Jeter, A-Rod, Manny lead the crop of today's stars

By Tom Verducci

If you had to win a World Series right now, whom would you pick? That's the leading question toward picking my team of the best players today. Age doesn't matter too much, though I do lean toward guys with fresh legs in their prime. (As with the all-time team, I picked players specifically for each outfield spot and exercised more freedom in filling out the bench.) Here is my all-star team of the best players at each position today.

INFIELDERS C | Joe Mauer | Minnesota Twins Only 24, with a .316 lifetime average and .396 on-base percentage. 1B | Albert Pujols | St. Louis Cardinals Maybe the greatest start to a career in history: six straight seasons hitting .300 or better, with at least 30 homers, 100 RBIs, 100 runs and a top-four MVP finish. 2B | Chase Utley | Philadelphia Phillies He's clearly the best second baseman in the game and getting better. His batting average has gone up four consecutive years. SS | Derek Jeter | New York Yankees His defense is slipping, but he is a consistent offensive force who will march well beyond 3,000 hits. 3B | Alex Rodriguez | New York Yankees Best ever among a rare breed: a game-changing infielder. OUTFIELDERS LF | Manny Ramirez | Boston Red Sox His power numbers may be down slightly this year, but he's still as pure a hitter as they come. CF | Ichiro Suzuki | Seattle Mariners A hit machine, his graceful, gliding style at bat, and in the field, is a pleasure to watch. RF | Vladimir Guerrero | Los Angeles Angels He's the most dangerous offensive force in the game because he can hit absolutely anything and hit it hard. Guerrero is a great combination of power and hand-eye coordination. PITCHERS SP Johan Santana Minnesota Twins SP Roy Halladay Toronto Blue Jays SP Roy Oswalt Houston Astros SP Jake Peavy San Diego Padres SP Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers Five reasons why young pitchers (and steroid testing) have begun to take back the game from the sluggers. CLOSER | Mariano Rivera | New York Yankees His cutter is among the greatest pitches in history. When he's on, he's a one-pitch pitcher, but hitters still can't hit what they know is coming. MANAGER, COACHES Manager | Jim Leyland | Detroit Tigers Excels at both in-game strategy and player motivation. Pitching Coach | Rick Peterson | New York Mets His track record in Oakland and New York is too good to ignore. Hitting Coach | Rudy Jaramillo | Texas Rangers There's a reason he's the highest-paid and longest-tenured hitting coach. RESERVES POSITION PLAYER COMMENT CATCHER Russell Martin Fierce competitor who keeps getting better. INFIELDERS Jose Reyes Miguel Cabrera Reyes is the most exciting player in baseball. OUTFIELDERS Grady Sizemore Barry Bonds Matt Holliday Sizemore is the total package: power, speed, defense and a burning desire to win. BULLPEN Trevor Hoffman C.C. Sabathia Ben Sheets Brandon Webb Francisco Rodriguez Wish I had room for John Smoltz, because he lives for the big game Weigh in with your comments and selections at FanNation.