Can You Name This 2010's MLB Star?
- by Dylan Jacob
- – on
- in Sports
Say what you want about pace of play, the game's lack of diversity (this is something that seriously needs to be fixed), or Bryce Harper's hair, but now seems like the perfect time to hop on the baseball bandwagon if you haven't already.
Between the increased parity, the lack of true superteams (Houston is probably the best team in baseball this year, and they've built entirely from the ground up!), and Aaron Judge's mammoth home runs, why not become a baseball fan? Although, if you're taking this quiz, you probably are. Right?
With that said, can you name some of the best and brightest from the 2010's? Everyone can name Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Sure. But what about All-Stars that have seemingly been forgotten by time? How about former Cy Young winners that have quietly retired?
Like we did with similar quizzes over at The Sportster, there are some basic rules that apply here:
You'll be given a picture player in question without a real clue (the 'question' is "Who am I?" and you get to guess them).
To help you, we've written a short profile about the player that will focus on what they did in the 2010's, although previous accomplishments and accolades are indeed mentioned.
Given that the 2010's are obviously still happening, players included will either be retired or most likely not coming back. Derek Jeter is eligible, Aaron Judge is not; Justin Morneau is eligible, but Joe Mauer isn't.
Ready to see how much you really know baseball?
Who am I?
We start our list off with a player who has made his first and only All-Star Game this decade, doing so in a 2010 season that saw him record a career-best .870 OPS with 29 home runs and 89 RBI. A 2009 World Series champion, this outfielder/first baseman hit 112 home runs from 2010-15 with 98 of those coming from 2010-13 when he averaged 24 a season. Although, anyone who knows basic multiplication can figure that out. Which always-smiling, intense All-Star was this?
Who am I?
Like Swisher, this three-time All-Star was last seen in the big leagues during the 2015 season, where he hit a measly .198 in 141 plate appearances. Earlier in the decade, however, this guy was one of the league's top sluggers at his position, averaging 28 home runs and 80 RBI a season from 2010-13 with the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, pitchers caught on to how he'd swing at everything, sending this All-Star back to the bench after most at-bats. Who was this?
Who am I?
The 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner, this All-Star pitcher seemed primed for the end of his career after going 14-13 with a 4.77 ERA and a 2.6 WAR in 36 games from 2010-11 with the Chicago White Sox. However, this Alabama native turned it around in 2012 pitching to a 5.2 WAR–the second-best mark of his career, behind only the 6.2 from his Cy Young season–and a 3.37 ERA. A member of the Red Sox and Giants team that won the 2013 and 2014 World Series, we last saw this right-hander in 2016 finishing his career by the bay. Who was this?
Who am I?
Potentially a future Hall of Famer, this seven-time All-Star infielder had a career-high .338 batting average during the 2011 season, helping the Texas Rangers make it to their second straight World Series appearance. Although the advanced metrics weren't too kind to this former Gold Glover in the 2010's, with Baseball-Reference giving him only a 1.2 WAR for the decade–with a -3.0 WAR from 2013-13–but his veteran leadership was needed with the Rangers, Phillies, and Dodgers. Who are we talking about?
Who am I?
A dangerous power hitter who has been plagued by constant injuries in his career, we may very well see this two-time All-Star in the big leagues again. But, as he is without a team, he's eligible for this quiz. An All-Star in 2011 after a 24 home run season, this outfielder was worth 6.5 WAR from 2010-13 with the White Sox and Padres, although that likely would have been much higher if he could actually stay healthy. Who was this one-time star?
Who am I?
From Hideki Irabu to Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees love their Japanese imports and while they landed him in traditional free agency, this ace is no exception to the case. Worth 12.0 WAR in three seasons with the Yankees from 2012-14 (despite a 38-33 record and a losing season in 2013...kill the win!), this Japan native also shined with the Dodgers, pitching to a 3.36 ERA and a 783-226 K-BB ratio in 1018.1 innings from 2010-14. Who was this import from the Land of the Rising Sun?
Who am I?
Putting this three-time All-Star who never played more than 121 games in a season this decade on this list may bug some people, but this guy was a valuable shortstop to start the decade. Making two of his three All-Star Games from 2010-12, this Dominican infielder slashed .267/.331/.383 and was worth 6.0 WAR with 4.2 of that coming in 2010. Not bad! We last saw this World Champion in 2014 with the Miami Marlins, although he did attempt a comeback with the Royals in 2015. Who is this?
Who am I?
A five-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner, there were few more exciting players on defense to watch in the 2000's than this outfielder. Although he definitely slowed down later in his career and and lost some of the earlier grace on offense, his bat certainly remained dangerous, averaging 20 home runs and 85 RBI a season from 2010-15. Spending them with the Angels, Tigers, and Twins, this fan favorite came close to a World Series in 2013 before falling short. Who was he?
Who am I?
The 2005 National League Cy Young Award winner and a three-time All-Star with the Cardinals, this star pitcher only played in the 2010's from 2010-12—all but three of those games were in 2010 and 2011. So, you may ask why he's in here. When this guy was on the mound, he WAS the St. Louis Cardinals, totaling a 6.7 WAR in those two seasons. The guy also stepped up in the postseason, pitching to a 2.84 ERA in the 2011 World Series at the age of 36 and helping the Cardinals to another championship. Now, do you see why he's on this list?
Who am I?
A close friend of Carpenter's from way back in their days in the Toronto Blue Jays system, this ex-Phillies ace is a two-time Cy Young Award winner–once with the Blue Jays and another with the red and white–and a 200 game winner. In his four seasons with the Phillies from 2010-13, this right-hander went 55-29 with a 3.25 ERA. Oh, and he threw a perfect game AND the second no-hitter in postseason history. That should make be obvious enough, right?
