The decade is coming to an end in less than a month and during the decade we have seen numerous great athletes, some who have won championships and others who have carved their name into the history books in another way.
Throughout the remainder of this month, before we get into the new decade, I will be giving you my All-Decade teams for each of the four major sports in the United States: MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL.
In the first installment of four I will be giving you my All-Decade MLB team. The great thing about all of these teams is that we all have differing opinions on who should and who should not be on said team. Some players seem obvious that they should be on a team, but others are not and are up to the interpretation of the people who are creating these lists.
For the all-decade MLB I will be giving you a 14-man roster, nine starting position players (including DH), three starting pitchers, and two bullpen arms.
There is no “right” answer when making these teams since they are all subjective, but without further delay, here is my All-Decade team for the 2010s. Feel free to mock and disagree with me as you see fit.
Starting Lineup:
Catcher: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.287/.336/.424 121
Starting out at catcher I am going with Molina over Posey—a controversial pick to start the team. This was one of the toughest positions to choose in the sense that both of these players were so good that you can’t really go wrong with either of these two. However, the pick comes down to what style of play you prefer from your backstop, offense or defense. As you can see, I prefer defense and that’s why I went with Molina.
When you look at these two over the course of the decade, they were extremely close in many categories, making the decision even tougher when trying to figure out which player to place in the starting lineup. Posey led all catchers in hits (1,378), total bases (2,086), won an MVP (2012), and was the centerpiece of three World Series teams. Molina was second among catchers in hits (1,367), total bases (2,016), plus he has a ring of his own.
Molina was much more durable behind the plate during this time and was a far superior defensive player when compared to Posey. Again, this was one of the toughest positions to pick a starter at because both of these players easily could have been the starter, it depends on preference. When I look to create a team, I also think of the potential lineup that will be associated with that, since this is an All-Decade team hitting will not be a concern in the rest of the positions, that is why I chose the defensive superstar in Molina.
First Base: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.317/.399/.544 268
In the decade there are three first baseman that pretty easily stand above the rest of the field, Joey Votto, Paul Goldschmidt, and Miguel Cabrera. Although Goldschmidt put up some great seasons in Arizona, he still sits in third place behind Votto and Cabrera by a large margin. It came down to these two players, and when you take a deeper look at the players number it’s very tough to go against Cabrera.
Cabrera and Votto were two of the best hitting first baseman of the decade, the biggest difference in the hitting between these two are the power numbers, Cabrera easily beats Votto in that category. Votto was always an on-base machine (.428 OBP, 1st) and an MVP winner (2010), but the run production wasn’t always there from the big bat in the lineup, in the decade Votto only surpassed 100 RBIs three times.
Cabrera on the other hand was the bat you were looking for in the middle of the lineup, hitting for a best average in the decade (.317) and surpassing 100 RBIs six seasons during the decade. Cabrera is also a triple crown winner (2012), a season in which he won the first of back-to-back MVPs in the decade (2012-13). Cabrera may not have been the best defensive player of the decade, but his hitting numbers are undeniable and land him a spot on this team.
Second Base: Jose Altuve, Astros
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.315/.364/.463 128
No matter who you choose at second base it might seem like a controversial pick, and that is honestly because there weren’t many top-notch second baseman over the decade. Only two players really stand out at that position, Robinson Cano and Jose Altuve. There is an argument that Altuve should not have been chosen because he didn’t really have his first great season until 2014 and this is team of the decade, not half the decade. However, the same argument can be made for Cano.
Cano really broke out in his 2010 season and over the course of the next five seasons he was easily the best second baseman in the game. After that he regressed in his play and it has shown, as he regressed Altuve emerged and has become the best second baseman in the game while winning an MVP (2017).
No matter who you pick between the two, you can’t go wrong, but if you are looking for a bat at the top of the lineup with decent defense than Altuve is your man, if you are looking for a gap to gap lefty bat than Cano is your man. Another factor in my decision was that Altuve has never been suspended for using PEDs, something Cano is guilty of. Just like every other position this pick goes down to preference and Altuve narrowly outdid Cano.
Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons, Braves/Angels
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.268/.316/.364 67
Shortstop is by far the thinnest position on this list, if this list was made for the latter half of the decade then Francisco Lindor would easily get the nod, but since it is not, and he only debuted in 2015 I could not choose him. Simmons didn’t get a chance to play the entire decade either, but he played a larger amount that Lindor after he debuted in 2012.
Simmons did not make this team because of his offensive ability; he made the team because he is the best defensive player at that position. He did finally start to manage to get some offensive production, but that was not until he joined the Angels.
Simmons only really had two players who made some competition for the position, Lindor and Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki would have been the easy choice for shortstop, but injuries caught up to him after a great first two seasons to start the decade. Simmons is my choice here because he has been a durable player and he has been consistently the best defensive player at shortstop.
