MLB’s best since LeBron James was NOT in the NBA Finals
Who are the best players in baseball since the last time LeBron James missed the NBA Finals, way back in 2010?
Many MLB fans are likely aware that the Cleveland LeBron Jameses are facing the Golden State Steph Curries in the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row. The series starts today. It’s kind of a big deal, especially for LeBron James, who is participating in his eighth consecutive NBA Finals. In baseball terms, this stretch of championship battles is reminiscent of the Dodgers—Yankees battles in the 1950s.
The Dodgers and Yankees never played each other in four straight World Series, but they came close. In the five years from 1952 to 1956, the Dodgers and Yankees matched up four times.
The only year during that stretch in which the Dodgers failed to make the series was 1954 when the New York Giants bested them by five games in the National League. The Dodgers still won 92 games that year, but it wasn’t enough.
As for LeBron James, much is being made of his personal stranglehold on a spot in the NBA Finals. He helped the Miami Heat make it four years in a row from 2011 to 2014 and has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the finals the last four years.
Around the Internet, you’ve likely seen articles about how the world has changed since LeBron James last failed to lead his team to the NBA Finals. The last time a team without LeBron played for the title was in 2010.
In the summer of 2010, LeBron “took his talents to South Beach” and some people have never forgiven him, not only for leaving Cleveland but also for announcing it the way he (and ESPN) chose to announce it.
That year, Apple released the iPhone 4 and the iPad. The most recent iPhone is the iPhone X, which you would think means there have been five (or V) other iPhones, but that’s not correct. For some reason, they went right from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone X. No one knows what happened to the iPhone 9.
That was also the year that Instagram launched, and millions of women across the world perfected the duck face look. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 wouldn’t be released for another three years. Vuvuzelas were about to invade World Cup stadiums across the world, eardrums be damned.
The last time LeBron James was NOT in the NBA Finals, Justin Bieber was a huge star. Now we’re all wondering what Shane Bieber (no relation) will do in his major league debut on Thursday.
Too bad Cleveland isn’t playing in a National League park where Shane Bieber could walk up to the plate with “Baby, baby, baby…” blaring over the loudspeakers.
The baseball world has changed a bit since the last time LeBron James was NOT in the NBA Finals. In 2010, 9.4 percent of fly balls went over the fence for home runs. This year, 12.5 percent of fly balls are leaving the yard.
Along with the increase in home runs has come an increase in strikeouts, from 18.5 percent in 2010 to 22.4 percent this year. Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same. All MLB pitchers combined had a 4.08 ERA in 2010, and they have a 4.08 ERA right now. Go figure.
As LeBron James embarks on his journey to defeat the Golden State Warriors, let’s look back at the last eight years in MLB. Specifically, who are the best players at each position since the last time LeBron James was NOT in the NBA Finals?
Catcher
- Buster Posey, 38.5 WAR (Fangraphs)
- Yadier Molina, 27.5 WAR
- Jonathan Lucroy, 23.6 WAR
It’s probably no surprise to baseball fans that Buster Posey has been the best catcher in baseball since 2010. Posey won the NL Rookie of the Year Award that season despite not getting called up to the Giants until May 29. He hit .305/.357/.505 and helped lead the Giants to a World Series championship.
Posey was injured on a play at the plate in May of the 2011 season and only played 45 games. His injury doomed the Giants to a second place finish in their division. It also created the Buster Posey Rule, which Anthony Rizzo recently violated in controversial fashion.
Posey came back strong in 2012 to lead the league in batting average and have his only100 RBI season (so far). He was the NL MVP and once again helped the Giants to another World Series championship. He would be a part of the team’s third World Series-winning squad in five years when they won it again in 2014.
Since the last time LeBron James was NOT in the NBA Finals, Buster Posey has an 11-WAR lead over Yadier Molina (27.5 WAR) among all MLB catchers. Carlos Santana has 23.6 WAR, but much of that has come as a first baseman, so the true number three catcher since 2010 is Jonathan Lucroy (22.8 WAR), who edges out Russell Martin (22.5 WAR).
