| 
 
 
  | Decade: Covid-19 Years 
  (2020-2029) | 
 
 
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  | Home Page | 
    | 
  2010's Decade Page | 
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  | Team Decade Pages (Average Win Shares /
  Points per year in decade): | 
  Top Team Builders In Decade: | 
 
 
  | AMERICAN LEAGUE: | 
  NATIONAL LEAGUE: | 
   | 
 
 
  | Tampa Bay Rays - 518 | 
  Los Angeles Dodgers - 581 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Houston Astros
  -517 | 
  Atlanta
  Braves - 530 | 
   | 
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  | New York
  Yankees - 508 | 
  Milwaukee Brewers - 501 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Toronto Blue
  Jays - 481 | 
  San
  Diego Padres 486 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Seattle
  Mariners - 481 | 
  Philadelphia Phillies - 485 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Cleveland
  Indians - 479 | 
  San
  Francisco Giants - 476 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Minnesota Twins -
  455 | 
  St.
  Louis Cardinals- 469 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Boston Red Sox -
  446 | 
  New
  York Mets - 466 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Baltimore
  Orioles - 445 | 
  Chicago
  Cubs - 443 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Detroit Tigers
  - 419 | 
  Cincinnati
  Reds -428 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Texas Rangers -
  401 | 
  Arizona Diamondbacks -411 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Chicago White
  Sox - 396 | 
  Florida
  Marlins - 401 | 
   | 
 
 
  | Anaheim Angels
  - 396 | 
  Pittsburgh Pirates - 372 | 
    | 
 
 
  | Kansas City Royals - 390 | 
  Colorado Rockies 367 | 
    | 
 
 
  | Oakland A's  - 386 | 
  Washington Nationals -366 | 
    | 
 
 
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  | Decade Highlights | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  |  □ Analytics was killing baseball and
  rule changes needed to made in the 2023 season to make the game watchable
  again.  | 
 
 
  | Without going into a
  tirade, the big mistake with analytics is it tends to ignore that what it is
  not good at quantifying.  | 
 
 
  | One of those things
  is baserunning. Another, which includes baserunning, is trying to put
  pressure on pitchers and the defense by forcing them do difficult things. | 
 
 
  | Baseball had turned
  into a boring home run or strike out non action game. | 
 
 
  | Baseball also had
  turned into a procession of relief pitchers filing into and out of every
  game. | 
 
 
  | The game had become
  inordinately long. | 
 
 
  | The shift had always
  been with baseball, but it was now choking off offense. | 
 
 
  | It didn't have to,
  but analytics driven baseball didn't value bunts, bat control, the ability to
  hit to all fields, sacrafices, stolen bases. | 
 
 
  | In other words,
  analytics doesn't value anything interesting about playing the game, anything
  about trying to put pressure on the defense, anything to make the defense
  work. | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  |  □ A pitch clock was put in to counter
  the interminably long games highlighted by a zillion pitching changes. | 
 
 
  |    Rules were put in to limit the number of
  pitching changes | 
 
 
  | Rules were put in to
  help baserunners by limiting pickoff throws to first and making bigger bases. | 
 
 
  | The shift was banned
  - rather than valuing bat control skills, hitting to all fields and bunting. | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  |  □ The best baseball organizations were
  still dominating the game in the 2020's | 
 
 
  | The Dodgers,
  Houston, Tampa Bay and the Braves all continued to do well. | 
 
 
  | The organization
  with the most resources playing in the biggest market in the world also was
  in the mix altho' clearly a cut below the aforementioned squads, the Yankees. | 
 
 
  | A few small market
  teams were overachieving on small budgets like Milwaukee and Cleveland | 
 
 
  | San Diego and the
  Mets were spending big, but getting small results. | 
 
 
  | And Anaheim was
  wasting the two best players in the game, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, by
  surrounding them with nothing.  | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  | □ Speaking of
  Ohtani, if he stays healthy, he should end up rivaling Babe Ruth for the
  greatest two way player in major league history.  | 
 
