It’s that time of year. We are just a little over two weeks from the 2021 MLB All-Star Game, marking the first time since 2019 the Midsummer Classic will be played.

Three finalists at every position for each league will be announced Sunday at noon ET. There are 32 roster spots for each league, with 20 position players and 12 pitchers per side.

With that in mind, here are my picks. Keep in mind that every team in the league must have at least one player selected, which creates some unfortunate omissions each year.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Starters

C: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals

Perez is enjoying a renaissance season at age 31. He has played in all 75 of the Royals’ games in 2021 and has posted an impressive slash line of .281/.310/.517. He leads AL catchers in OPS (.828) and home runs (18).

1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays

If the season ended today, Guerrero would be the AL MVP. The former top prospect in the game struggled to find his footing during his first two seasons, but he has morphed into one of the most lethal hitters in the sport in 2021. At just 22 years old, he’s hitting .339/.443/.683 with 26 home runs and a 199 wRC+, both of which lead MLB. Guerrero has also walked nearly the same number of times as he’s struck out. His 4.5 fWAR leads the next closest position player by 0.8.

2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

Altuve had the worst season of his career in 2020 with the cloud of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal hanging over his head, but he has returned to being one of the premier hitters in baseball this season. He leads all AL second baseman in batting average (.296), on-base percentage (.371), slugging percentage (.521), weighted on-base average (.379), wRC+ (147) and fWAR (3.0). Altuve has smashed 17 homers and is striking out in just 15.6% of his plate appearances.

He’s been excellent defensively too, as he has recorded three defensive runs saved and three outs above average in the infield so far. Fans of every team not named the Astros will probably cringe at this selection, but Altuve is a terrific player. He never needed to rely on stealing signs to be one of the best players in the game.

SS: Carlos Correa, Houston Astros

Another selection at which fans around the league will roll their eyes, but Correa has been the best player in the American League outside of Guerrero in 2021. He’s hitting .305/.399/.540 with 15 homers, a .402 wOBA, a 162 wRC+ and a 3.7 fWAR, all four of which lead AL shortstops. He has been the best offensive player on an Astros team that has been the best in the league in nearly every statistical category.

He gets the slight edge over Xander Bogaerts because of his defense. Correa ranks fourth among MLB shortstops with six defensive runs saved, and he’s tied for the fourth-most outs above average with six.

3B: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox

This spot is a coin flip between Devers and Yoan Moncada, but Devers strikes out less and has significantly more power. He leads all MLB third basemen with 18 homers and his .564 slugging percentage is nearly .050 points better than the next closest third baseman. His 2.7 fWAR is also tied for first. Devers has improved defensively at the hot corner as well, registering one defensive run saved.

OF: Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles

Mullins has been a two-way superstar for an otherwise underwhelming Orioles team that is still in the middle of a long rebuild. Mullins is tied for second among MLB center fielders with six outs above average.

The 26-year-old is also having the best offensive season of his career after deciding to transition from switch-hitting to batting left-handed full-time. His .312 batting average leads AL outfielders. Mullins has also cracked 13 homers, is slugging .538 and has gotten on base at a .381 clip. He leads all AL outfielders with a 3.2 fWAR. Mullins isn’t well-known outside of Baltimore, but he deserves to be a starter at the Midsummer Classic.

OF: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

Judge is quietly having a terrific season for the underachieving Yankees. His 16 homers rank second among AL outfielders and he continues to get on base at a high rate (.382). Right now, his .506 slugging percentage would be his lowest since his rookie year in 2016, but it still ranks fourth among AL outfielders.

In addition, Judge’s 145 wRC+ is third among AL outfielders and his xwOBA of .433 leads all MLB outfielders. He’s been solid defensively as well with three defensive runs saved in right field.