First Base
- Joey Votto, 45.9 WAR
- Miguel Cabrera, 43.4 WAR
- Paul Goldschmidt, 31.7 WAR
Miguel Cabrera had a solid lead among first basemen since 2010 up until last season. That’s when Joey Votto shot right past Miggy with a 6.6 WAR season to Miggy’s -0.2. Way back before LeBron started his NBA Finals streak; the 2010 season was Votto’s fourth in the big leagues. Since then, he’s hit .313/.437/.536. That on-base percentage is the best in baseball since 2010.
A real sign of how much things have changed since LeBron last missed the NBA Finals can be seen by how good the Reds were back then. They finished in first place in 2010 and 2012 and made the wild card game in 2013. Now they’re going on their fourth straight last-place finish in the NL Central and could lose 100 games this year.
At least Joey Votto is still playing well, even if he’s not up to his typical standards. He still has an on-base percentage over .400 but is only slugging .426. Of course, the second-best first baseman since 2010, Miguel Cabrera, has been limited to 26 games this year because of injuries.
It’s too bad because he was off to a great start, hitting .323/.407/.516. The number three guy on this list, Paul Goldschmidt, is having a shockingly bad season (.208/.324/.380 with a 31.1 percent strikeout rate).
Second Base
- Robinson Cano, 43.6 WAR
- Ben Zobrist, 33.2 WAR
- Dustin Pedroia, 33.1 WAR
Back in 2010, Robinson Cano was in his sixth season with the Yankees and had been in the playoffs every year but one. He would play in the Bronx for another three years and make the playoffs twice more. Then he signed with the Seattle Mariners and hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since.
More recently, Cano’s journey to 3000 hits and a possible Hall of Fame invitation was sidelined by a PED suspension. Technically, he was suspended for using a diuretic that is often used to mask PED use, but the result is the same—he’ll miss 80 games. It’s a big blow to the Mariners playoff chances.
After Cano, there’s a tight race for the next spot among second basemen since 2010. Ben Zobrist, Dustin Pedroia, and Ian Kinsler are all within one win of each other according to Fangraphs. All three are on the downside of their careers, but Zobrist is having a bit of a late-30s surge. He’s hitting .281/.374/.414 for the Cubs this year.
Pedroia just came off the DL after having a cartilage restoration procedure last October. He’s 34 years old and will likely get plenty of rest this season in an effort to stay healthy. Kinsler is 36 years old and struggling with a .195/.266/.302 batting line for the Los Angeles Angels. As bad as he’s been, he’s not the biggest albatross in that lineup <cough>Albert Pujols <cough>.
If LeBron James continues his NBA Finals streak for a couple more years, it’s likely Jose Altuve moves up to second on this list. He’s coming on strong as the Zobrist, Pedroia and Kinsler trio fades into their mid-to-late 30s.
Shortstop
- Troy Tulowitzki, 27.7 WAR
- Elvis Andrus, 23.5 WAR
- Jose Reyes, 21.9 WAR
Way back in 2010, the last time LeBron James was NOT in the NBA Finals, Troy Tulowitzki was injured for part of the season. This, of course, would be a running theme for Tulo, especially lately. He hasn’t played at all this season.
There was a stretch from 2009 to 2011 during which Tulo was a 5-WAR player three straight years. Now he hasn’t seen 5 WAR in a season since 2014, which was his last full season with the Rockies.
Elvis Andrus could be picking up ground on Tulowitzki if not for an elbow injury of his own. Before this year, Andrus had played at least 145 games in every year of his career and was coming off his most productive season. The Rangers hope he can be back on the field in mid-June.
Jose Reyes was still enjoying his first stint with the Mets in 2010. He would play with the Marlins, Blue Jays and Rockies before returning to the Mets in 2016. That was the year he served a 52-game suspension for domestic abuse. He’s now in the third year of his return engagement with the Mets and has been one of the worst players in baseball (-0.6 WAR).
The number four shortstop since 2010 is the fast-rising Andrelton Simmons, who is hitting a career-best .333/.400/.473 this year. He also has a terrific glove at shortstop and an incredibly low strikeout rate (4.5 percent). No qualified hitter has struck out less often than Simmons.
