The May 2009 Home Run Trot All-Star Team

With May finished, it is once again time to fill out Home Run Trot's monthly All-Star Team.

POSITION PLAYERS

C: Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians
Like April, choosing a catcher was tough. The choice came down to Martinez and last month's pick Bengie Molina. I chose Martinez because, even though he's on a floundering Indians team, he's playing well. He has 69 hits in 197 at-bats, including 23 extra base hits. Seven of those are home runs and 15 are doubles. He leads all catchers with 36 RBI. Martinez qualifies at catcher because he's played 27 of his 50 games at the position.

1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Pujols doesn't lead first basemen in home runs or batting average even though he does have a high average (.335) and the third most home runs (16). He gets the pick again because of his low strikeout count (18) compared to his high amount of walks (41), his first basemen-leading runs scored total (42) and his first basemen leading 7 stolen bases. He's a total package at first base.

2B: Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays
Choosing the starting second baseman was the toughest choice for this list. Second base still has an excellent amount of qualified candidates. I chose Aaron Hill because he had at least one hit in from May 17-30 and only had an 0-for four games in May. Hill had 7 home runs and 17 RBI in May to give him 12 homers and 37 RBI for the month. He's scored 33 runs and has 77 hits this season. That's why the nod goes to Hill.

3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Longoria is simply the best third baseman in the majors. He has 13 home runs and 55 RBI this season. His 55 RBI lead all of MLB. Thirty-one of those RBI were driven in during May. He's also scored 38 runs and hit 20 doubles this season. Longoria will eclipse his 2008 Rookie of the Year Award-earning statistics.

SS: Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays
I know he's been injured since May 25, but Bartlett's been good this season. He's batting .373 with 7 home runs and 30 RBI. Bartlett's breakotu season also includes 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, and 2 triples. Hopefully he continues his offensively ability when he returns in June. Bartlett also has a .978 fielding percentage and only 4 errors.

LF: Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies
Like Pujols and Longoria, Ibanez is a return member of the team. He's hitting .332 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI. He's also scored 40 runs and hit 11 doubles and 2 triples. The only stat Ibanez lacks is stolen bases. He's not Carl Crawford, but he does have 4.

CF: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
After getting put on the bench in April, Jones moves to the starting lineup in May. Despite missing four games in mid-May, Jones still hit well. Seven home runs and 18 RBI to raise his totals to 11 homers and 36 RBI. He's also hitting .344 with 13 doubles and 1 triple. He's scored 40 runs and stolen 4 bases in 6 attempts. His average and OPS (1.005) give him the nod over Torii Hunter.

RF: Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
Cruz came into his own in the month of May. He improved on his home run and RBI totals, raising them to 14 home runs and 36 RBI. He also stole 7 of his 9 stolen bases during May.

DH: Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays
Lind kept up his April pace in May. He now has eight homers, thirty-eight RBI, and 16 doubles. His .288 batting average is good, but not as good as it could be.

BENCH

BN: Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers
It was tough choosing between Chase Utley and Kinsler. Utley has a slightly higher batting average at .294. But Kinsler has more hits, 56, and more homers (13) and RBI (39). He also has 10 stolen bases.

BN: Torii Hunter, CF, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Hunter is playing too well to leave off this team. His 40 RBI are the most of any centerfielder. He also has 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases.

BN: Carl Crawford, LF, Tampa Bay Rays
Crawford nabbed twenty-one of his thirty stolen bases in May. That includes his six steal game against Boston on May 3.

BN: Justin Morneau, 1B, Minnesota Twins
Morneau has the power - 14 home runs, 47 RBI - that Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard and company exhibit. Morneau also has the batting average. He's hitting .342.

STARTING PITCHERS

SP: Zack Greinke, Kansas City
Greinke picked up where he left off in April. He's 8-1 with a 1.10 ERA entering June. He's allowed only 12 runs with 10 of them being earned. He's also struck out 88 while walking only 12.

SP: Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
Halladay is also 8-1. He has 63 strikeouts compared to 11 walks and was 4-0 in May with two no-decisions.

SP: Johan Santana, New York Mets
Santana, like Greinke, makes his second appearance in the rotation. He's 7-2 wih 86 strikeouts in 66 innings over 10 starts. Santana has a 1.77 ERA.

SP: Kevin Slowey, Minnesota Twins
Slowey doesn't have the best ERA (4.11), but is 7-1 after going 4-1 in May. That gets him a spot on the team.

SP: Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants
Cain is 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA. He's the anchor of San Francisco's rotation this season, taking some of the pressure off Tim Lincecum.

BULLPEN

RP: Andrew Bailey, Oakland
Bailey's pitched 30.2 innings in 22 appearances and is 3-0 with 2 saves and 2 holds. He has blown 2 saves, but is still pitching real well. He's allowed only 8 hits.

RP: Clay Condrey, Philadelphia
Condrey is 4-0 with one save and 4 holds in 25 appearances (27.2 innings). He's given up only 6 runs. Condrey has 19 strikeouts compared to 9 walks.

RP: Jason Frasor, Toronto
Frasor is 4-0 with 1 save and 2 holds in 18.2 innings over 20 appearances. He's surrendered only 5 runs while allowing only 13 hits and 5 walk while striking out 13. Frasor's solid April carried into May.

RP: Jason Motte, St. Louis Cardinals
Motte has 11 holds in 21 innings pitched over 23 appearances. He's also 1-1 with a blown save. He's given up only 7 runs.

RP: Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers
I'm going with a second closer this month. Broxton is too good to not have on the team. He's 5-0 with 11 saves in 24.0 innings over 21 games. He's allowed only 4 runs on 8 hits and 10 walks while striking out 37.

RP: Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers
I'm going against protocol again and picking yet another closer. Trevor Hoffman has been way too good since his return from injury to leave off the team. He has 12 saves in 14 appearances. Those two nonsave games were not blown saves. Hoffman also has a 0.00 ERA having given up only 6 hits and no walks. He has 11 strikeouts.

CL: Heath Bell, San Diego
Bell no longer has a 0.00 ERA; it's 1.33 now. But he does lead the league with 14 saves. He's 2-1 with only one blown save. In 20.1 innings (21 appearances), Bell's allowed only 3 runs on 14 hits and 6 walks. He's struck out 25.

Some teams made multiple appearances again. Tampa Bay and Toronto led the way. A few players also made the team for a second month in a row. It took a while to figure it all out, but I like this team.