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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SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 30: Adrian Beltre #29 of the Texas Rangers gestures to the dugout during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on September 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won the game 3-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 30: Adrian Beltre #29 of the Texas Rangers gestures to the dugout during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on September 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won the game 3-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

Third base: Adrian Beltre

As we work our way around the diamond, we’ve come to our first retired superstar. Yes, Adrian Beltre played over 200 more games in the decade than Josh Donaldson, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado and Anthony Rendon, but he has all of them except Donaldson beaten by a comfortable margin in nearly every statistical category. Donaldson likely would have topped Beltre had he been able to stay healthy in 2017 and 2018.

Beltre retired after the 2018 season with 3,166 hits and 477 home runs and will now wait out his five years before he enters the Hall of Fame. He was a career .286/.339/.480 hitter with five Gold Gloves and four All-Star selections. Beltre pulled together a remarkably consistent second act to his career after debuting to great hype as a 19-year-old in 1998. He hit .272/.324/.459 from 2000 to 2009 with 228 home runs and 817 RBI, but followed that up by hitting .307/.358/.514 with 227 home runs and 801 RBI from 2010 to 2018.

The third baseman spent the final eight years of his career with the Texas Rangers and that is where he truly built his case for the Hall of Fame. Beltre never looked comfortable after signing his massive contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2005, but became a true fan favorite across the entire league while in Texas.

Had Beltre failed to top 3,000 hits, then perhaps there would have been a debate over his status as a Hall of Famer. There’s no denying a member of the 3,000 hit club with close to 500 home runs even if he was never quite the best player at his position or a perennial MVP candidate. His all-around good nature should guarantee the writers are eager to vote him in as a first-ballot candidate when eligible.

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