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Who are the top MLB players of the 2010s? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Nolan Arenado: though his first big league season only came in 2013, Arenado has been a model of offensive and defensive excellence and consistency since then (37.5 WAR): five All-Star selections, four Silver Sluggers, and the only infielder ever to win a Gold Glove in each of his first seven seasons.
9. Adrian Beltre: following a mid-career slump in the late 2000s, Beltre cemented his Hall of Fame credentials by hitting over .300 for the decade and reaching 3,000 career hits; with four All-Star selections, three Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves, he accumulated 51.0 WAR in the 2010s.
8. Joey Votto: an on-base machine (seven seasons with the league’s highest on-base percentage, and led baseball in walks and on-base percentage for the decade), Votto accumulated 52.1 WAR while earning six All-Star selections, a Gold Glove, and the 2010 NL MVP award (with two other top-three finishes).
7. Buster Posey: starting the decade off as NL Rookie of the Year, Posey led all catchers in batting average, hits, runs, and runs batted in, and accumulated 42.2 WAR; moreover, he was a 6x All-Star and 4x Silver Slugger who won a Gold Glove, a batting title, and the 2012 NL MVP award while leading the San Francisco Giants to three World Series titles.
6. Robinson Cano: with seven All-Star appearances, four Silver Sluggers, and two Gold Gloves, Cano was the best second baseman of the decade, not only leading the position in home runs, but pacing the entire league in hits, doubles, and total bases; his 54.2 WAR in the 2010s is second to only Mike Trout among hitters.
5. Justin Verlander: across the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros, Verlander earned six All-Star selections, pitched two no-hitters, won a pair of Cy Youngs, an AL MVP award, a Pitching Triple Crown, an ERA title, and a World Series title; in addition to his 56.2 WAR, he was also the winningest postseason pitcher for the decade.
4. Max Scherzer: winning three Cy Young awards across both the AL and NL, Scherzer was a 7x All-Star in the 2010s and pitched two no-hitters and a 20-strikeout game while leading the Washington Nationals to their first World Series title and pacing the decade for both wins and strikeouts (56.1 WAR).
3. Miguel Cabrera: perhaps the best pure hitter of his generation (he led the 2010s in batting average and won four batting titles), Cabrera was not only a 7x All-Star and 5x Silver Slugger, but also won back-to-back AL MVP awards, including a Triple Crown in 2012, for a total WAR of 43.5 for the decade.
2. Clayton Kershaw: the preeminent pitcher of his generation with eight All-Star selections and three Cy Youngs (plus the NL MVP in 2014), Kershaw set a record by winning the ERA title for four straight years (5x overall), and has the lowest total ERA and the highest WAR among pitchers for the decade (59.3).
1. Mike Trout: already one of the best all-around players in baseball history, Trout has done it all: 8x All-Star, 3x MVP (and top-five in voting every full season of his career thus far), 7x Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year, and only player to reach both 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases while also leading the league in runs scored in the 2010s; his 72.8 WAR is far and away the highest total for the decade.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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