OF: Michael Brantley, Houston Astros

Brantley is an old-school hitter playing in a modern game that is obsessed with power high in strikeouts. In his age 34 season, his current batting average of .349 leads all of MLB, while his 11.0% strikeout rate is the fourth-lowest in the league. His 154 wRC+ also ranks first among AL outfielders. Brantley has been above average defensively too, recording two defensive runs saved and one out above average in left field.

DH: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

Ohtani has been one of the most electrifying players in baseball this season, both on the mound and at the plate. His 24 homers and .643 slugging percentage both rank third in MLB, while his .413 wOBA and 166 wRC+ each rank fifth. His 2.8 fWAR ranks first among designated hitters by a wide margin.

Reserves

C: Mike Zunino, Tampa Bay Rays

There aren’t a ton of great options for this spot. Zunino is hitting just .197 on the season and strikes out in 39% of his plate appearances, but he has hit 16 home runs and is slugging an impressive .535. His four defensive runs saved behind the plate are tied for fourth-most among MLB catchers.

1B: Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics

It was extremely difficult to omit a guy in Gurriel, who is hitting .337 on the season, but Olson has been superior in every other category outside of batting average. Olson has walked slightly more than Gurriel and is 20 home runs, .588 slugging percentage and 163 wRC+ all rank second among MLB first basemen. Furthermore, Olson has fared slightly better than Gurriel defensively in terms of both defensive runs saved and outs above average.

2B: Marcus Semien, Toronto Blue Jays

After finishing third in the AL MVP voting in 2019, Semien regressed significantly in the abbreviated 2020 season. However, he’s bounced back and 2021 and has been arguably the best all-around second baseman in the league. His 18 homers lead all MLB second baseman, and he’s tied with Altuve for first in fWAR at 3.0. Semien also leads the league in defensive runs saved at the position with seven.

SS: Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox

Bogaerts is having another outstanding season at the plate, hitting .327/.389/.554 with 13 homers. His batting average and slugging percentage both lead AL shortstops while his fWAR ranks second behind only Correa.

SS: J.P. Crawford, Seattle Mariners

The Mariners must have one player selected and Crawford is the best choice, leading the team in fWAR at 1.6. Crawford has been solid at the plate, hitting .283 and getting on base at a .340 clip, but where he particularly shines is on defense. His 10 defensive runs saved lead all MLB shortstops in 2021.

3B: Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox

Moncada was excellent during his last full season back in 2019. After taking a step back in 2020, he’s quietly been one of the better players in the game this season. His .402 on-base percentage ranks third among all position players, and his 2.7 fWAR is tied with Devers for best among all third basemen.

3B: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians

Ramirez has become the Indians’ star after the trade of Francisco Lindor to the Mets in the offseason. He’s hitting .258/.344/.512 with 16 homers while striking out in only 12.6% of his plate appearances. His four defensive runs saved also rank third among MLB third basemen, while his three outs above average rank fifth. His 2.5 fWAR is third among MLB third basemen.

OF: Adolis Garcia, Texas Rangers

Garcia’s .543 slugging percentage and 20 home runs lead all AL outfielders this season. His defense has also been fantastic in center field, where he’s registered two defensive runs saved. His six outs above average at that spot also ranks tied for second among MLB center fielders.

OF: Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins

The Twins must have a representative, which omits someone deserving like Ramon Laureano or Joey Gallo. Buxton has played only 27 games this season, but he has been elite on both sides of the ball when he’s been available. His 2.7 fWAR would rank second among AL outfielders, thanks to a ridiculous .369/.409/.767 slash line, along with 10 home runs and an otherworldly 217 wRC+. Defensively, he’s first among MLB center fielders with seven defensive runs saved and seventh in outs above average with four.

OF: Mark Canha, Oakland Athletics

This last outfielder spot was a toss-up between Canha and Laureano. Canha ranks second among qualified AL outfielders with a 2.4 fWAR. Laureano has a higher slugging percentage, but Canha gets on base nearly 4% more often and strikes out almost 5% less frequently.

