Comparing MLB’s best players at every position from the 2000s and 2010s
Comparing the best MLB players of the 2000s and 2010s: Designated hitter
Designated hitter: David Ortiz vs. Nelson Cruz
This is an easy one, right? Well, not so fast.
WAR for players who are primarily designated hitters is a little trickier because they don’t play defense (at least not often). Still, among players who were primarily DHs in the 2000s, David Ortiz, not surprisingly, is the WAR leader at 29.8. He leads in doubles, home runs, RBIs, and OPS. In terms of making a name for himself as a designated hitter, perhaps no one has done that more in the history of the game than Ortiz has.
As it happens, Ortiz is also the OPS leader among DHs in the 2010s, though he only played until 2016. Because they played the whole decade, Nelson Cruz (34.3) and Edwin Encarnacion (32.1) have the clear edge in WAR (Ortiz in the 2010s is at 25.3).
We’re going to give the edge to Cruz over Encarnacion, but it’s very close: Cruz has the slight edge in home runs (346 to 335), RBIs (961 to 956), and OPS (.888 to .875).
So, when you first hear the names David Ortiz and Nelson Cruz, it sounds like it’s no contest, largely because Ortiz had so many big hits for the Boston Red Sox.
However, Cruz’s numbers actually hold up well against those of Ortiz: Ortiz had 1,106 RBIs to Cruz’s 961. In slugging percentage, Ortiz’s advantage is also small, .554 to .538. And Cruz had more home runs, 346 to 307.
We’re going to give the advantage to Ortiz, as he is known for coming up with so many clutch hits over the years. But this is actually pretty close. Cruz continues to be one of this era’s most underappreciated players.