New York Yankees: The 2010s All-Decade Team

As we officially enter the 2020s, let’s take a position by position deep dive into the New York Yankees during the 2010s.

While the 2010s will be remembered as the decade the New York Yankees didn’t make a postseason appearance, we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that, in all, they had a 921-699 (.569 W-L%) record. What’s more, the team continued its record of consecutive winning seasons.

In fact, the last time the Yankees had a below .500 record in a single season was 1992. During the 2010s, not only did the team play above .500, they won 90 or more games six times.

Now, before we jump into the All-Decade Yankee team, I wanted to give an honorable mention to three players that I’m sure some of you will be upset aren’t listed. These three players played an integral part in the dynasty of the late 1990s.

They are Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte.

Last year, Mo was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame unanimously. The first player ever to accomplish such a feat. This year, “El Capitan” could very likely accomplish the same feat. However, because of his connections to PED’s, Pettitte will likely not make the HOF at all.

Now, the reason these players didn’t make the list is that they just didn’t play enough in the 2010s, and the players that did, simply outperformed them. Had this been the All-2000s team, they’d be in. Unfortunately for them, it isn’t.

So, without further ado, here is the All-2010s New York Yankees.

All-Decade Yankees Infield

Gary Sanchez, Catcher

• 2x All-Star
• 2017 Silver Slugger

When Gary Sanchez emerged as the everyday New York Yankees catcher in 2016, he took the entire baseball world by storm. Similarly to 2019 AL Rookie of the Year Award winner Yordan Alvarez, in just a fraction of the season (53 games) Gary featured a 1.032 OPS, drilling 20 HR and 42 RBI.

Since then, his relationship with Yankees fans has been somewhat rocky. Defensive troubles in 2017 and 2018 left many frustrated. In those two seasons, Sanchez led the league in passed balls with 16 in 2017 and 18 in 2018. What’s worse, in 2018, despite showing elite power ability, he only managed to hit .186 for the season.

At the end of the day, however, Sanchez has been the best Yankees catcher since Jorge Posada, who retired in 2011. Also, given some improvements defensively and offensively in 2019, at some point, if he continues to get better, he can rank among the best catchers in MLB.

Mark Teixeira, First Base

• 2x Gold Glove
• 2015 All-Star

Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees ahead of the 2009 season alongside CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. Together, this trio helped the organization obtain its 27th title.

Initially, Teixeira lived up to the hype, hitting 72 HR with 230 RBI in his first two seasons with the Yanks. After that, however, with the advent of the shift, it was his defensive prowess that warmed him up to Yankees fans.

Teixeira finally retired from baseball in 2016, leaving a whole in first base that the Yanks have struggled to fill. Since his departure, we’ve seen Tyler Austin, Greg Bird, Chris Carter, Ji-Man Choi, Luke Voit, and Mike Ford spend time at first. It is unclear who will man the position in 2020.

All-Decade Yankees Outfield

Brett Gardner, Outfield

• 2015 All-Star
• 2016 Gold Glove

Brett Gardner has been a Yankee mainstay since he broke out in 2009. Since then, he has played more than double the amount of games as any player on the team and has ownership of the highest fWAR (33.6) of any Yankee during the 2010s.

In 2019, a season which many believed would be his last, Gardy had his best statistical season ever. In fact, his 28 home runs, 74 RBI, .503 SLG, and .829 OPS are all career highs for the veteran outfielder.

Aaron Judge, Outfield

• 2x All-Star
• 2017 AL Rookie of the Year
• 2017 Silver Slugger

Aaron Judge is most certainly poised to become the next great New York Yankees player. Heck, in just his first big league season, one in which he set a rookie home run record and won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, the Yankees broke character and named a section of the right-field bleachers the Judge’s Chambers.

If Judge can stay healthy and continue to play at the level he is, he will take ownership of the team’s captainship. Not only that, we could be witnessing a Hall of Fame career right before our eyes.

Curtis Granderson, Outfield

• 2x All-Star
• 2011 Silver Slugger

Of all the position players, Curtis Granderson came as the biggest surprise to me. However, when looking back at players that have manned the outfield over the last decade, there’s no question that he was one of the best.