DH: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros

The 2019 AL Rookie of the Year played only two games in 2020, but he has picked up right where he left off in 2021. He’s hitting .306/.370/.541 with 13 home runs and a 153 wRC+. His 2.1 fWAR ranks second among designated hitters behind Ohtani.

Unfortunate omissions: Yuli Gurriel, Joey Gallo, Mark Canha, Randy Arozarena, Bo Bichette, Jared Walsh, J.D. Martinez, Tim Anderson

Pitchers

SP: Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

Spider Tack speculation aside, Cole would likely be the AL Cy Young winner if the season ended today, and it’s hard to believe that would be only his first with how dominant he’s been the last several years. His 2.33 ERA would be a career-low, and he has struck out 123 batters to go along with an AL-leading 0.85 WHIP.

SP: Chris Bassitt, Oakland Athletics

Bassitt leads the AL with 99.2 innings pitched and has struck out 102 hitters, seventh-most in the league. His 3.25 ERA and 1.06 WHIP both ranked seventh in the AL.

SP: Carlos Rodón, Chicago White Sox

Rodón has broken out in his seventh season in the big leagues. The 28-year-old lefty tossed the second no-hitter of the season back in April and hasn’t slowed down since. His 2.06 ERA ranks second in the AL, while his 113 strikeouts rank fourth. His 0.90 WHIP and .169 opponent batting average both lead the league.

SP: Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians

The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was last season, but he still leads the AL with 130 strikeouts.

SP: Kyle Gibson, Texas Rangers

Gibson owns the lowest ERA in the AL at 2.00 across 90 innings and is allowing just 0.60 HR/9, which is second-lowest among AL starters.

SP: Sean Manaea, Oakland Athletics

Manaea has a 2.91 ERA across 92.2 innings, along with 96 strikeouts. His 0.78 HR/9 rate ranks third in the AL behind Gibson.

SP: Lance Lynn, Chicago White Sox

Lynn is tied with his teammate Rodón for the second-lowest ERA in the AL, along with a WHIP of 0.99 that ranks fourth in the league. Opponents are hitting just .190 against him this season.

SP: Spencer Turnbull, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers must be represented and Turnbull is the best candidate to do so. Turnbull tossed one of the league’s six no-hitters so far this season. His ERA is a solid 2.88 and he’s allowing a meager 0.36 HR/9.

RP: Matt Barnes, Boston Red Sox

Barnes is second in the AL in saves with 16, while his 15.19 K/9 rate ranks third among AL relievers. He has a 2.81 ERA in 32 innings but his 1.83 xERA suggests he’s been even better.

RP: Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees

Chapman is one of the top closers in the game again this year with a 2.54 ERA and a 15.56 K/9 rate that leads the AL.

RP: Liam Hendriks, Chicago White Sox

Hendriks has given the White Sox a shutdown closer to anchor their bullpen after being signed in the offseason. He has a 2.18 ERA across 33 innings, along with a 13.91 K/9 rate. His 20 saves lead the AL.

RP: Ryan Pressly, Houston Astros

Pressly has 12 saves on the season and his 1.69 ERA ranks fifth among AL relievers, while his 1.4 fWAR ranks second.

Unfortunate omissions: Nathan Eovaldi, Jose Berrios, Zack Greinke, Lucas Giolito, Aaron Civile, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Yusei Kikuchi, Robbie Ray

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Starters

C: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Posey is having the best season of his career since he won NL MVP in 2012. He’s hitting .328/.412/.556 and leads MLB catchers in fWAR at 2.8.

1B: Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers

Muncy has been by far the best first baseman in the NL this season. His .413 on-base percentage is the second-highest rate among MLB first basemen, trailing only Guerrero. He’s also slugging .542 and has clubbed 16 home runs. Defensively, he leads the league with six defensive runs saved at first base. His fWAR of 3.0 is 1.6 points higher than the next closest NL first baseman.

