MLB All-Decade Power Rankings: Giants become dynasty, Yankees and Dodgers choke
Welcome to a special edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings, which will encompass the last 10 seasons. The second decade of the millennium began with a dynasty and ended with a couple of teams falling shy of that illustrious moniker.
Let's rank how each team performed in the 2010s, considering overall record, division titles, and championships:
1. San Francisco Giants
Record: 821-799
World Series titles: 3 (2010, 2012, 2014)
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Buster Posey
Best pitcher: Madison Bumgarner
The Giants made up for their lack of regular-season success when the games mattered most in October, as they claimed an MLB-best three championships over the last decade. In fact, San Francisco won more World Series than NL West titles during that span. Recent years haven't been kind to the organization as it pays for its earlier peak, having reached the postseason just once in the last five years. However, the game is played for championships, and those flags around Oracle Park will fly forever.
2. Boston Red Sox
Record: 872-748
World Series titles: 2 (2013, 2018)
Division titles: 4
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Mookie Betts
Best pitcher: Chris Sale
The Red Sox wrapped up a second consecutive decade with two World Series titles to their name. Despite three last-place finishes in the AL East, the last 10 years have been an enormous success. Boston claimed four division titles, including a franchise-best three straight from 2016-18. The 2018 squad will go down as the greatest in its history, finishing with a franchise-high 108 regular-season wins - surpassing a club record set in 1912 - while steamrolling three 100-win teams en route to a World Series championship.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 899-721
World Series titles: 1 (2011)
Division titles: 4
Playoff appearances: 6
Best player: Yadier Molina
Best pitcher: Adam Wainwright
The Cardinals' lone World Series victory this decade was one of the most thrilling in recent history. After the team looked dead in the water in Game 6 against the Texas Rangers, David Freese cast a spell and helped St. Louis pull off an incredible comeback before winning Game 7. The Cardinals were able to avoid a lengthy rebuild after letting franchise legend Albert Pujols walk following their 2011 championship. St. Louis has managed to post a winning record in every season since, and the team's only had one losing campaign since 2000 (2007).
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 919-701
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 7
Playoff appearances: 7
Best player: Justin Turner
Best pitcher: Clayton Kershaw
A World Series title eluded the Dodgers this decade, but that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the most dominant teams in the sport's history. Seven straight division titles dating back to 2013, 900-plus wins in the decade (which only one other team accomplished), and a pair of pennants constitute a great run, even if it did involve heart-breaking losses in the Fall Classic. This club features a three-time Cy Young winner who also won an MVP and a Triple Crown in Kershaw, another MVP in Cody Bellinger, and a pair of Rookie of the Year winners in Bellinger and Corey Seager.
5. Houston Astros
Record: 789-831
World Series titles: 1 (2017)
Division titles: 3
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Jose Altuve
Best pitcher: Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel
It was a decade of extremes for the Astros, a long-suffering franchise that tested the patience of its fan base at various points - but it paid off handsomely. The Astros' losing record in the 2010s is a result of their pioneering approach to rebuilding known as "tanking." This was an unwatchable franchise in the decade's early years, losing with purpose from 2011-14 - including three consecutive seasons of at least 105 defeats - in order to secure better draft positioning. It led to three straight No. 1 draft picks, one of which (2012) turned into star shortstop Carlos Correa. While they didn't strike gold with every young player, the strategy worked: In 2015, the young Astros surprisingly made the playoffs and won the wild-card game at Yankee Stadium. Two years later, they celebrated in Los Angeles as world champions for the first time and ended the decade with three 100-win campaigns.
6. Washington Nationals
Record: 879-740
World Series titles: 1 (2019)
Division titles: 4
Playoff appearances: 5
Best player: Anthony Rendon
Best pitcher: Max Scherzer
A first World Series in franchise history to cap off the decade helps the Nats leapfrog the Yankees, but it's worth remembering that Washington has been one of baseball's premier regular-season clubs this decade. After opening the 2010s with a pair of losing seasons, the Nationals went on a tear with eight consecutive winning campaigns. For a time, this looked like Bryce Harper's team - and he had the single best year in Nationals history in 2015 - but things slowly shifted to Rendon, Scherzer, and Strasburg. There's a certain kind of cruel poetry to Washington finally winning the big one in its first attempt after Harper bolted to a division rival.