 
  | Aaron Judge of the
  Yankees made baseball history in '22 as the greatest single season non-roids
  home run hitter of all time with 62 | 
 
 
  | One of baseball's
  issues is the lack of stars. The aforementioned Ohtani, Trout and Judge are
  three. LA's Mookie Betts oozes talent and has star quality. | 
 
 
  | Ronald Acuna of the
  Braves and Bryce Harper of the Phillies are also in the ballpark as guys with
  star quality.  | 
 
 
  | There are a few
  youngsters with potential star quality like San Diego's Fernando Tatis and
  Juan Soto and Seattle's Julio Rodriguez | 
 
 
  | Dominant starters
  like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole are
  starting to age out. | 
 
 
  | We're losing the
  great dominant starter in this generation as they don't let anybody go past
  six innings anymore.  | 
 
 
  | The irony, of
  course, is that the less innings these guys pitch, the more likely they seem
  to be getting injured.  | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  | □ The decade
  started out poorly as 2020 was the year of Covid | 
 
 
  | While in the middle
  of a pandemic, owners and labor droned on endlessly bickering about how to go
  about conducting the season. | 
 
 
  | They ended up
  minimizing the regular season so that all sorts of player guarantees wouldn't
  kick in and maximized the playoffs. | 
 
 
  | Only 60 regular
  season games, they could have played a lot more, and sixteen teams making the
  playoffs, which culminated with the Dodgers beating Tampa in the World
  Series. | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  | □ The Braves
  beat the Astros in the 2021 World Series. Two well run organizations.  | 
 
 
  | The Astros vindicate
  themselves a bit as they win without illegally stealing signs. | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  | □ The Astros
  beat a surprising Phillies team in the World Series. | 
 
 
  | The Phillies were a
  Wild Card, but beat St. Louis, Atlanta and San Diego in the playoff to win
  the NL title.  | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  |   | 
 
 
  | Top Players In Decade Pages (Win Shares /
  Points and WAR (in parentheses)  for
  Decade ): | 
 
 
  |   | 
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  | All Positions -  Top 50 | 
  Top Starting Pitchers | 
  Top Catchers | 
  Top 25 Outfielders | 
 
 
  | 1 -
  Shohei Ohtani LA (27.33) -88 | 
  11 - Gerrit Cole Yankees (19.86) -  49 | 
  7 - JT Realmuto Phillies (17.88) -   51 | 
  2 - Aaron Judge Yankees (33.31) -  70 | 
 
 
  | 2 -
  Aaron Judge Yankees (33.31)
  -  70 | 
  18 - Zach Wheeler Phila (19.53) - 46 | 
  21 - Salvador Perez KC (13.73) -   46 | 
  1 - Shohei Ohtani LA (27.33) -58 | 
 
 
  | 3 - Jose Ramirez Cleveland
  (28.41) - 
  64 | 
  25 - Chris Bassitt Toronto (11.81) -  44 | 
  24- Will Smith Dodgers (16.93) - 45 | 
  6 - Mookie Betts LA (27.39) -   55 | 
 
 
  | 4 - Trea Turner Phillies
  (21.67) -  
  63 | 
  26 - Corbin Burnes Milwaukee (18.37) - 44 | 
  30 - Wilson Contreras Cubs (15.46) - 43 | 
  10 - Bryan Reynolds Pittsburgh (16.8) - 50 | 
 
 
  | 5 - Francisco Lindor Mets
  (16.89) -  
  57 | 
  28 - Dylan Cease Chicago (16.13) - 43 | 
  William Contreras Milwaukee (12.24) -   37 | 
  12- Juan Soto Mets  (29.69) -  49 | 
 
 
  | 6 - Mookie Betts LA (27.39) -   55 | 
  29 - Framber Valdez Houston (14.86) -  43 | 
   | 
  13 - Ronald Acuna Braves (17.75) -   48 | 
 
