Joe Mauer.

By ROB SHAW

sportsnet.ca

The world of baseball is big enough that there is a difference between an all-star in reality, and one in fantasy. While well-known stars such as Ichiro Suzuki and Evan Longoria make the cut in reality, in our world of statistics and sabermetrics there are more deserving players.

Here's a look at the 2010 Fantasy American League All-Stars:

Catcher: Joe Mauer, Twins- Victor Martinez would have had the top spot since Joe Mauer has been a mild fantasy disappointment with just four homeruns this season. Of course, Martinez hasn't played in a few weeks and currently resides on the DL. Aside from these two masked marvels, we have seen very little from the other AL backstops. Jorge Posada is a star when healthy, but his durability has been an issue. Mike Napoli and John Buck have a bunch of homeruns, but their averages are less than stellar. Kurt Suzuki is another catcher who deserves some praise, but he missed time due to injury forcing fantasy managers to rummage through the scraps to find a replacement.

1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers- The frontrunner for MVP, Cabrera has been sensational with major power and run production while still boasting an average close to .350. He enters the All-Star break hotter than ever entering this weekend with a 17-game hitting streak.

2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees- The Most Valuable Yankee, Cano is enjoying his best power production of his career while still boasting a .339 average. He does not steal many bases, but he does everything else. In the meantime, his rival Dustin Pedroia is on the DL with a broken left foot.

SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees- Even though Jeter is enduring a down year based on his standards, he is still the best fantasy shortstop in the American League. He should still end up scoring a bunch of runs and steal close to 20 bases, but his .277 average is 40 points off his career mark. Expect it to rise in the second half of the season.

3B: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox- Even though his teammate Adrian Beltre is the true third baseman on his team, Youkilis still enjoys third base eligibility in fantasy leagues, and for that reason he makes this All-Star team. Along with his solid .292 average is plenty of power such as 17 homeruns and 55 RBI. The biggest surprise is that he is on pace to score close to 130 runs this season. He beats out Longoria and Beltre for the Fantasy All-Star team.

OF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers- What a bounce back it has been for Josh Hamilton. Certainly not the first time that Hamilton has enjoyed this kind of power streak, but the real question here is whether he can keep it going for the remainder of the season without enduring an injury. He is currently on pace to enjoy an Albert Pujols-type season, but the humidity of Fort Worth during the dog days of summer will make it difficult to sustain.

OF: Carl Crawford, Rays- Another stellar start from the Rays left-fielder has the team in contention and keeping fantasy managers thrilled with his combination of power and speed. Typically, the Rays veteran struggles in the second half, but if the team continues to flounder, there is a chance that Crawford will be on the move. If he lands in the Bronx, his fantasy value may reach a new high, making him an intriguing player to keep for the second half of the season.

OF: Alex Rios, White Sox- He has always had the tools and he has reached his potential in spurts before (24 HR, 114 runs, and .297 average in 2007), but the numbers that Rios is currently putting up are remarkable. With Ozzie Guillen putting an emphasis on being aggressive on the base-paths, the steals should keep coming for Rios. The 14 homeruns are also pretty legit since Rios calls home to one of the most favorable hitter's parks in the Major Leagues. A long-time underachiever with the Blue Jays, I am buying into Rios' production this season and would consider trading for him, even at a high asking price mid-way through his career season.

DH: Vladimir Guerrero, Rangers- Once lauded for his strong arm in right field, Vladimir Guerrero is now a hired hitter, but the focus on offense has turned into fantasy gold. In this turn back the clock year Guerrero has 19 homeruns and 72 RBI with a .326 average. His new role as a designated hitter should allow him to sustain this production by avoiding injuries in the second half of the season.

SP: Cliff Lee, Rangers- This will be a very interesting second half for Cliff Lee. His first half statistics are remarkable when you consider he's thrown almost 25 fewer innings than most hurlers thanks to his pre-season injury that forced him out the Opening week of the season. Of course, the bigger question is whether he can maintain his current production while pitching in the Ballpark at Arlington. My guess is yes since we've seen this ace dominate while pitching in the Phillies hitter's bandbox last year, not to mention at Yankee Stadium with everything on the line in the World Series. His ERA may be raised a few notches, but with the great hitters in the Rangers lineup, we should expect a win every time he takes the mound.

RP: Mariano Rivera, Yankees- It's not a surprise that Mariano Rivera is the best AL closer; he's been remarkably consistent over the last few seasons. The great surprise is the fact that Rivera is currently enjoying his greatest season ever! That's right, the 40-year legend who already has the credentials for the Hall of Fame is first peaking now with a 1.05 ERA and 0.64 WHIP. He's also as efficient as ever with just 33 strikeouts in 34.1 innings, but the bottom line are his 20 saves and four earned runs allowed all season! If you think that it's impossible to sustain this type of production throughout an entire season, feel free to deal Rivera now.