7. New York Yankees
Record: 921-699
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 3
Playoff appearances: 7
Best player: Brett Gardner
Best pitcher: CC Sabathia
No team won more over the past 10 regular seasons than the Yankees. In fact, they're the only club to finish with fewer than 700 losses. However, the once-mighty Bronx Bombers have very little to show for their sustained excellence. This was the first decade since the 1980s that the club failed to win a championship and the first time it didn't even appear in a Fall Classic since the 1910s.
8. Chicago Cubs
Record: 817-803
World Series titles: 1 (2016)
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Kris Bryant
Best pitcher: Jon Lester
They're ending the decade on a down note, and the future of Kris Bryant (among other stars) on the North Side is murky at best. But let's step back for a moment and remember: The Cubs won the pennant, and then the World Series. Yes, these Chicago Cubs. They broke the most infamous drought in professional sports, an event that few people believed they would ever witness. So, yeah, this was a pretty darn successful decade for the Cubs.
9. Texas Rangers
Record: 843-778
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 4
Playoff appearances: 5
Best player: Adrian Beltre
Best pitcher: Yu Darvish
The Rangers began the decade in heartbreaking fashion, losing in both the 2010 and 2011 World Series. They were one of the game's more dominant franchises until 2017, but back-to-back ALDS losses to the Blue Jays represent the end of Texas' postseason story. Beltre, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Hamilton were all bright spots in the lineup, as was Ian Kinsler until he was traded to the Tigers for Prince Fielder. The burly Fielder had one solid season with the Rangers sandwiched between a pair of injury-riddled campaigns, the latter of which brought an end to his career.
10. Cleveland Indians
Record: 855-763
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 3
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Francisco Lindor
Best pitcher: Corey Kluber
Cleveland was moments away from ending its championship drought - now standing at an MLB-worst 71 years - before memorably losing to the Cubs in 2016. The first half of the decade wasn't particularly memorable, featuring one Cy Young Award for Kluber and a loss in the wild-card game during Terry Francona's first season. Since the beginning of 2016, though, the club has gone 380-267 (.587) with three division titles, while Kluber captured a second Cy Young.
11. Kansas City Royals
Record: 758-862
World Series titles: 1 (2015)
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Alex Gordon
Best pitcher: Danny Duffy
The Royals have a worse overall record than 23 teams this decade and have an identical record to the Mariners, who have been unequivocally terrible. However, their two peak seasons culminated in two World Series appearances, winning one and taking the dynastic Giants to Game 7 in the other. Many clubs would likely trade their ultimately meaningless regular-season wins for those high points.
12. Atlanta Braves
Record: 843-776
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 3
Playoff appearances: 5
Best player: Freddie Freeman
Best pitcher: Craig Kimbrel
If not for their NL East titles over the last two seasons, the Braves would have finished much lower. Despite a solid regular-season record, Atlanta hasn't won a playoff series since 2001. There was also an adjustment period after Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones retired in 2012. Fortunately, Atlanta has cobbled together a solid offensive core around All-Star Freeman with young stars Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies making big splashes in recent seasons. Mike Soroka, Max Fried, and Mike Foltynewicz are respectable rotation pieces. So while the last 10 years were generally a mixed bag (who can forget the Dan Uggla era?), there is something to look forward to.
13. Oakland Athletics
Record: 839-781
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 5
Best player: Matt Chapman
Best pitcher: Sonny Gray
No club has been more quietly excellent this past decade than the Athletics. Only the Dodgers and Yankees have more postseason appearances, and those teams have the same number of World Series titles to show for it as the A's. Of course, three of those playoff appearances were one-and-done wild-card losses and the other two were division-series defeats, but Oakland has shown a sustained ability to field competitive rosters despite a mandate to keep payroll low.
14. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 860-761
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Evan Longoria
Best pitcher: David Price
The Rays have performed admirably in a division with the Yankees and Red Sox, winning more games and as many division titles as both the Blue Jays and Orioles. Tampa Bay hasn't been able to advance past the division series, though, getting bounced at that stage in all four postseason appearances this decade.
15. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 824-797
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Christian Yelich
Best pitcher: Yovani Gallardo
Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy, and Carlos Gomez were technically worth more wins above replacement, but no player represented the seismic shift in Milwaukee quite like Yelich. Braun won his own MVP in 2011 but his impact eroded in recent seasons. Yelich has been unbelievable since arriving from Miami and was largely responsible for the Brewers' return to the postseason. Their pitching, on the other hand, has been disastrous. Gallardo wins top honors simply by having thrown the most innings (969 1/3), though an argument can be made for Jimmy Nelson, whose 2017 season was the best by a Brewers starter this decade.
16. Detroit Tigers
Record: 782-835
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 4
Playoff appearances: 4
Best player: Miguel Cabrera
Best pitcher: Justin Verlander
The Tigers getting swept by the Giants in the 2012 World Series and losing in the 2011 and 2013 ALCS represents one of the biggest missed opportunities in recent memory. In 2014, a rotation of Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and midseason acquisition David Price couldn't prevent the Tigers from getting swept by the Orioles - of all teams - in the ALDS. So much talent ran through Detroit in the first half of the decade before things went sideways and ended with a pathetic 47-win campaign and a middling farm system. There's an alternate timeline where the Tigers became a formidable dynasty in the 2010s, but in this reality, it wasn't the case.
17. New York Mets
Record: 793-827
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: David Wright
Best pitcher: Jacob deGrom
It's hard not to measure the Mets against the Royals considering the two teams met in the 2015 World Series - the defining moment of their respective decades. Both clubs made two playoff appearances and won one division title. Despite the Royals winning 35 fewer regular-season games this decade, the Mets rank lower because they simply were unable to win their first championship since 1986. Mets fans would certainly trade those 35 wins for a title, as the club has become emblematic of National League mediocrity.
18. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 811-809
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Jose Bautista
Best pitcher: Marcus Stroman
No club in baseball has exemplified mediocrity over the last 10 years better than the Blue Jays. They finished the decade at .500, having made two postseason appearances - getting as far as the championship series - to go along with one division title. To their credit, they were far and away the best run-scoring team in baseball during their short-lived peak, outscoring the second-place Yankees by 127 runs.
19. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 787-833
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Chase Utley
Best pitcher: Cliff Lee
The Phillies started the decade strong with a pair of division titles that were ultimately deflated by early postseason exits. A run of disappointing seasons followed. Determining the team's top pitcher was no easy task. Cole Hamels had the highest floor and the longest tenure. Roy Halladay managed the best individual season (2010) when he threw his perfect game in May and followed it up with a no-hitter in the playoffs. Lee had a slightly better tenure and is perhaps the most forgotten of the three, so consider this a bit of a corrective note. From 2011-14, Lee posted a 2.89 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 8.9 K/9. He eclipsed 210 innings in three straight seasons and was still solid in an injury-shortened 2014. As for the best hitter, it was a two-horse race between Utley and Jimmy Rollins. You can't really go wrong with either.
20. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 822-798
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 1
Best player: Mike Trout
Best pitcher: Jered Weaver
You can pretty much identify the kind of decade it's been for the Angels by contrasting their best player - Trout - and best pitcher - Weaver. There's a legitimate case to be made that Weaver is the worst pitcher named in these rankings, while Trout is clearly the best player. To Weaver's credit, his 2010-11 stretch - during which he accumulated 11.3 WAR - was quite successful, but the club has done very little to build a winning rotation. Los Angeles' one playoff berth (zero playoff wins) certainly indicates as much.
21. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 775-845
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Joey Votto
Best pitcher: Johnny Cueto
When the Reds were good, they were actually quite good. They won 90 games in three of four seasons to start the decade and conquered the division twice. Their recent stretch, however, has been horrendous. From 2015-18, they lost at least 94 games each season, amounting to an abysmal .412 winning percentage. We're a long way from the Big Red Machine now.
22. Minnesota Twins
Record: 765-855
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Joe Mauer
Best pitcher: Jose Berrios
Mauer closed the last decade with the best season of his career but slowly saw his production decline as he shifted from behind the plate to first base. Still, no one is more recognizable as a Twin over the last 20 years than Mauer. The pitching staff, meanwhile, has been underwhelming at best. Technically, Kyle Gibson was worth more wins above replacement than Berrios, but he pitched almost twice as many innings with the club, and the gap in value wasn't nearly as wide. Gibson pitched the most for Minnesota, but Berrios pitched best.
23. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 793-827
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Paul Goldschmidt
Best pitcher: Patrick Corbin
The Diamondbacks' stars-and-scrubs approach prevented them from going on a sustained run this past decade. Goldschmidt has been one of the best - if not the best - first basemen of his generation, and Corbin, Zack Greinke, A.J. Pollock, and Justin Upton helped keep the club relevant. But that's kind of been it.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 792-826
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Andrew McCutchen
Best pitcher: Gerrit Cole
Given the level of talent that Pittsburgh possessed this decade, its lack of success is upsetting. Despite employing McCutchen, Cole, Starling Marte, Russell Martin, Charlie Morton, A.J. Burnett, Mark Melancon, Jameson Taillon, and Francisco Liriano at different times, the Pirates never won the division and made it beyond the wild-card round only once.
25. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 755-860
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 3
Best player: Manny Machado
Best pitcher: Zack Britton
Recency bias makes the Orioles seem more pathetic than they otherwise might have been. Baltimore opened and closed the decade terribly, but there was a stretch from 2012-2016 when the club was not only respectable but an actual threat in the AL East. Machado's ascension was concurrent with Chris Davis' and Mark Trumbo's power surges, and the Orioles even had ageless slugger Nelson Cruz around to help propel them to a division title in 2014. Where it all fell apart was in the starting rotation. Neither Dylan Bundy nor Kevin Gausman turned into top-of-the-rotation arms as was expected. But it was Jake Arrieta morphing into an ace immediately after being traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2013 that hurt the most. At least Zack Britton, Darren O'Day, Mychal Givens, Brad Brach, and Jim Johnson delivered out of the bullpen.
26. Colorado Rockies
Record: 752-869
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 2
Best player: Nolan Arenado
Best pitcher: Jon Gray
After finishing the previous decade with two decent seasons in three years, it seemed like the Rockies had figured out how to win at Coors Field. However, they still haven't won their first division title and can't seem to get out of their own way at times. Despite rostering legitimate superstars in Arenado, Troy Tulowitzki, Charlie Blackmon, and Carlos Gonzalez, plus Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu, the club never successfully invested in the starting rotation. Instead, it threw ill-advised contracts at Ian Desmond.
27. Seattle Mariners
Record: 758-862
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Best player: Kyle Seager
Best pitcher: Felix Hernandez
Owners of the longest active playoff drought in North American sports, the Mariners have been nearly irrelevant since 2004, save for King Felix's solo heroics. Hernandez won the Cy Young Award in 2010, and his perfect game in 2012 is still the most recent perfecto spun in baseball. It seems fitting, then, that the lone bright spot on the Mariners' roster this past decade likely pitched his final game for Seattle last season.
28. Chicago White Sox
Record: 743-876
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Best player: Jose Abreu
Best pitcher: Chris Sale
Since winning the AL Central in 2008 and bowing out in the ALDS, the White Sox have been an afterthought in what has become baseball's weakest division. Other than Abreu's steady presence at first base, not much has gone Chicago's way. But the packages received in exchange for Sale (Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech), Jose Quintana (Eloy Jimenez), and Adam Eaton (Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez) have injected life into the club's rebuild and could pay further dividends down the road.
29. San Diego Padres
Record: 739-881
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Best player: Chase Headley
Best pitcher: Tyson Ross
The Padres kicked off the decade with a 90-win season, an effort that earned Bud Black manager of the year honors. Since then, the club hasn't even posted a winning record, and it's not difficult to pinpoint why. Still looking for their first championship, the roster over the past 10 years has been predominately defined by Headley, Will Venable, and a bunch of reclamation projects in the rotation. It seems like things are turning around for them now, but only one team will be more excited to see the 2010s mercifully end.
30. Miami Marlins
Record: 707-911
World Series titles: 0
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Best player: Giancarlo Stanton
Best pitcher: Jose Fernandez
With a whopping 911 losses and zero winning seasons, the Marlins are the laughing stock of baseball as they come off of their worst campaign yet. The team lost 100 games twice this decade while boasting considerable talent at some point - Stanton, Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, J.T. Realmuto, Dee Gordon, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Anibal Sanchez, Josh Johnson, and Nathan Eovaldi, to name a few. It's hard not to wonder what could have been had Fernandez not tragically died during the 2016 season.