MLB All-Decade Team 1990s: Who Should Really Make The List?

Major League Baseball (MLB) had many ups and downs during the 1990s, but that decade also produced some of the best players of all time. The MLB All-Decade Team 1990-1999 looks better as time goes by.

Thanks to the Moneyball revolution and the evolution of sabermetrics, fans use different stats to analyze players for something like an MLB all-decade team now than was done during the 1990s.

Furthermore, Cooperstown has started electing players whose prime years came during the 1990-1999 time period. Big Leaguers such as Ken Griffey Jr., Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas have given their MLB Hall of Fame speeches recently.

Now seems like a good time to look back at that era and come up with a new list for the MLB All-Decade team of the 1990s.

After setting some context, a fresh look at players during the 1990s will reveal an updated MLB All-Decade Team 1990s.

Players on MLB All-Decade 1990s list saw it all

From the lows of the 1994 players’ strike to the exhilarating single-season home run record chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998, this was a volatile time for baseball.

Perhaps the earthquake that ravaged the bay area during the 1989 World Series foretold what was coming in the 1990s.

Longtime MLB fans felt like a needle on a waving Richter’s Scale during the 1990s. Some fans were just being born.

In 1993, the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies became expansion teams, and the San Francisco Giants signed Barry Bonds creating a new era in the Bay. In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the National League and American League respectively.

All of baseball felt some shake when the divisions broke down from four to six in 1994. Furthermore, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig championed and introduced Interleague Play in 1997. The Milwaukee Brewers switched leagues from AL to NL starting in 1998.

The decade began with speed. It took 100 steals to lead the league in stolen bases during the 1980s. This number dropped into the 70s over the coarse of the 1990s.

Cecil Fielder hit 51 homers for the Detroit Tigers in 1990, which, it turns out, was foretelling. No player hit as many as 50 during the 1980s, while guys were bashing in the 60s to lead the league by the late 1990s.

Another for instance, Barry Bonds won the NL MVP with the Pirates in 1990 on the strength of his 52 steals. After the 1990s, he won the NL MVP on the strength of his 73 home runs in 2001.

San Francisco Giants fans screamed for joy and pain extra loud during the 1990s. They might have won the World Series in 1993 if not for a team from Atlanta. The Atlanta Braves won the West division that year. This was  before the aforementioned division shakeup rightfully put the Braves in the East and kept the Giants in the West.

Also, it was Giants third baseman Matt Williams who was on track to break Roger Maris‘s single-season home run record before the strike prematurely ended the 1994 season.

The Braves won whatever division they played in from 1991 throughout the rest of the 1990s. Current MLB Hall of Fame Manager Bobby Cox led all of those teams. The player spine of the teams was its rotation led by recently inducted MLB Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz.

That was then.

Now, analytics has changed how people look at players and stats.

Cecil Fielder’s 51 home runs made good headlines in 1990. When Chris Carter, a similarly large first baseman led the league in home runs in 2016, it came with skeptics.

In the 1990s, Chris Carter would have been highly valued. In 2017, Carter had a hard time finding a job. Meanwhile, Jason Heyward signed an 8 yr/$184m deal mostly because of his defense in 2016.

Looking at the 1990s now, with sabermetrics considered, will it change how an MLB All-Decade Team is picked from these players that have just begun to enter the Hall of Fame?

Yes, it will. And it starts at catcher.

Here is your updated MLB All-Decade Team, the 1990s.

MLB All Decade Team 1990s Catcher – Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez

Baseball fans could argue forever about who impacted their team more as a catcher, Ivan Rodriguez or Mike Piazza. Piazza’s flashy and legitimately significant offense stats have led most experts to side with him when making MLB All-Decade teams.

Even when looking at the new-age stat WAR, Piazza edges out Pudge.

Piazza’s perseverance and ambition is well documented. and his stats are acknowledged and celebrated.

He won Rookie of the Year for the Dodgers in 1993 and All-Star game MVP in 1996. Piazza drove in runs with raw power represented by an impressive .575 slugging percentage.

But, if I am building a true team, Ivan Rodriguez and his superior defense is a more valuable asset at the catcher’s position.

Pudge started his career in 1991 and won eight Gold Gloves during the 1990s. He threw out 47 percent of attempting baserunners and won the 1999 AL MVP.

A popular argument is that Piazza’s defense was not that bad.

A more popular argument should be that Rodriguez’s offense was not that bad.

Pudge won six Silver Sluggers during the 1990s on the strength of his .802 OPS. He did not bomb home runs at Mike Piazza’s pace, but Pudge hit the gaps with the best of them. He set the all-time record for doubles as a catcher in 1996 with 44. In 1999, he set the catcher’s single-season record with 35 homers and became the first catcher to have a 20-20 season.

Furthermore, Pudge could run well for a catcher. Rodriguez scored 611 runs and stole 69 bases during the decade.

