MLB All Decade Team 2000-2009

For the past decade, we have seen some of the greatest players in the history of baseball.  Inflated numbers or not, baseball has been fun to watch.  Many of these players will still be in discussion for the next list ten years from today.

C  Joe Mauer
I realize he's only been in the league 6 seasons, and fans may want to see Ivan Rodriguez or Jorge Posada here, but you just can't argue with what he's done in a bit more than half of the decade.  He batted over .325 this decade, including three batting titles.  Mauer was the first AL catcher to win the batting title, and he did it three times.  That's more than every catcher in baseball history combined.  Gold Glove in 2008 and 2009.  AL MVP in 2009.  The next ten years are going to include a lot of comparisons to Mike Piazza.


1B  Albert Pujols
There was absolutely no effort made in coming to this decision.  This decade, Pujols has three MVP awards to his name.  During his worst season, he batted .314 with 34 home runs.  Despite the MLB Draft meaning virtually nothing in this sport, this guy was a 13th rounder.  Meanwhile, Pujols is on pace to become the best first baseman of all time, let alone this decade.


2B  Chase Utley
We can't forget that Jeff Kent began the decade by winning the NL MVP.  Regardless, after seven seasons, Chase Utley is the best 2nd baseman in the game.  Funnily enough, while in the minors, he was moved to 3rd because of his poor defensive play.  He's now considered one of the best defensive second basemen in all of baseball.  On top of that, he averaged .300 and 30 home runs, and we can't forget that he's been a force in the post-season.


3B  Alex Rodriguez
It can be argued that Chipper Jones should take this spot, as Alex Rodriguez didn't become a 3rd baseman until 2004.  It's a valid arguement too.  Their numbers are very similar.  The big difference is that A-Rod took home two MVP trophies at 3rd this decade.  Despite missing games early in 2009, he still managed to go 30-100, making him the only player to do so every season this decade.  Also despite having the label of not hitting in the clutch, he certainly did so in the 2009 playoffs, and has the hardware to prove it.


SS  Derek Jeter
Jeter averaged over .315 this decade.  In four of those years he finished in the top 5 in hitting.  Jeter has the second most hits this decade behind Ichiro.  Despite unfairly being criticized as the worst defensive shortstop in the game, he won four Gold Gloves.  The captain of the New York Yankees led his team to four World Series this decade, bringing home two rings.

LF  Barry Bonds
No one wants to recognize the decade's biggest anti-hero, and might even suggest Manny Ramirez deserves this spot as he actually played during the entire decade.  Bonds won four MVPs this decade and that's more than any other player in the MLB...ever.   His average was .320+ throughout the decade, and obviously had the 73 homerun season in 2001.  This is considered tainted, but as I previously have mentioned, there will not be an asterisk next to it, and it's surely a record that's not going to fall any time soon, if ever.  Bonds hit .370 in 2002 and you can't really blame PEDs for that.


CF  Carlos Beltran
Beltran was arguably the best defensive center fielder this decade with three gold gloves.  The quintessential "5 Tool" player, he does it all.  Beltran stole over 90% of the bases he attempted to steal.  He hit 41 home runs in 2006, becoming only the second switch hitter to hit 35 home runs and steal 35 bases.  He is perhaps the most underrated player, let alone outfielder, of the decade, despite is ridiculous playoff performance with Houston in 2004.  Beltran is always consistent, and when healthy, a player to fear both on offense and defense.

RF  Ichiro Suzuki
I had considered Vladimir Guerrero for this spot, and his numbers were phenomenal this decade.  Just not good enough.  Ichiro had the most hits of the decade, and remarkably that number is almost 100 more than the person who hit the second most (See SS above), and it was done in one less year.  Ichiro has had 200 hits in every season he's played in the majors, the only player to ever do so.  His average for the decade is one point below the player with the highest average this decade, who happens to be sitting in the 1B spot.  Two batting titles.  Gold Glove every year in the majors.  He won Rookie of the Year and AL MVP in 2001.  The guy is just unreal.


DH  David Ortiz
People question why the Twins ever let him go.  I don't.  His numbers were inflated by the juice, and he didn't seem to be on it while in Minnesota.  This decade, he's hit almost 100 more homeruns than the only other DH that had even crossed my mind in Frank Thomas.  He also led Major League designated hitters in most statistical categories.  Considered a great story of the decade, steroid accusations have certainly slowed that down but you can't argue how valuable he's been to the Boston Red Sox.


SP 1  Randy Johnson
Despite being mostly overlooked since being the co-MVP of the 2001 World Series and gathering a measly three Cy Young Awards, Johnson racked up a 143-78 record, with a sub 3.5 ERA and over 2,000 strikeouts this decade.  He's been in the league over 20 seasons and still throws over 90mph.  Just when you think it's time to call it quits, he comes back for more.


SP 2  Pedro Martinez
Combine a Cy Young award in 2000, a 112-50 record, a slightly over 3.00 ERA, and three all-star appearances, and you have one of the most feared pitchers to ever play the game, let alone this decade.  He had a few injury plagued seasons with the New York Mets, but still managed to have good overall numbers in 10 years.  The "Who's Your Daddy?" mantra that surfaced in 2004 was only furthered with the New York Yankees' victory in the 2009 World Series against Pedro's Phillies, but that doesn't stop him from being number two in this decade's rotation.


SP 3  Roger Clemens
Clemens was on three World Series teams this decade, winning one of them in 2000 with the New York Yankees.  He won two Cy Young Awards, one with both the Yankees and Houston Astros.  Playing during only eight of the ten years of the decade, Clemens was an All-Star in half of those years.  The PED scandal may tarnish his legitimacy, but he should still end up in the Hall of Fame.


SP 4 Curt Schilling
Schilling will best be remembered for a bloody sock.  With a ruptured tendon in his right ankle, he put in a heartful performance in the 2004 World Series while with the Boston Red Sox.  He also won again with the Red Sox and 2007 as well as the 2001 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks where he was named co-MVP.  He was a three time All-Star this decade.


SP 5 Johan Santana
Considering Santana came into the league as a reliever in 2000, and wasn't a full-time starter until 2004, his numbers are astounding.  Playing for the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets, Santana has racked up a 122-60 record with two Cy Young Awards.  Santana is considered by many to be the best pitcher in the game today, and at the very least the best south paw.  If the New York Mets manage to turn their 2009 flop of a season around, you can be guaranteed that Santana played a vital role in doing so.


Closer 1  Mariano Rivera
Nothing puts fear into the hearts of opposing batters more than when "Enter Sandman" blasts from the Yankee Stadium speakers.  In this decade, Rivera had a 2.08 ERA with 397 saves.  His dominating cutter makes him arguably the best closer to ever play the game.  He will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.


Closer 2  Trevor Hoffman
The all-time saves leader (591) racked up 363 this decade.  He has had at least 30 saves every season except one, while battling injuries.  Another Hall of Famer.


Manager  Joe Torre
Managing both the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers this decade, Torre managed to bring his teams to the playoffs every year this decade.  He had one World Series victory in 2000 with the Yankees.


GM  Theo Epstein
Epstein brought the Boston Red Sox out of their over 80 year World Series drought in 2004, and brought the "Curse of the Babe" to an end.  Oh, and then decided to do it again in 2007.  He has built up a great young team that should see success throughout the next decade.