 
  | 7 - JT Realmuto Phillies
  (17.88) -  
  51 | 
  34 - 
  Zac Gallen Arizona (16.98) - 41 | 
  Top First Basemen | 
  14 - Cedric Mullins Baltimore (16.38) - 48 | 
 
 
  | 8 - Corey Seager Texas (22.45) -   51 | 
  35 - Logan Webb SF (17.85) - 41 | 
  9 - Freddie Freeman Dodgers (26.69) -   50 | 
  17 - Kyle Tucker Houston (23.28) -   47 | 
 
 
  | 9 - Freddie Freeman Dodgers
  (26.69) -  
  50 | 
  45 - Max Fried Braves (19.11)
  -    39 | 
  31 - Bryce Harper Phillies (18.98) -  43 | 
  22 - Julio Rodriguez Seattle (15.52) - 46 | 
 
 
  | 10 -
  Bryan Reynolds Pittsburgh (16.8) - 50 | 
  48 - Kevin Gausman Toronto (13.92) - 38 | 
  32 - Matt Olson Atlanta (21.75) -   43 | 
  40 - Brandon Nimmo Mets (16.35) - 41 | 
 
 
  | 11 - Gerrit Cole Yankees (19.86) -  49 | 
  49 - Julio Urias Dodgers (11.54) -
  38 | 
  38 - Paul Goldschmidt Cards (20.21) - 41 | 
  42 - Fernando Tatis SD (19.0) -  41 | 
 
 
  | 12- Juan Soto Mets  (29.69) -  49 | 
  Pablo Lopez Twins (12.96) - 37 | 
  39 - Vladimir Guerrero Toronto (20.0) -  41 | 
  46- Luis Robert Chicago (14.53) - 39 | 
 
 
  | 13 - Ronald Acuna Braves (17.75) -   48 | 
  Aaron Nola Phillies (16.26) - 37 | 
   | 
   Starling Marte Mets (10.33) -   38 | 
 
 
  | 14
  - Cedric Mullins Baltimore (16.38) - 48 | 
  Jose Berrios Toronto (8.1) -   34 | 
  Top Second Basemen | 
  Randy Arozarena TB (14.09) -38 | 
 
 
  | 15 - Xander Bogaerts San Diego
  (18.85) -  
  47 | 
   Yu Darvish SD (11.33) -   34 | 
  15 - Xander Bogaerts San
  Diego (18.85) -   47 | 
  Ian Happ Cubs (14.34) -   37 | 
 
 
  | 16 - Dansby Swanson Cubs (18.38) -  47 | 
  Tarik Skubal Detroit  (11.71) -    34 | 
  41 - Marcus Semien Texas (24.56) - 41 | 
  Mike Trout Anaheim (14.8) - 36 | 
 
 
  | 17 - Kyle Tucker Houston
  (23.28) -  
  47 | 
  Tyler Anderson Anaheim (11.18) -   32 | 
  50 - Jose Altuve Houston (15.18) - 38 | 
  Adolis Garcia Texas (12.43) -36 | 
 
 
  | 18 - Zach Wheeler Phila (19.53) - 46 | 
  Clayton Kershaw LA (11.34) -   32 | 
  Ketal Marte Arizona (17.0) -  35 | 
  Teoscar Hernandez Toronto (14.03) - 36 | 
 
 
  | 19 - Wily Adames Milwaukee (17.57) -
  46 | 
  Adam Wainwright Cards (4.14) -   32 | 
  Gleyber Torres Yankees (10.76) - 35 | 
  Yordan Alvarez Houston (19.37) - 36 | 
 
 
  | 20 - Carlos Correa Minnesota
  (19.75) -  
  46 | 
   Sandy Alcantara Miami (16.18) - 30 | 
   | 
  Cody Bellinger Cubs (7.43) - 36 | 
 
 
  | 21 - Salvador Perez KC (13.73) -   46 | 
  Shohei Ohtani Anaheim (9.79) - 30 | 
  Top Shortstops | 
   | 
 
 
  | 22
  - Julio Rodriguez Seattle (15.52) - 46 | 
    | 
  4 - Trea Turner Phillies (21.67) -   63 | 
    | 
 