Ivan Rodriguez controlled a game on defense like Deon Sanders did in the NFL. Pudge led the league in percentage of throwing out baserunners five times during the 1990s.

In baseball, the catcher position has to call a game, block balls, and throw out baserunners. To borrow a phrase from the 1990s, those responsibilities do not show up in the box score.

Nowadays, things like pitch-framing influence how much money a catcher makes on the free agent market. Catcher is a position that values defense as much as any other on the diamond and that is why Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez is the man for the MLB All-Decade Team – Catcher.

MLB All-Decade Team 1990s 1st Base – Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas

Fans can choose to analyze the choice of best first baseman from multiple perspectives.

Typically, first base has been a position a coach gets power from in the lineup. During the 1990s, Mark McGwire fills that desire. He broke Roger Maris’s single-season home run record when he famously jacked 70 in 1998.

Furthermore, Big Mac finished six seasons in the 1990s with an OPS over 1.000. Remarkable.

But the modern fan looks beyond these numbers to analyze players. Jeff Bagwell not only had power, he finished 4 seasons over 1.000 in OPS during the 1990s, and he could run and play defense as well.

Affectionately known as “Bags,” Bagwell played in all 162 games for the Houston Astros four times during the 1990s. He also won a Gold Glove in 1994 and accumulated double-digit steals in all but his rookie year during the 1990s. He stole over 30 in 1997 and 1999.

Although Bagwell is the most toolsy first baseman during the 1990s, Frank Thomas is the guy I want in my lineup.

Bagwell had a better glove than Thomas, but he was not an expert defensive first baseman. And, even though Bagwell’s base running was spectacular, a deeper look at the stats shows Thomas was superior at the plate.

The Big Hurt won back-to-back MVPs in 1993-94. Like McGwire, he earned an OPS over 1.000 six times during the 1990s. Thomas, however, made more contact with the bat. He struck out over 100 times just once (his first full season) during the decade.

At the same time, Thomas took his walks. He led the league in OBP four times during the 1990s. Plus, the Big Hurt lived up to his nickname by slugging well over .500 every year but 1998-99.

Thomas had a lesser dWAR than Bagwell, but he had a good fielding percentage, which tells us he made the easy plays.

The Big Hurt’s power/on-base combo makes him my pick for the MLB All-Decade Team 1990s at first base.

A more well-rounded player usually gets the nod in these close calls, but the others in the conversation at first base did not control games defensively like Pudge did from the catcher’s position.

Looking back, Frank Thomas was the best during this period in baseball.

MLB All-Decade Team 1990s 2nd Base – Roberto Alomar

Minnesota Twins fans came to adore second baseman Chuck Knoblauch during the 1990s, and Delino DeShields had better stats during this decade than many remember.

Furthermore, Cubs 2B Ryne Sandburg was the best at this position in 1990 when he led the league with 40 home runs.

Over the entire decade, however, the debate comes down to two players: Craig Biggio and Roberto Alomar.

The stats for these players specifically during the 1990s are close in most categories.

Both guys are 5-tool players.

Biggio swiped 319 bases during the 1990S, but Alomar was also a good baserunner and stole bases at a much higher rate.

Outside the lines, Biggio has a few things going for him that shapes people’s impression. He played his entire 20-year Hall of Fame career down in Texas for the Houston Astros. Alomar played many of his best years in Canada for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Furthermore, Alomar’s career includes scandal. In 1996, he spit on an umpire.

Alomar and the umpire, John Hirschbeck, have reportedly made up and become friends in the 22 years since the incident.

Between the lines, Alomar separates from Biggio in two significant ways.

One might be a matter of small sample size, but Alomar has much better postseason stats than Biggio. During the 1990s, Alomar put up an impressive .852 OPS in the playoffs, whereas, Biggio slumped to a .403 mark.

The other key stat that sticks out between Alomar and Biggio during the 1990s is strikeouts. Biggio K’d 880 times over the decade, Alomar struck out only 637 times.

Biggio earned a better reputation over his career than Alomar and his stats alone certainly put him in the conversation for making the MLB All-Decade Team 1990s at second base, however, a deep analysis of the numbers reveals Roberto Alomar to be the better choice for the team.

MLB All-Decade Team 1990s 3rd Base – Matt Williams

Surprisingly, third base is a weak position for the MLB All-Decade Team of the 1990s. Typically, this is a power position like first base, but it requires a more athletic body to play the position well on defense.

Chipper Jones does not fit into this team because he did not have close to a full MLB season until 1995.

Ken Caminiti had an all-time great year at third base in 1996 when he won the NL MVP along with the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. However, he admittedly used steroids and was statistically up-and-down during his career.

Wade Boggs earned a place on the American League All-Star Team from 1990-96. However, Boggs started his career in 1982 and was coming down from his peak during the 1990s.

Robin Ventura played the best defensive third base during the 1990s. He led the league in Defensive WAR in 1998 and took home six Gold Gloves.