Third Base: Adrián Beltré, Red Sox/Rangers
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.307/.358/.514 227
The best third basemen in the game today did not debut until the early to mid 2010s, meaning that they missed some valuable seasons that could have helped them crack the team. Beltré aged like a fine wine on the field, he was playing better and better as he got older. By the 2010s he entered his 30s and had the best decade of his career both offensively and defensively.
Beltré was Mr. Consistent at third base in the decade and easily earned himself a spot on this team. This was also a decade in which he helped secure a spot in Cooperstown. Before this decade he was a good third baseman, but after the decade he turned into the best.
If Beltré was not as great as he was throughout the decade then there would have been a much better competition for third base because that position has produced some of the most talent in the game recently. Josh Donaldson, Nolan Arenado, and Evan Longoria all put up a fight and would have had a shot, but Beltré’s numbers speak for themselves and helped lead him to a spot on the team.
Left Field: Michael Brantley, Indians/Astros
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.296/.354/.441 109
The first half of the decade, Brantley was one of the best players in baseball (he finished third in the 2014 American League MVP Award voting), a guy who could seemingly do everything. Then injuries seemed to take over his career, however, Brantley seems like he has overcome the injuries and is still one of the better left fielders in the league.
Brantley won’t necessarily impress you with any one aspect of his game, but he is very good at almost everything. He is a good contact hitter who can move players around on the bases through his hitting and can be a very clutch player when needed.
This choice really came between Brantley and Ryan Braun, Braun was obviously the bigger power hitter but was a big liability on the defensive side. Brantley was a much more balanced player and still has enough pop at the plate to take the spot on the roster over Braun.
Center Field: Mike Trout, Angels
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.305/.419/.581 285
Trout was bar none the easiest choice of any player to make this team. Since Trout entered the league in 2011 and played his first full season in 2012, he has been in the conversation for best player in the game. Let’s just throw this out for reference, in his first eight full seasons he has never been outside of the top five in MVP voting and he is a three-time MVP.
Trout is on pace to becoming one of the greatest players of all time with his current production and there was no better player in the decade than Trout. As easy as it was to pick the best center fielder of the decade it was equally as easy to pick the second-best center fielder of the decade, Andrew McCutchen.
McCutchen had a great run in the early 2010s and if it were not for Trout would have been an easy pick for the center field position. However, Trout was still there which made him the easy choice to make this team.
Right Field: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins/Yankees
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.268/.358/.547 308
Stanton has been one of the best power hitting right fielders in the league since he came in in 2010, his arm was equally as strong in right field. Since Stanton started in 2010, he has always been up the upswing in his career, making the 2010s the prime of his career. There were other choices for right field, including Jose Bautista, Mookie Betts, and Bryce Harper.
Bautista is the closest choice in the decade as he was one of the most feared hitters at the start of the decade, however, as he got older throughout the decade he became less of a threat at the plate and more of a liability in the field. This helps Stanton’s case when it comes to his spot on the team because he has only gotten better while winning an MVP in 2017.
Harper is only in this conversation because of his great MVP season in 2015, that season was one of the best hitting performances of any MVP ever. However, he has been very inconsistent and has never managed to get close to those numbers again which takes him off of the list. Stanton has the advantage of playing the full decade and staying healthy while entering his prime which secures his spot on this lineup.
Designated Hitter: Nelson Cruz, Rangers/Orioles/Mariners/Twins
2010-19 Stats
AVG/OBP/SLG HR
.281/.350/.538 346
Cruz started off the decade as a primary outfielder who would DH every now and then, but as the decade went on, he started to take on a larger role as a primary DH. Cruz was one of the most feared hitters of the 2010s, leading the MLB in HRs and having the second most RBIs of the decade.
Edwin Encarnacion and David Oritz were also options at the DH positions and when it comes to any of these three options you really can’t go wrong. I went with Cruz because as he is getting older, he is becoming a better power hitter and that doesn’t always happen with batters.
Since his age 33 season in 2014 Cruz has hit 100 RBIs in four of the six seasons, the most during that time. Cruz is a machine at the plate and would be a welcomed addition to any lineup purely as a bat, this is exactly what he would be in this lineup and that is what helped him make this team.
Potential Lineup:
1. 2B Jose Altuve
2. CF Mike Trout
3. 1B Miguel Cabrera
4. DH Nelson Cruz
5. RF Giancarlo Stanton
6. 3B Adrián Beltré
7. LF Michael Brantley
8. C Yadier Molina
9. SS Andrelton Simmons
Starting Pitcher #1: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
2010-19 Stats
W-L ERA K
156-61 2.31 2,179
When it came down to choosing starting pitchers for the decade the choices were fairly simple, three men stood above the rest over the course of the decade. Kershaw was an easy pick for the number one starter, at the start of the decade he was the most dominant pitcher—possibly player—in the league.