 
  | 23 - Manny Machado SD (21.92) -  45 | 
  Top Relief Pitchers | 
  5 - Francisco Lindor Mets
  (16.89) -  
  57 | 
    | 
 
 
  | 24- Will Smith Dodgers (16.93) - 45 | 
  27 - Emmanuel Clase Cleveland (10.6) - 44 | 
  8 - Corey Seager Texas (22.45) -   51 | 
    | 
 
 
  | 25 - Chris Bassitt Toronto
  (11.81) - 
  44 | 
  43 - Josh Hader San Diego (5.58) -   41 | 
  16 - Dansby Swanson Cubs (18.38) -  47 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 26 - Corbin Burnes Milwaukee (18.37) - 44 | 
  44 - Kenley Jansen Boston (5.7) - 41 | 
  19 - Wily Adames Milwaukee (17.57) - 46 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 27 - Emmanuel Clase Cleveland (10.6) - 44 | 
  Raisel Iglesias Atlanta (8.67) - 36 | 
  20 - Carlos Correa Minnesota (19.75) -   46 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 28 - Dylan Cease Chicago (16.13) - 43 | 
  Edwin Diaz (6.09) - 28 | 
  36 - Bo Bichette Toronto (16.18) -   41 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 29 - Framber Valdez Houston
  (14.86) - 
  43 | 
  Ryan Pressly Houston (3.47) - 27 | 
  37 - JP Crawford Seattle (17.04) -    41 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 30 - Wilson Contreras Cubs (15.46) - 43 | 
  Jordan Romano Toronto (8.45) - 25 | 
  47 - Bobby Witt KC (14.0) -  39 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 31 - Bryce Harper Phillies (18.98) -  43 | 
  Devin Williams Milwaukee (8.92) - 23 | 
   | 
   | 
 
 
  | 32 - Matt Olson Atlanta (21.75)
  -   43 | 
   Liam Hendricks Chicago (5.76) - 23 | 
  Top Third Basemen | 
   | 
 
 
  | 33 - Rafael Devers Boston (15.3) -    42 | 
  Kyle Hendricks Cubs (5.66) -    23 | 
  3 - Jose Ramirez Cleveland (28.41) -  64 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 34 -  Zac Gallen Arizona
  (16.98) - 41 | 
  David Bednar Pirates (5.85) - 21 | 
  23 - Manny Machado SD (21.92) -  45 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 35 - Logan Webb SF (17.85) - 41 | 
  Mark Melancon Arizona (2.26) - 21 | 
  33 - Rafael Devers Boston (15.3) -    42 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 36 - Bo Bichette Toronto
  (16.18) -  
  41 | 
  Paul Sewald Seattle (4.08) - 20 | 
  Austin Riley Atlanta (20.05) -   38 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 37 - JP Crawford Seattle
  (17.04) -   
  41 | 
   | 
  Matt Chapman SF (20.0) -  36 | 
   | 
 
 
  | 38 - Paul Goldschmidt Cards
  (20.21) - 41 | 
   | 
    | 
   | 
 
 
  | 39 - Vladimir Guerrero Toronto (20.0) -  41 | 
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  | 40 -
  Brandon Nimmo Mets (16.35) -
  41 | 
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  | 41 - Marcus Semien Texas (24.56) - 41 | 
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  | 42 - Fernando Tatis SD (19.0) -  41 | 
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  | 43 - Josh Hader San Diego (5.58)
  -   41 | 
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  | 44 - Kenley Jansen Boston (5.7) - 41 | 
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  | 45 - Max Fried Braves (19.11) -    39 | 
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  | 46-
  Luis Robert Chicago (14.53) -
  39 | 
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  | 47 - Bobby Witt KC (14.0) -  39 | 
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  | 48 -
  Kevin Gausman Toronto (13.92) - 38 | 
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  | 49 - Julio Urias Dodgers (11.54) - 38 | 
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  | 50 - Jose Altuve Houston (15.18) - 38 | 
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