As Spring Training is underway and teams try to figure out who makes the most sense for their ball clubs an idea began to spring into my mind about who would form the teams for each decade. So I decided to use FanGraphs WAR (Wins Above Replacement) as the deciding factor. So these teams are broken down by decades and top WAR of each position. I started at catcher and worked my way down the position list so if a player qualified at multiple positions and was already named to a position then the next man at that position was named to that decades All Decade Team. Also I decided to begin at the beginning of the “Live Ball Era” 1920. So let’s begin.
1920-1929
- Starter- Dazzy Vance (45.7)
- Reliever- Firpo Marberry (4.3)
- Catcher- Wally Schang (23.6)
- First Base- Lou Gehrig (40.1)
- Second Base- Rogers Hornsby (97.0)
- Third Base- Pie Traynor (24.7)
- Shortstop- Joe Sewell (39.9)
- Left Field- Babe Ruth (108.0)
- Center Field- Tris Speaker (49.8)
- Right Field- Harry Heilmann (54.1)
1930-1939
- Starter- Lefty Grove (58.4)
- Reliever- Jack Russell (4.0)
- Catcher- Bill Dickey (42.7)
- First Base- Jimmy Foxx (77.0)
- Second Base- Charlie Gehringer (60.6)
- Third Base- Harland Cliff (24.9)
- Shortstop- Arky Vaughan (52.9)
- Left Field- Wally Berger (42.5)
- Center Field- Earl Averill (44.8)
- Right Field- Mel Ott (70.2)
1940-1949
- Starter- Hal Newhouser (54.5)
- Reliever- Joe Page (3.5)
- Catcher- Walker Cooper (19.1)
- First Base- Johnny Mize (39.6)
- Second Base- Joe Gordon (48.1)
- Third Base- Bob Elliot (39.2)
- Shortstop- Lou Bordreau (61.1)
- Left Field- Ted Williams (69.9)
- Center Field- Joe DiMaggio (45.9)
- Right Field- Stan Musial (58.9)
1950-1951
- Starter- Robin Roberts (53.8)
- Reliever- Clem Labine (7.7)
- Catcher- Yogi Berra (50.8)
- First Base- Stan Musial (58.8)
- Second Base- Jackie Robinson (39.3)
- Third Base- Eddie Matthews (53.5)
- Shortstop- Ernie Banks (39.7)
- Left Field- Ted Williams (50.0)
- Center Field- Mickey Mantle (67.9)
- Right Field- Hank Aaron (36.5)
1960-1969
- Starter- Bob Gibson (54.2)
- Reliever- Hoyt Wilhelm (13.9)
- Catcher- Joe Torre (38.2)
- First Base- Harmon Killebrew (49.1)
- Second Base- Dick McAuliffe (27.9)
- Third Base- Ron Santo (56.1)
- Shortstop- Jim Fregosi (34.8)
- Left Field- Frank Robinson (62.8)
- Center Field- Willie Mays (80.4)
- Right Field- Hank Aaron (75.7)
1970-1979
- Starter- Tom Seaver (64.6)
- Reliever- Rollie Fingers (19.2)
- Catcher- Johnny Bench (59.9)
- First Base- Rod Carew (49.6)
- Second Base- Joe Morgan (66.0)
- Third Base- Graig Nettles (52.9)
- Shortstop- Bert Campaneris (30.4)
- Left Field- Pete Rose (51.8)
- Center Field- Reggie Smith (45.6)
- Right Field- Reggie Jackson (49.5)
- Designated Hitter- Rusty Staub (25.4)
1980-1989
- Starter- Nolan Ryan (43.7)
- Reliever- Lee Smith (18.0)
- Catcher- Gary Carter (45.0)
- First Base- Eddie Murray (47.6)
- Second Base- Lou Whitaker (40.3)
- Third Base- Wade Boggs (60.0)
- Shortstop- Robin Yount (50.0)
- Left Field- Rickey Henderson (67.8)
- Center Field- Dale Murphy (43.8)
- Right Field- Andre Dawson (43.3)
- Designated Hitter- Brian Downing (26.4)
1990-1999
- Starter- Greg Maddux (69.8)
- Reliever- John Wetteland (14.0)
- Catcher- Mike Piazza (44.0)
- First Base- Jeff Bagwell (56.9)
- Second Base- Craig Biggio (51.3)
- Third Base- Edgar Martinez (50.3)
- Shortstop- Barry Larkin (50.4)
- Left Field- Barry Bonds (81.3)
- Center Field- Ken Griffey Jr (66.0)
- Right Field- Larry Walker (45.8)
- Designated Hitter- Frank Thomas (53.8)
2000-2009
- Starter- Randy Johnson (52.4)
- Reliever- Mariano Rivera (23.8)
- Catcher- Jorge Posada (39.5)
- First Base- Albert Pujols (70.6)
- Second Base- Chase Utley (40.2)
- Third Base- Alex Rodriguez (75.4)
- Shortstop- Derek Jeter (46.1)
- Left Field- Barry Bonds (61.9)
- Center Field- Carlos Beltran (50.0)
- Right Field- Ichiro Suzuki (48.4)
- Designated Hitter- Jason Giambi (38.7)
2010-2017
- Starter- Clayton Kershaw (52.1)
- Reliever- Craig Kimbrel (17.5)
- Catcher- Buster Posey (37.4)
- First Base- Joey Votto (45.3)
- Second Base- Robinson Cano (41.4)
- Third Base- Adrian Beltre (43.1)
- Shortstop- Troy Tulowitzki (28.0)
- Left Field- Ryan Braun (28.2)
- Center Field- Mike Trout (54.4)
- Right Field- Giancarlo Stanton (34.1)
- Designated Hitter- Nelson Cruz (25.2)