Grandy played for the Yankees for the better part of four seasons. Within those seasons, are two of his statistically best seasons ever. In fact, in 2011, Granderson finished 4th in the AL MVP voting after hitting 41 HR with 119 RBI. That season, he also secured his first and only Silver Slugger award.

All-Decade Yankees Starting Rotation

CC Sabathia, LHP

• 3x All-Star

The 2010s weren’t the best of times for the lefty starter. Despite starting the decade off strong, going 55-21 with a 3.17 ERA from 2010 to 2012, the rest of the decade saw an aging starter struggling to find his new self.

Between 2016 to 2018, a more finesse lefty emerged who relied less on blowing batters away. In that time span, Sabathia pitched to a 32-24 record with a 3.76 ERA.

In 2019, Sabathia left the game the way only he could. He left his heart and soul on the field, destroying his arm in the ALCS against the Houston Astros.

Masahiro Tanaka, RHP

• 2x All-Star

Of all the Japanese born pitchers MLB has seen, Masahiro Tanaka has to be the best. Sure, Hideo Nomo tossed a couple of no-no’s and Yu Darvish can easily touch 100 on the gun, but Tanaka has something both of those pitchers don’t: an elite post-season record.

In fact, in 8 postseason starts, Tanaka has a 1.76 ERA and a 0.783 WHIP. He easily goes from a number three starter on any rotation, to the team’s ace in postseason play.

Luis Severino, RHP

• 2x All-Star

Luis Severino was supposed to be the first true New York Yankees ace since Ron Guidry back in the late 1970s, early 1980s. However, a lack of consistency and injuries have prevented Sevy from gaining the confidence of the team and its fans.

There’s no question that he has the stuff to shut down any lineup. The problem is, can he do it for an entire season? That remains to be seen.

All-Decade Yankees Starting Rotation

Michael Pineda, RHP

When the New York Yankees acquired Michael Pineda from the Seattle Mariners in 2014, they thought they had the future of Yankee pitching secured. In his first 13 starts with the Yanks, he delivered the good, pitching to a stellar 1.89 ERA and a 0.825 WHIP.

Since then, however, Pineda’s career with the Yankees was average. It pretty much ended when he was caught using pine tar against the Boston Red Sox in 2014.

Hiroki Kuroda, RHP

Finally, we round up the All-Decade Yankees rotation with Hiroki Kuroda, who delivered for the Yankees three wildly identical seasons.

• 2012: 33 GS | 3.32 ERA | 1.165 WHIP
• 2013: 32 GS | 3.31 ERA | 1.162 WHIP
• 2014: 32 GS | 3.71 ERA | 1.136 WHIP

Many thought Kuroda would return for a fourth season, but instead, he decided to retire at the age of 39. His time with the Yankees won’t be remembered very fondly because they missed the postseason 2/3 years. However, that was despite Kuroda’s performance.

All-Decade Yankees Bullpen

David Robertson, Middle Reliever

We round up the New York Yankees All-Decade Team with the part of the team most people identify the team with: the bullpen.

Let’s begin with the All-Decade middle reliever, David Robertson. Robertson spent two separate stints with the Yanks during the 2010s. In his first stint between 2010 and 2014, he established himself as the front-runner for Mariano Rivera‘s job by pitching to a 2.51 ERA and striking out 425 batters in 319.1 IP.

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In his second stint, he proved to be a reliable option at any point in the game out of the bullpen. In fact, during the team’s 2017 run, Robertson was easily the best arm out of the pen, pitching to a 1.03 ERA and a 0.743 WHIP.

Dellin Betances, Set Up Man

The homegrown kid from New York City proved to be, not just one of the best Yankee relievers, but one of baseball’s best relievers since being called up in 2011. In fact, he is the only relief pitcher in MLB history ever to strike out 100 or more batters in five consecutive seasons.

He spent all but one game on the IL in 2019, so it’s unclear what the future hold for Betances. As a fan, I sure hope he can finish out his career in pinstripes.

Aroldis Chapman, Closer

You’d be hard-pressed to find a team with a better history with closers than the Yankees. To go from, Mr. Cutter, Mariano Rivera to Aroldis Chapman, who can touch 103 MPH on the gun, is almost not fair.

Chapman has been a great replacement for the greatest to ever do it. What’s more, he partook in a deal with brought the team its future in Gleyber Torres before resigning with the Yankees a year later.

For that, we will always be grateful.