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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BOSTON – APRIL 9: Former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz holds up the World Series trophy during pre-game ceremonies. The Boston Red Sox host the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener for the 2019 MLB season at Fenway Park in Boston on April 9, 2019. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON – APRIL 9: Former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz holds up the World Series trophy during pre-game ceremonies. The Boston Red Sox host the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener for the 2019 MLB season at Fenway Park in Boston on April 9, 2019. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

Designated hitter: David Ortiz

Technically, any hitter at any position who was left off this list, like Nolan Arenado at third base or Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt at first base, could have been the choice for designated hitter, but in the spirit of fairness, the pick here will be Red Sox legend David Ortiz, the only full-time DH in the league over the past decade. Every other DH candidate like J.D. Martinez, Edwin Encarnacion or Nelson Cruz also played a significant portion of their games in the field before sliding into a more permanent DH role at the end of the decade.

Ortiz played only a handful of interleague games a year at first base over the last seven seasons of his career in the 2010s. All told, he played fewer than 300 of his 2,400 career MLB games in the field. Ortiz will become the first full-time DH to make the Hall of Fame. Several players already in the Hall of Fame like Frank Thomas, Paul Molitor and Harold Baines spent significant portions of their career serving as a DH, but Ortiz is the first to only DH.

Big Papi’s peak years came in the early 2000s, but he remained a strong hitter into the second half of the 2010s. He hit .292/.383/.562 with 252 doubles, 224 home runs and 700 RBI in the decade, finding a resurgence after hitting just .238/.332/.462 with 28 home runs and 99 RBI in 2009.

Boston will always love David Ortiz, who was a major part of three World Series champions. He saved his best for last, going out after the 2016 season. Ortiz hit .315/.401/.620 with 48 doubles, 38 home runs and 127 RBI in his final season. He will always be remembered for his larger-than-life personality and clutch playoff performances.

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