cubs! Chicago is much better on paper than they have played, but Ramirez is not to blame. He needs to draw more walks, but he has hovered around .300 and is second among third baseman in home runs and tied for the lead in RBI. More protection in the lineup would do wonders. Outfield: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles (Kemp): Unfortunately for Kemp the majority of the attention the Dodgers have gotten this season relates to owner Frank McCourt and his multitude of issues. After a down 2010, he is flirting with the NL Triple Crown. He was third in batting average, tied for first in home runs and third in RBIs heading into play on Tuesday. Outfield: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee (Braun): It is hard to find something wrong with Braun, who has given the Brewers an identity and a cornerstone that is unlikely to ever leave (unlike teammate Prince Fielder). He is enjoying perhaps his best offensive season while increasing his walk rate and stolen base total. Outfield: Lance Berkman, St. Louis (Berkman): Where would the Cardinals be without Berkman? He is enjoying his best season in five years and has kept the team afloat in the competitive NL Central. His sixth All-Star selection would definitely be the sweetest after a tough 2010 that saw him dealt from his beloved Astros for a part-time role with the Yankees. Starting Pitcher: Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta (TBA): Keeping with my earlier idea, this spot would be given to Jurrjens, Roy Halladay or Kevin Correia (they all entered action on Tuesday with 11 wins). Jurrjens leads the NL in ERA (1.89) and has won 11 games in three fewer starts than Halladay and Correia. I will unveil my All-Star reserves in a similar fashion later this week.