Fansided

Picking an All-Decade MLB team for the 2010s

By Joshua Sadlock

TORONTO, ON - JUNE 17: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim bats in the fourth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 17, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 17: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim bats in the fourth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 17, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 19: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts from third base in the sixth inning of Game 6 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, October 19, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 19: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts from third base in the sixth inning of Game 6 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, October 19, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Second base: Jose Altuve

New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano has the edge on Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve in overall counting numbers by virtue of having played over 200 more games in the decade. Altuve did not debut until 2011 and played only 57 games that season. Cano also tested positive for PEDs, which casts a degree of doubt over his entire career. Comparing 2012 to 2019, when Altuve locked down his full-time job in the league for good, the numbers are close, but give the edge to the Astros star due to Cano’s suspension.

Altuve’s entire career has been played in the 2010s, and he is a career .315/.364/.463 hitter with 299 doubles, 128 home runs, 538 RBI and 254 stolen bases. He has won three batting titles, led the league in hits four times and stolen bases twice. Altuve was the AL MVP in 2017 after hitting .346/.410/.547 with 39 doubles, 24 home runs, 81 RBI and 32 stolen bases. Since the Astros tapped his power by adjusting his swing in 2016, Altuve is a .326/.388/.521 hitter, averaging 23 home runs, 78 RBI and 21 steals per season.

The diminutive second baseman has also emerged as the heart and soul of the Astros, beloved in the clubhouse and community alike for his energy and never-say-die attitude. He has been one of the best playoff hitters in the league, batting .290/.345/.527 with 13 home runs and 29 RBI in 50 playoff games.

When it’s all said and done, the 5-foot-6 Altuve will go down as one of the most unlikely MLB superstars in history. He has more hits than Pete Rose through their first nine seasons despite playing 140 fewer games. If the 29-year-old can remain healthy, he should become just the fifth second baseman in MLB history in the 3,000-hit club.

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