His playoff record may not be the best but in the regular season there are not many pitchers that are better than Kershaw. A three-time Cy Young Award Winner (2011,2013,2014) and an MVP winner (2014), Kershaw had one of the best 5 year stretches of any pitcher to ever play the game. His 2.31 ERA over the decade was by far the best of any pitcher in the league and has helped the Dodgers frequently being a top team in the NL.
Kershaw is the most decorated pitcher of the decade and he has rightfully earned a spot on this team. In 2011 Kershaw won the pitching triple crown (ERA, W, K) with a 2.28 ERA, 21 wins, and 248 strikeouts making it a season to remember for Kershaw.
Starting Pitcher #2: Justin Verlander, Tigers/Astros
2010-19 Stats
W-L ERA K
160-86 3.10 2,260
Verlander, like Kershaw, is another pitcher on this list to win an MVP during the decade, the only two pitchers to win an MVP award in the 2010s. If it were not for a resurgence since moving to Houston Verlander may not have earned a spot on this list, even after a fantastic start to the decade.
In 2011 Verlander won the pitching triple crown with a 2.4 ERA, 24 wins, and 250 strikeouts, that was only the third time in history that two pitchers accomplished the pitching triple crown for their respective leagues. Although he was still a good pitcher by his later days in Detroit it was obvious that he had lost a gear that he had earlier in the decade. Then everything changed when he got traded to the Astros in 2017.
Since Verlander went to Houston his numbers seemed like they have reverted back to his days of the Cy Young and MVP winner. In two and a half seasons in Houston Verlander is 42-15 with a 2.45 ERA and 633 strikeouts while adding another Cy Young to his name in the most recent season (2019). Verlander may have earned a spot on this roster strictly from his Detroit days but when you take into account his Houston days there is no doubt that Verlander belongs on this team.
Starting Pitcher #3: Max Scherzer, Tigers/Nationals
2010-19 Stats
W-L ERA K
161-74 3.12 2,452
After having a rough two seasons to start off his career Scherzer seemed to find everything entering the 2010 season. In his first three seasons in Detroit Scherzer always had a record over .500 while having a decent ERA. During this time Scherzer made a name for himself as one of the better pitchers in the league, but he would soon become one of the best pitchers in the league.
In 2013 Scherzer won the first of his three Cy Young awards in the decade, that season he was 21-3 with a 2.9 ERA and 240 strikeouts. That would be the fewest number of strikeouts that Scherzer would have throughout the remainder of the decade.
Scherzer then became one of the most consistent pitchers in the game and was always feared on the mound. Scherzer, along with Kershaw and Verlander all deserve a spot on this roster even though there were some other great pitchers over the decade. The other names in consideration for the starting pitchers were Chris Sale, Madison Bumgarner, Felix Hernandez, and Corey Kluber but none of these players were consistently great for as long as the three men to make the squad.
Relief Pitcher #1: Craig Kimbrel, Braves/Padres/Red Sox/Cubs
2010-19 Stats
Saves ERA K
346 2.08 898
When Kimbrel was in Atlanta (where he started his career) he was historically good as a closer and looked like he could be an all-time great. That faded a little bit after he left Atlanta, but he was still a good arm out of the pen to shut the game down for the other team. Although he was a good arm, it was his time in Atlanta that earned him a spot on the team.
From a relentless stare down to a fireball fastball, Kimbrel put fear into the heart of opposing hitters before they stepped in the box. This helped the aura of Kimbrel and helped make him the best closer of the decade. Kimbrel throughout the decade has a 41.1 percent strikeout rate which is insane. Kimbrel never really had a chance to show his greatness in the postseason, but his work in the regular season is unmatched to any closer in the decade, even Aroldis Chapman.
Relief Pitcher #2: Andrew Miller, Marlins/Red Sox/Orioles/Yankees/Indians/Cardinals
2010-19 Stats
Saves ERA K
59 3.11 713
Miller started the 2010s off a little rough, in 2010 he posted an 8.54 ERA in 32.2 innings and in 2011 he posted a 5.54 ERA in 65 innings. All of this though came as a starter, after the 2011 season Miller would never start a game again. After a decent season where he had a 3.35 ERA in 40.1 innings it seemed like everything finally clicked. Over the next five seasons Miller would become one of the most dominant left handers to come out of the bullpen.
In that span of five years Miller was a huge trade value to teams who were looking to make a World Series run and he was an integral part of those playoff bullpens. Although Miller never ended up winning a championship, he was a big reason as to why the Indians had a shot at the title in 2016.
Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2012 Miller has posted a 2.5 ERA and has 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Miller wasn’t necessarily a closer, but he would fit any role given of him in the bullpen, making him the perfect set-up man and rounding out the All-Decade team.