2B: Jake Cronenworth, San Diego Padres

Cronenworth has built on an excellent rookie season in 2020 where he finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. He’s hitting .287/.358.474 with 12 homers and has the third-lowest strikeout rate among NL second basemen. His six defensive runs saved at that position rank third in MLB.

SS: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres

Tatis has taken a step back on defense, as his -5 defensive runs saved at shortstop are tied for fourth-worst in MLB, but he has put up otherworldly offensive numbers, which have led him to post a 3.8 fWAR that leads all MLB shortstops. The 22-year-old is hitting .294, getting on base at a .377 clip and slugging a ridiculous .697, which leads MLB. His 25 homers rank second in the league.

3B: Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals

Arenado hasn’t been the crème de la crème defender at the hot corner that he’s been for most of his career but he has still registered an above-average two defensive runs saved. His .509 slugging percentage and 13.8% strikeout rate are both tops among NL third basemen.

OF: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves

Acuña has cooled off slightly since his scorching start to the season, but he has still been arguably the best outfielder in the game this season. He’s hitting .282/.389/.602 to go along with 21 home runs and a 3.7 fWAR that leads all outfielders.

OF: Nick Castellanos, Cincinnati Reds

Castellanos remains one of the worst defensive players in the league, but he is having an incredible offensive season. Among MLB outfielders, he currently leads the league in batting average (.347), slugging percentage (.604), weighted on-base average (.424) and wRC+ (169).

OF: Jesse Winker, Cincinnati Reds

Winker has been almost as impressive offensively as Castellanos. He has slugged 18 homers and is hitting .324/.401/.588.

Reserves

C: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers

Smith quietly played very well in his first 91 games combined through 2019 and 2020, and now he’s become one of the best catchers in the sport. The 26-year-old backstop has hit .261/.363/.478 with 10 homers while adding four defensive runs saved behind the plate.

1B: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves

Freeman has not played to his standards in 2021, but he’s the choice here in a pedestrian NL first baseman group. Freeman’s slash line of .254/.362/.468 with 17 homers is solid, but not spectacular. However, his .411 xwOBA, which is third-highest among MLB first basemen, and .267 batting average on balls in play, which is fourth-lowest among MLB first basemen, suggests he’s been a bit unlucky at the plate this season.

2B: Adam Frazier, Pittsburgh Pirates

Frazier is having a breakout season at 29 years old. He doesn’t offer much power with only four homers so far, but his .330 batting average is the best among MLB second basemen by 40 points. He also ranks second among such players in on-base percentage (.399), strikeout rate (11.1%) and fWAR (2.5).

SS: Trea Turner, Washington Nationals

Turner is hitting .310, which leads NL shortstops and his 16 stolen bases are tied with Tatis for most among MLB shortstops. His .360 on-base percentage and 3.2 fWAR trail only Tatis for best among NL shortstops.

SS: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants

Crawford is having another outstanding defensive year at shortstop with four defensive runs saved, but his uptick in power at the plate has given him a strong All-Star candidacy. His current slugging percentage of .531 would shatter his previous career-high of .465 set in 2020. He’s also already just four homers away from his career-high of 21 set back in 2015.

SS: Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies

Story hasn’t gotten off to a start that resembles his past three years, but the Rockies need a representative. His 1.7 fWAR ranks fifth among NL shortstops.

3B: Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers

Turner continues to be one of the most dependable offensive third basemen in the game even at age 36. He’s hitting .288/.381/.476 with 12 homers with a 141 wRC+ that leads all MLB third basemen.

OF: Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates

Reynolds hit just .189 in 55 games in 2020, but he’s proving this year that his rookie season in 2019 when he hit .314/.377/.503, was no fluke. So far in 2021, he’s hitting .311/.397/.527 with 13 homers. His 3.0 fWAR ranks fourth among MLB outfielders.

OF: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers

Betts’ offensive numbers looked rather underwhelming compared to the rest of his career, but he’s still getting on base at a .371 clip. He’s contributed three defensive runs saved in right field and another in center field. Betts’ fWAR of 2.5 ranks sixth among MLB outfielders.