Third Base
Adrian Beltre, 42.2 WAR
Evan Longoria, 36.4 WAR
Josh Donaldson, 35.7 WAR
Everyone’s favorite third baseman, Adrian Beltre, has been the best third baseman in baseball since 2010. Beltre was already 31 years old in 2010 but has had an impressive run of seasons in his 30s, including his only four all-star team nods. Not only has he been a good player on the field, but he’s also been very entertaining.
Evan Longoria and Josh Donaldson are a couple of good seasons behind Beltre among third baseman since 2010. Back then, Longoria was 24 years old and already in his third major league season with the Tampa Bay Rays. In fact, that 2010 season was the best of his career. He was an all-star, a Gold Glove winner and finished sixth in AL MVP voting.
Also back in 2010, Josh Donaldson was still a few years away from becoming the hard-hitting third baseman we’ve come to know. He had just 34 major league plate appearances that year, then didn’t play in the majors at all in 2011. He broke out with a .301/.384/.499 season in 2013 and has been among the best third baseman in the big leagues since, although he’s struggling a bit with injuries this year.
Left Field
- Justin Upton, 30.1 WAR
- Ryan Braun, 28.8 WAR
- Brett Gardner, 28.7 WAR
The top three left fielders since 2010 are quite close in WAR over the last eight years. Justin Upton leads the way. He was a young 22-year-old with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010. He would go on to play for the Braves, Padres, and Tigers before joining the Angels last season.
Even though he’s been the most valuable left fielder in baseball since 2010, his career still feels a bit underwhelming considering the hype he had when he first came up. That’s probably not at all fair to him.
The last time LeBron James was NOT in an NBA Finals, Ryan Braun had not yet won an NL MVP Award or been suspended for PED use. He would win the 2011 NL MVP Award, then get suspended in 2013.
In what may just be coincidence, Braun was never as good after the PED suspension as he was before it. Before the suspension, he hit .312/.374/.564 in 944 games. Since the suspension, he’s hit .279/.343/.489 in 557 games. Of course, he was also in his 20s pre-suspension and his 30s post-suspension.
Brett Gardner stole 47 bases in 2010 and 49 in 2011. He hasn’t been that prolific on the bases in any season since, but he’s quietly been a solid performer for the Yankees going on six years running now. He’s always been overshadowed by more popular players in New York, but he’s been like the Energizer Bunny for the team, just continuing to go out there and doing whatever it takes to help the team win.
Right Field
- Giancarlo Stanton, 35.6 WAR
- Jose Bautista, 34.1 WAR
- Bryce Harper, 28.9 WAR
Giancarlo Stanton was a rookie the last time LeBron James didn’t make the NBA Finals. He only played 100 games that year but still hit 22 bombs and slugged over .500. He continued to hit 24-37 home runs over the next six years before breaking out big time with a 59-homer, 132-RBI season last year.
That earned him a trade to the Yankees, where he’s likely to hit another 35-45 home runs, depending on how hot he gets this summer.
In the summer of 2010, Jose Bautista was shocking everyone with what would be a monster season (.260/.378/.617, 109 R, 54 HR, 124 RBI). Before his breakout year, Bautista had played with four other teams and hit .238/.329/.400. He was a 29-year-old journeyman with low expectations. Then, boom, 54 homers.
That was the start of six straight all-star seasons during which he averaged 38 homers and 97 RBI per year. He’s slowed way down since then but is still trying to keep his career alive with the New York Mets.
The last time LeBron James wasn’t in the NBA Finals, Bryce Harper was a 17-year-old kid being drafted by the Washington Nationals with the first overall pick of the June Amateur draft. Of course, he had already been on the cover of Sports Illustrated by that point.
Harper made it to the big leagues in 2012 and was an all-star and the NL Rookie of the Year. He made the all-star team four times in the next five years and had a tremendous MVP season in 2015. He’s currently leading the NL in home runs.
Designated Hitter
- Nelson Cruz, 26.1 WAR
- Edwin Encarnacion, 25.5 WAR
- David Ortiz, 22.2 WAR
Nelson Cruz was playing for the Rangers in 2010. It took him a while to get established, but he started hitting bombs in 2009 and has continued to hit ever since. He left the Rangers after the 2013 season to play one year in Baltimore.
