San Francisco Giants: The 2010’s All-Decade Team

It was quite fun to be a San Francisco Giants fan during the 2010s. Let’s look back at some of the names who make this team as fun as they were all decade.

It had to be the most successful decade of any Major League Baseball franchise since the New York Yankees found themselves on top three times in a row to close out the 1990s.

The San Francisco Giants collected three commissioner’s trophies during the 2010 decade and found themselves postseason bound four out of the 10 years. Additionally, they had six winning seasons all while under manager Bruce Bochy.

What made this decade so special was thanks in large part to quite a few draft selections that made the most of their youthful years helping push the Giants to the top of the mountain in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

So while some of the players who make the all-decade San Francisco Giants team are obvious, some might bring back the sense of nostalgia and the realization that ‘oh yeah they played for the Giants’.

Trust me, there were a lot of important Giants this decade.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the All-Decade Giants rotation.

All-Decade San Francisco Giants Rotation

Madison Bumgarner

2010-2019

The man who pitched his team to the crown in 2014. But the career Giant has had plenty of great moments for the rotation.

As the staff ace for several seasons, Bumgarner compiled 119 wins over the decade, held a 3.14 ERA, threw six shutouts, struck out 1,784 batters and limited baserunners to just a little over 1 per inning (1.111 WHIP).

He was also a four-time all-star and two-time silver slugger as he clobbered 19 home runs in the 10-year span.

Also, his World Series ERA in five games is 0.25. Need I say more?

Matt Cain

2010-2017

Another career Giant who spent 13 years with the organization and pitched seven seasons during the decade.

Most memorable would have to be collecting Major League Baseball’s 22nd perfect game when he faced 27 Houston Astros and set them all down in order.

Cain excelled in the 2010 postseason. He had three starts – one in each series – pitched 21 1/3 innings and allowed just a single unearned run. He was masterful.

Cain made two all-star appearances during the stretch with a 3.79 ERA over the seven seasons.

Tim Lincecum

2010-2015

The Freak himself. Lincecum certainly made a name for himself and was beloved by the locals and has always been my personal favorite Giant.

Just missed out on the Cy Young awards in this decade (2008, 2009) but he did collect two no-hitters and both came against the San Diego Padres and both nearly an exact year apart in 2013 and 2014.

It was kind of sad because Lincecum was beginning to decline as far as the statistics would say but he contributed to the collection of all three world championships.

In 13 postseason games, he held a 2.40 ERA while striking out 65 batters in 56 1/3 innings. Lincecum won both of his starts in the 2010 World Series and was important in relief during their 2012 sweep of the Tigers.

His five-year stretch included two all-star games and 1028 strikeouts.

All-Decade San Francisco Giants Rotation

Ryan Vogelsong

2011-2015

Vogelsong had it rough to start his career – originally with the Giants in 2000 – and after a stint in Japan, he came back to the Giants, and dazzled.

During his five-year stretch, Vogelsong held a 3.89 ERA and 623 strikeouts. He had an all-star season in 2011 and was unbeaten in the 2012 World Series.

In that 2012 World Series, Vogelsong started five games and was 3-0 with just three runs allowed in 24 2/3 innings.

Barry Zito

2010-2013

The last option was kind of tough and was between Zito and Jake Peavy. Zito gets the nod not only because he was with the Giants for more seasons but because he was impactful in the 2012 Championship Series and World Series.

Zito was towards the latter end of his career in the 2010s but still was a key piece in the rotation. He collected 15 wins in 2012 despite a 4.15 ERA in 32 starts. His WHIP over the four-year stretch maintained well at 1.447.

Zito will always be known for his devastating curveball that when paired with a good fastball made him untouchable.

All-Decade San Francisco Giants Bullpen

Santiago Casilla

2010-2016

To preface, as much as I’d love to fill out a full bullpen, five starters was hard enough but these five relievers are always known best for their Giants years.

Firstly, Casilla, who generated tied for the most time in the Orange and Black of the relievers in the decade.

Casilla was utilized in several different roles and was even the team’s closer during the bulk of the years. He saved 123 games to be exact with a 2.42 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

Casilla has been to the postseason four times with the Giants and has a 0.92 ERA in 25 appearances out of the pen. In 2014 he allowed just two hits in nine appearances during the 2014 run.