OF: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

It doesn’t make sense that Bryant isn’t listed with the outfielders on the All-Star voting ballot because he’s primarily played left field since the arrival of Patrick Wisdom. After a forgettable 2020, Bryant has bounced back this season, hitting .261/.347/.500 with 15 homers.

OF: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks need a player to be represented. Marte has played only 37 games this season, but he’s been terrific when available. He’s hitting .370/.419/.556 this season and was an All-Star starter in the last Midsummer Classic in 2019.

OF: Juan Soto, Washington Nationals

Soto hasn’t yet put up the herculean offensive numbers that many were expecting this season, but he’s been quietly very impressive at the plate. He’s walked more times than he has struck out and his .396 on-base percentage is the fourth-highest among MLB outfielders. Soto’s .420 xwOBA that ranks third among MLB outfielders suggests an increase in power numbers is coming as well.

Unfortunate omissions: Manny Machado, Chris Taylor, Ozzie Albies, Kyle Schwarber, Eduardo Escobar, Josh Rojas, Bryce Harper

Pitchers

SP: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets

It is nearly impossible to decide how to choose about 20 qualified starting pitchers this year for eight slots, but this one is easy. deGrom has been the best pitcher in baseball over the last four years and is somehow getting even better at 33 years old. His 0.69 ERA and 0.53 WHIP both lead MLB and opponents are hitting just .115 against him.

SP: Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies

Wheeler’s 3.8 fWAR is second in the NL behind only deGrom and his 106.1 innings lead the NL. He has a 2.20 ERA and opponents have hit just .3203 against him.

SP: Kevin Gausman, San Francisco Giants

Gausman has a 1.49 ERA this season across 96.2 innings and his 3.0 fWAR ranks third among NL starters.

SP: Yu Darvish, San Diego Padres

Darvish has a 2.44 ERA across 96 innings and opponents have hit just .194 against him. His 115 strikeouts rank seventh in the NL and his 2.6 fWAR ranks sixth.

SP: Trevor Rogers, Miami Marlins

Rogers 2.08 ERA is the fourth-lowest in the NL and he’s allowed just four homers in 86.2 innings. His 2.7 fWAR ranks fifth among NL starters.

SP: Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers

Woodruff’s 1.89 ERA is third-lowest among NL starters. His 2.7 fWAR ranks seventh in the NL.

SP: Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers

Peralta’s 2.17 ERA is sixth-lowest among NL starters, while his 12.62 K/9 rate ranks second. Opponents are hitting just .132 against him, which trails only deGrom.

SP: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

Scherzer has a 2.14 ERA that is the fifth-lowest among NL starters. His .178 opponent batting average is the sixth-best in the NL and his 12.12 K/9 rate is third-highest in the league.

RP: Craig Kimbrel, Chicago Cubs

Kimbrel’s 15.48 K/9 rate is second among NL relievers. He has a 0.59 ERA in 30.1 innings and is second in the NL with 20 saves.

RP: Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers

Hader’s 0.57 ERA leads MLB relievers and is 15.06 K/9 rate ranks sixth. He is third in the NL with 19 saves.

RP: Edwin Diaz, New York Mets

Diaz has a 2.93 ERA and 16 saves across 30.1 innings in 2021. His 1.2 fWAR ranks fourth among NL relievers.

RP: Richard Rodriguez, Pittsburgh Pirates

Rodriguez has 10 saves and a 1.78 ERA over 30.1 innings. His 1.2 fWAR ranks third among NL relievers.

Unfortunate omissions: Corbin Burnes, Clayton Kershaw, Taijuan Walker, Aaron Nola, Sandy Alcantara, German Marquez, Joe Musgrove, Pablo Lopez, Anthony DeSclafani, Wade Miley, Walker Buehler, Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman, Giovanny Gallegos, Aaron Loup, Kenley Jansen