The Mariners signed him to a 4-year, $57-million contract prior to the 2015 season and he’s been well worth the price. This year, he’s hoping to help the Mariners get to the postseason for the first time since 2001.
Back in 2010, Edwin Encarnacion was in his second season with the Blue Jays. He had played mostly third base in the first five years of his career before being traded by the Reds to the Blue Jays in 2009. From 2010 on, he mostly played first base or DH.
It took him a couple of years to break out with the Blue Jays. In 2012, he hit 42 home runs, which started a six-year stretch with 34-42 homers every year. He’s been with Cleveland for the last two years.
David Ortiz was already “Big Papi” by 2010. The Red Sox had two recent World Series titles under their belts and would win a third in 2013. Ortiz was 34 years old but still going strong.
He would continue to be productive right up through his final season when he hit .315/.401/.620 and launched 38 bombs in 2016. He walked away from the game after a 4.5 WAR season.
Starting Pitcher
- Clayton Kershaw, 52.8 WAR
- Justin Verlander, 42.8 WAR
- Max Scherzer, 42.5 WAR
The best starting pitcher in the LeBron James era is Clayton Kershaw, the Sandy Koufax of our time. Kershaw was just 22 years old in 2010 and had not yet led the league in any meaningful category.
That would change the following year when he began a stretch of seven straight all-star seasons. During this time, he won three NL Cy Young Awards and finished in the top five four other times. He also led the league in ERA five times, and strikeouts three times.
Justin Verlander has had an up-and-down career since 2010. He had a terrific 2011 season that earned him the AL Cy Young and AL MVP Awards. He finished second in Cy Young voting the following season and was an all-star again the year after.
Then it went south in 2014 when the 31-year-old Verlander had a 4.54 ERA, and people wondered if he was on the downside of his career. Well, people other than Kate Upton. She had faith.
It turned out; he wasn’t. Since that disappointing 2014 season, Verlander has a 2.97 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 99 starts. He’s been incredible this year, with a 1.11 ERA and 0.71 WHIP in 81.3 innings. He’s 35 years old and better than he’s ever been.
The number three guy on this list, Max Scherzer, has earned the last two NL Cy Young Awards to add to the AL Cy Young Award he earned in 2013. He leads the NL with 108 strikeouts and has a 2.13 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He’s hoping to make it three NL Cy Youngs in a row.
Relief Pitcher
- Craig Kimbrel, 18.0 WAR
- Kenley Jansen, 17.7 WAR
- Aroldis Chapman, 16.8 WAR
The last time LeBron James missed the NBA Finals, Craig Kimbrel was just a rookie with the Atlanta Braves. He only pitched in 21 games for the Braves that year and had just one save.
He’s had between 31 and 50 saves in each of the last seven years and has a career ERA of 1.82. That’s right there with Dead Ball Era pitcher Ed Walsh for the lowest career ERA for a pitcher with at least 450 innings.
Like Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen was in his rookie season in 2010. It took him a few years to become the Dodgers closer, but he’s been rock solid ever since. He was particularly good last year when he had a 1.32 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. He also led the NL in saves. In 500.7 career innings, he has a 2.10 ERA.
Like Kimbrel and Jansen, Aroldis Chapman had his first taste of big league play in 2010. He was with the Cincinnati Reds in those days and not yet the team’s closer. He wouldn’t become the closer until 2012, which was also his first of four straight all-star seasons.
Chapman is best known for a blazing fastball that was clocked at 105.1 mph during a game against the San Diego Padres back in 2010. He was also the first player disciplined under MLB’s domestic violence policy when he missed 30 games in 2016.
Next: Tony Gwynn: Mr. Padre’s legend and legacy
After the trifecta at the top, a couple of pitchers who have both closed and set up for the closer are next on the list. David Robertson (13.3 WAR) comes in fourth, and Andrew Miller (10.7 WAR) comes in fifth. Both are having their struggles this year. Robertson has a 4.38 ERA (but 3.03 FIP) and Miller has a 4.40 ERA (but 3.32 FIP). Miller is currently on the DL with a knee injury.