One man puts together the best balance of offense, defense and playing time during the 1990s at third base: Matt Williams.

Williams had power. If not for the Players’ Strike of 1994, he might have broken Roger Maris’ single-season home run record four years before McGwire and Sosa.

Williams had popularity as proven by his six All-Star games during the decade. He has the hardware on offense and defense as proven by his four Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers during the 1990s. And, he has the stats exemplified by his OPS+ being over 100 every year except 1992.

The best overall third baseman for the MLB All-Decade Team 1990s is Matt Williams.

MLB All-Decade Team 1990s Shortstop – Barry Larkin

A revolution at the shortstop position happened during the 1990s. Historically, shortstops small and defense-first players such as Ozzie Smith played the position. Cal Ripken Jr. changed that by showing a big man who hit in the middle of the lineup could play good defense and be durable at shortstop.

Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Nomar Garciaparra revolutionized this position in the Ripken Jr. mold. The problem for the MLB All-Decade team for the 1990s is that Ripken’s career was coming to a close in the 1990s (switched to 3B in 1998) and these other three players did not debut until the mid-1990s.

The two best players that played at their peak throughout the decade are Omar Vizquel and Barry Larkin.

Many argue whether Vizquel should make the Hall of Fame based on his sensational defense because his offense was very mediocre. I am one of those people that believes there should be a place in the Hall for Vizquel.

I watched Vizquel play defense in the 1990s and I’ve never seen anybody play it better. His defensive stats did not always stand out as much as I thought they should, but it is hard to measure defense.

That being said, Barry Larkin also played a good shortstop. Like Vizquel, he could steal bases. Unlike Vizquel, he could hit a little too.

Larkin hit for an OPS+ over 100 every year during the 1990s. He won the 1995 NL MVP Award, seven Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and made eight All-Star teams.

Because of the peculiar way the evolution of the shortstop position fits in relation to rounded decades, Barry Larkin becomes the best overall player there for the 90s.

MLB All-Decade Team 1990s Outfield – Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., and Tony Gwynn

Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. are locks for the MLB All Decade Team of the 1990s. A case can be made for many others to be the third man in the outfield.

After looking over the stats and thinking about the era watching the games growing up, I could not imagine having this team without the immortal Tony Gwynn.

Gwynn did not have the bat speed of Barry Bonds orGary Sheffield, the raw power of Sammy Sosa or Albert Belle, or the defensive and baserunning prowess of Kenny Lofton. He did not play for the best teams like David Justice, Paul O’Neil or Bernie Williams.

But he did get on base at a better rate than almost anyone in the history of baseball, and he did most of his damage during the 1990s.

Gwynn passed away in June of 2014, but he will be remembered always in San Diego as “Mr. Padre.”

Mr. Padre made the All-Star game every single year of the 1990s. During the decade, he never struck out more than 40 times in any single season.

We have learned that batting average does not measure one’s offensive prowess as well as other stats, but the man won four consecutive batting titles during the 1990s. And, he earned his walks too. He also put up an OBP over .400 all those years.

Furthermore, his OPS+ was over 100 every year during the 1990s. Gwynn did not slug home runs like the big boys, but he laced balls into the gaps for doubles and triples often enough to be more than just a singles hitter.

Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. are the power hitters on the MLB All Decade Team of the 1990s.

Ken Griffey Jr. will be remembered as “The KId.” His longevity was not as great as some Hall of Famers, but he dominated during the 1990s. As popular as any player in baseball during the decade, Griffey Jr. enamored himself to fans by wearing his hat backward and goofing around during All-Star Games and Home Run Derbys.

During the regular season, The Kid could do it all. He had one of the prettiest swings ever and played an exciting center field. He accumulated 60 WAR during the 1990s.

Barry Bonds earned 83.2 WAR during the decade. I could probably stop right there, but I will list a few more Bonds numbers just to show how good this guy was during the 1990s, before most people think he started taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonds averaged, yes, averaged an OPS over 1.000 during the decade. That is a Ruthian stat.

He also walked more times than he struck out.

Only eight players in the history of baseball managed to hit more than 300 home runs and steal more than 300 bases during their careers. Barry Bonds hit 389 home runs and stole 348 bases just in the 1990s.

He also led the league in OPS+ from 1990-93, which included two years over 200.

Bonds was a true 5-tool player as well. He earned 8 Gold Gloves during the decade.

Speaking of 5-tool players, one more name worth mentioning in this space is Larry Walker. Some deny him elite status because he played in Coors Field for some of the 1990s. However, his home/away splits are not that radical during this time.

Furthermore, Walker ranks well in OPS + all those years and that stat is supposed to account for and make up for a player’s home park.

The real argument against Walker is his durability. He rarely played more than around 130 games during a season in the 1990s. He was not past his prime. He just had a tendency to land on the DL a couple times every year.

Bonds, Griffey Jr., and Tony Gwynn were more reliable during the decade.