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Who are the top MLB players of the 1990s? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Barry Larkin: an 8x All-Star, 7x Silver Slugger, and 3x Gold Glover during the 1990s, Larkin hit .300+ for the decade and accumulated 52.6 WAR while also winning the 1995 NL MVP award and guiding the Cincinnati Reds to their most recent World Series title (1990).
9. Randy Johnson: the decade’s leader in strikeouts (5x leading the league in strikeouts, including twice with 300+), Johnson was a 6x All-Star who won his first two Cy Young Awards (one in each league) and posted 52.6 WAR during the 1990s.
8. Ivan Rodriguez: the epitome of an all-around catcher, Rodriguez started off as 1991 AL Rookie of the Year and amassed 37.6 WAR for the decade while earning eight All-Star selections, six Silver Sluggers, eight Gold Gloves, and the 1999 AL MVP award.
7. Mike Piazza: arguably the greatest offensive catcher in baseball history and far and away the top hitting threat at the position in the 1990s, Piazza went from draft footnote to 1993 NL Rookie of the Year to seven All-Star selections and Silver Sluggers over the course of the decade (41.5 WAR).
6. Jeff Bagwell: the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year, Bagwell also won the 1994 NL MVP award and was a 5x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, and 1x Gold Glover who amassed 57.0 WAR during the 1990s.
5. Frank Thomas: a dominant offensive force in the 1990s, Thomas was a batting champion and back-to-back AL MVP who made five All-Star teams and won three Silver Sluggers with a total WAR of 52.7 for the decade; moreover, he is the only player in MLB history to compile seven straight years of a .300+ batting average, 20+ home runs, 100+ runs batted in, 100+ runs scored, and 100+ walks.
4. Roger Clemens: though his career is tainted by steroid use accusations, Clemens was a 3x Cy Young winner and 5x All-Star during the 1990s; he led the league in ERA 5x and his 68.5 WAR is tops among pitchers for the decade, while also placing third for wins and second in strikeouts.
3. Greg Maddux: with six All-Star selections and four consecutive Cy Young Awards in the 1990s, Maddux posted the decade’s lowest ERA and accumulated 65.3 WAR while also leading the Atlanta Braves to the 1995 World Series championship.
2. Ken Griffey Jr.: arguably the best all-around player in baseball during his prime with the Seattle Mariners, Griffey was an All-Star and Gold Glover every year of the 1990s, also winning seven Silver Sluggers and the 1997 AL MVP award for a total WAR of 67.3.
1. Barry Bonds: even before his historic (steroid-aided) home run barrage in the 2000s, Bonds was among the top all-around players in baseball with a decade-topping 79.9 WAR, winning his first three MVP awards along with eight All-Star selections, seven Silver Sluggers, and eight Gold Gloves.
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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