Sergio Romo

2010-2016

The man tied with Casilla in terms of tenure but Romo was a keystone to the bullpen in several seasons after the departure of prior closer Brian Wilson (more on him later).

Romo produced one all-star appearance as the team’s closer in 2013. That season he had a 2.54 ERA and 38 saves for the Giants. Additionally, in his seven-year stretch he has a 2.49 ERA and 82 saves.

He wasn’t always the closer, but he could sure make you miss on his slider; 424 strikeouts in the span.

His best run during the postseason came in 2012 when he shut down opposing bats including the final out of the 2012 World Series. He pitched in 10 games, saved four and struck out nine batters.

Jeremy Affeldt

2010-2015

Affeldt may have been the original when it came to Bruce Bochy‘s lefty specialists, but Affeldt gave so much more than just the typical one-batter pitcher.

Affeldt’s year’s in the Bay really saw him blossom into a trusted set-up man. His best season came in 2014 when he held a 2.28 ERA in 55 1/3 innings. He also allowed just one home run all season.

His first postseason in 2010 was not kind statistically in just five total games. However, in 21 appearances in 2012 and 2014, he allowed 0 runs in 22 total innings. Tough to beat.

All-Decade San Francisco Giants Infield

2010’s All-Decade Giants

So….the infield is very obvious, and to simplify this slide, I’m just going to list and talk about them as a collective.

Buster Posey: Catcher 2010-2019

Brandon Belt: First Baseman 2011-2019

Joe Panik: Second Baseman 2014-2019

Brandon Crawford: Shortstop 2011-2019

Pablo Sandoval: Third Baseman 2010-2014, 2017-2019

Probably the easiest all-decade infield to identify given that a lot of these players were the starters during their time span while there were memorable contributors like Aubrey Huff, Marco Scutaro, Edgar Renteria, and Juan Uribe.

But this group was ‘the core’ so to speak. Posey, of course, the Rookie of the Year in 2010 and MVP in 2012 with several all-star appearances to boot. He is the unquestioned face of the franchise right now.

Belt came onto the scene as the expected power-hitting first baseman the Giants desperately needed and while he maybe isn’t 30 home runs a year – no one really was – he provided the above-average defense with a great plate discipline which built a high on-base percentage; .354 in the stretch.

Panik’s departure left a lot of Giants fans heartbroken that one big piece has gone, but Panik will always be forever Giant; especially for his glovework in game seven of the 2014 World Series.

Crawford – speaking of glovework – might be the best defensive shortstop of the past decade. Once his bat decided to join the party he became a flexible option in the Giants’ lineup.

And of course, the Kung-Fu Panda. The man who has had a rough career away from the Giants, but with the Giants, he had several memorable moments. Most notably has to be his three-homer game in game one of the 2012 World Series; a feat that put him on a list with Reggie Jackson, Babe Ruth, and Albert Pujols who accomplished the feat the World Series prior.

All-Decade San Francisco Giants Outfield

Grégor Blanco

2012-2016, 2018

Maybe he didn’t have the best bat. Maybe he is thought of for his misplay in the 2014 World Series that led to Alex Gordon‘s triple.

What Blanco did provide however was plenty of speed at either the top or bottom of the order and stability in any part of the outfield.

Blanco may not have been the best but he was an important piece in the Giants’ success of the decade.

Ángel Pagán

2012-2016

Pagán manned a lot of the outfield – primarily center – in his time with the Giants. Pagán provided immediate impact upon arrival as well.

His 2012 season proved to be one of his best with 15 triples leading the entire league that season and a .288 average in all but a handful of games that season.

Pagán, like Blanco, provided serviceable outfield duties in his time but his presence at the top of the order was vital to the lineup’s success. He had speed and his patience allowed early work for opposing starters.

Hunter Pence

2012-2018

The guy that rides around on the scooters I believe? Well, he was also a splash acquisition when the Giants got him from the Phillies in the middle of the 2012 season.

An all-star in 2013 and one of the healthiest players in his first few seasons with the Giants – playing all 162 in back to back years.

Pence was the life of the team and the comic relief but he was also a valuable bat and fielder for the Giants in right.

Pence was a hitting machine in the 2014 World Series with 12 hits in 27 at-bats including three doubles and a home run.

Pence departed at an unfortunate crossroad in the Giants’ front office and their record was not favorable but Pence’s time was special and the fans were forever #Gr8ful.