It's only mid-May, so why write about the All-Star Game? Because some All-Stars are often selected because of what they have done to this point. Last year, for example, the players voted Charlie Blackmon as an outfield reserve in the National League. He'd had one good month in the majors at that point in his career: April, when he hit .374/.418/.616, good for a 1.034 OPS. His highest OPS in ensuing months? .808. And that's playing in Colorado.

A worse selection was Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair, in 2012. A 29-year-old minor league journeyman, LaHair hit .390 with five home runs as a platoon first baseman. That got him voted on to the All-Star Game by the players. By July, he was riding the bench. He hasn't appeared in the majors since that season.

There is a lesson here, or two: (1) Don't let the players vote in the first reserve at each position; (2) Don't get too caught up with a hot start by an otherwise obscure player. It is, after all, called the All-Star Game, not the Game For Guys Who Had Six Hot Weeks. That's why I weigh not just what a player has done in the current season, but what he's done in the past. Last year, with World Series home-field advantage at stake, the final four batters for the National League were Daniel Murphy, Miguel Montero, Josh Harrison and Blackmon. Montero and Blackmon, left-handed hitters often platooned by their own teams, had to be left in to face Twins lefty closer Glen Perkins because the entire bench had been burned. That, of course, is another issue.

OK, let's get on with it. My All-Star choices right now ...

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Catcher: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

With Jonathan Lucroy injured and Yadier Molina hitting an empty .269 with no home runs, Posey is the easy choice.

Must-have reserve: I'll leave this open for now. I can see including Molina because of his track record, but Yasmani Grandal of the Dodgers and Montero both have .400-plus OBPs so far.

First base: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks

The toughest position on the board, with Goldschmidt (.347/.451/.653, 9 HR, 28 RBI), Adrian Gonzalez (.360/.421/.696, 9 HR, 30 RBI) and Anthony Rizzo (.333/.463/.598, 7 HR, 19 RBI) all off to monster starts. They rank 3-4-5 in the NL in WAR. But Goldschmidt was the best in 2013 and the best in 2014 on a rate basis (until he broke his hand in August), so I give him the slight nod.

Must have-reserve: Rizzo, Gonzalez. I'd also like to find room for Joey Votto, off to a good start, plus the game is in Cincinnati. That still leaves out Freddie Freeman, hitting .323, and Adam Lind, hitting .298/.391/.544, and with the injuries to Lucroy and Carlos Gomez, the Brewers' most viable All-Star rep right now. Let's hope he doesn't end up stealing a spot from Rizzo or Gonzalez.

Second base: Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins

He's over his head, but he's also hitting .426 and there's not an other obvious candidate.

Must-have reserve: None. Howie Kendrick and Kolten Wong are having strong seasons.

Third base: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds

He was good last year and he has 12 home runs this year, leads NL third basemen in WAR and he's already been named the All-Star ambassador. So he better make it.

Must-have reserve: Assuming his "severe fatigue" isn't an ongoing issue, Matt Carpenter should make it, both for track record and 2015 excellence.

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies

Of course, he might be with an American League team by the All-Star Game. This one will draw some heat as he's off to a so-so start while Zack Cozart, Brandon Crawford, Andrelton Simmons and Jhonny Peralta all have better offensive numbers. But track record wins out here for me.

Must-have reserve: This is surprisingly crowded right now, plus you have to factor in Freddy Galvis of the woeful Phillies, who is hitting .336 and might be their best All-Star candidate.

Outfield: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins; Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals; Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates

McCutchen is off to a slow start -- although better the past week -- but he's a certified star. Stanton and Harper (the best player in the NL so far) shouldn't bring much debate.

Must-have reserve: None, yet, although I'm leaning towards Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson, second behind Harper in WAR. Justin Upton and Matt Holliday would also be strong candidates.

Designated hitter: Bruce Bochy will get to pick his DH, and you have to assume whoever loses out at first base gets the start here. I'd go with Gonzalez right now, with apologies to Rizzo. Or I'd go with Rizzo, with apologies to Gonzalez.

Starting pitcher: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

I think for starting pitcher you do lean almost exclusively on best first half, so it's a little early to make the call. Shelby Miller of the Braves leads Scherzer in WAR, 1.9 to 1.8, but Scherzer has the more dominant peripheral numbers, with 55 strikeouts and just six walks. Others to watch will include Zack Greinke, Matt Harvey, Gerrit Cole, Johnny Cueto, Madison Bumgarner and some guy with a 4.26 ERA named Kershaw.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Catcher: Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays

It's hard to deny Stephen Vogt (.337/.425/.673, 9 HR, 30 RBI) of the A's, as he's currently second in the AL among all players in WAR, behind Lorenzo Cain and just ahead of Mike Trout. But Martin is off to a great start (.288, 7 HR) after having a great season last year with the Pirates.

Must-have reserve: Vogt. Can't ignore those numbers.

First base: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

Eric Hosmer has the higher WAR, but not a 12-year track record of dominant performance. Easy choice with Miggy.

Must-have reserve: Mark Teixeira is having his best year in a long time, but I wouldn't call him or Hosmer a lock just yet. Let's see what happens the next month. Jose Abreu has to be considered as well.

Second base: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

After winning the batting title last year, Altuve's .326 mark this is no fluke and the decision is made easier with Robinson Cano off to a bad start.

Must-have reserve: Hmm ... I'd say Cano, but second base in the AL is very crowded with Dustin Pedroia, Jason Kipnis and Ian Kinsler, all All-Stars in the past, off to much better starts (as is Blue Jays rookie Devon Travis). I'd still lean to Cano, but he has to start hitting.

Third base: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays

Mike Moustakas has an insignificant edge in WAR, 1.7 to 1.6, but Donaldson has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting the past two seasons and has better power numbers than Moustakas right now.

Must-have reserve: Like Cano, Adrian Beltre is off to a slow start at a deep position. Besides Moustakas, you have Evan Longoria, Manny Machado, Pablo Sandoval and Kyle Seager. Probably have to let this play out.

Shortstop: Umm ...

The weakest position on the board. Marcus Semien actually leads in WAR, but he's made so many errors that A's fans want him moved to second base. Jose Iglesias is next in WAR and he's hitting .360 with flashy defense, but has just three RBIs and eight runs scored and he's not really a .360 hitter. Jose Reyes got hurt, as did Jed Lowrie. Alexei Ramirez and Erick Aybar have been terrible. Maybe Alcides Escobar? Maybe we'll just move Machado here.

Outfield: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels; Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles; Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals

You have a problem with three center fielders? I don't. I'd also play Trout the entire game, but we know that never happens anymore.

Must-have reserve: Michael Brantley, third in last year's MVP voting, is hitting .330/.400/.505. Hard to leave him off. Alex Gordon has a .415 OBP and is the best defensive left fielder in the league. I could see him starting over Cain, because of the longer performance record. Josh Reddick has been terrific for the A's, but let's see if his start is for real.

Designated hitter: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners

He leads the AL in home runs (15), RBIs (29) and batting average (.346). No-brainer.

Starting pitcher: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

Dallas Keuchel and Sonny Gray have the slightly higher WAR -- all three have ERAs under 2.00 -- and they're very good, but Felix looks to be in line for his second straight All-Star start.