Who am I?
Maybe the greatest player to ever hail from Canada, this first baseman was one of the American League's most dangerous hitters in the late 2000's before he was plagued by concussions. 2010 saw him make his fourth and final All-Star appearance, as he was on pace for career-highs in batting average, home runs, doubles, walks, and WAR prior to a concussion sustained in a July game against the Toronto Blue Jays. 2014 saw him return to form, leading the National League with a .319 batting average in 135 games, but a mediocre performance last year with Chicago likely means his career is done. Any ideas?
Who am I?
Once nothing more than a journeyman infielder who broke into the big leagues at 26 with the New York Mets in 2002, this Venezuelan infielder had a breakthrough when the 2010's began. Coming off a 2009 season where he was worth a career-best 5.3 WAR, the utility man hit .275/.333/.388 with 11 home runs and 56 RBI in 150 games for the 2010 Red Sox; and from 2011-13, he hit .301/.354/.398 with the Red Sox, Rockies, and Giants, even winning a World Series in 2012 and making his first All-Star Game in 2013. Who was he?
Who am I?
Although this Dominican-born closer had previous success at the major league level prior to 2012–including recording 45 saves in an All-Star season for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010–it was the 2012 campaign with the Yankees that most people will remember. Already hated by fans after pitching to a 4.12 ERA in his first season, the 32-year-old stepped in brilliantly after Mariano Rivera's season-ending injury in early May, recording 42 saves and a 61-17 K-BB ratio in 57.2 innings for the Bronx Bombers. Who was this savior?
Who am I?
Here is another All-Star pitcher–but this time, we're talking about someone who has FOUR All-Star Games on his resume rather than three–who began his career in the late '90s. This savvy veteran was key for the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants in this decade. Pitching to a 74-55 record with a 3.50 ERA, the 2014 World Champion was worth 13.1 WAR, although we should note that 5.7 of that came in 2010. Which baseball player are we talking about?
Who am I?
Originally, we were torn about having this Cubs fan favorite included here because his numbers from 2010-12 were fairly unimpressive, but how could we do something like this and NOT include such a lovable character. Yet another three-time All-Star, this angry pitcher was worth 3.9 WAR from 2010-12 with the Cubs and Marlins, although he did show potential as a reliever in 2010 with the North Siders. One of the best-hitting pitchers in recent memory, can you remember who this is?
Who am I?
Last seen in 2015 with the New York Mets on their run to a National League pennant, this outfielder/first baseman/third baseman was once a mainstay with the Minnesota Twins, hitting 141 home runs for them over 11 seasons. In the 2010's, though, he also spent time with the aforementioned New York Mets and Colorado Rockies, where he made his second All-Star team in 2013, ironically, at the Mets' Citi Field. Worth 6.4 WAR over those six seasons–but with a 13.7 WAR–you're not alone in missing this guy. Who are we talking about?
Who am I?
Now on MLB Network, fans will remember this 2009 American League All-Star best for his five seasons with the Rays (2007-10; 2012) where he hit 163 of his 286 home runs and helped the team to its first and only World Series appearance in 2008. Recording 12.3 of his career WAR in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, the former first-round pick of the Texas Rangers became a fan favorite in Tampa, especially for his clutch hits. Who are we talking about?
Who am I?
If you wanted another three-time All-Star, you got one. But this guy should definitely have more than that. Probably best known for his days in Oakland and Arizona, this top prospect carved out a successful career for himself that saw him record a career 32.9 WAR with 8.7 of that coming from 2010-15 with the Diamondbacks, Angels, Nationals, Dodgers, Marlins, and Cubs. Now a popular Twitter personality with a handle referencing his lack of velocity, can you name this All-Star pitcher?
Who am I?
That right there is the smile of someone who can spend all of the time he wants with his son after retirement. A journeyman first baseman with staggering power that really only came out at the right time, this guy spent 2010-15 with the Diamondbacks, Nationals, and White Sox after bouncing around in the late 2000's for various teams (anyone remember his six game stint with the Red Sox in 2009?). The last time we saw him, he was abruptly retiring. You do know who this is, right?
Who am I?
This one should be obvious for anyone who has paid attention to baseball over the past decade. But if you haven't, then this should still be pretty easy. A five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, this goatee-donning first baseman was a lifelong Colorado Rockies star and for good reason. He could hit! Unfortunately, age began to catch up with the future Hall of Famer, as he only hit .264 from 2010-13 (although he did reach base at a .353 clip, which is much more important) as the Rockies fell out of contention. Please get this one right.
Who am I?
We're in the home stretch and, like Todd Helton, this one should be very easy if you've paid any attention to the sport. A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the San Francisco Giants in 2008 and 2009, 'The Freak' slowly began to break apart when we entered the 2010's. Although he went 29-24 with a 3.08 ERA from 2010-11, the former first-rounder pitched to a 4.68 ERA from 2012-15; and that rises to 4.94 if one includes last year's 9.16 ERA with the Angels. Please get this one right.
Who am I?
A three-time All-Star with the Toronto Blue Jays, this outfielder was both a fan favorite AND disliked by many fans north of the border. How is that possible? Well, some fans thought that he underperformed after signing a big contract, while others loved the effort he gave on defense. Making his final All-Star Game in 2010 after a 31 home run season, this outfielder was dealt to the Angels, where he'd play two seasons before joining the Yankees in 2013. Can you remember this divided outfielder?
Who am I?
One of the best pure power hitters we've seen in a long time–and now is the time for you to cross out Eric Sogard's name if you're paying any attention to what I'm writing–'Big Donkey' definitely packed a punch in the 2000's. However, all of the strikeouts caught up to him, as the guy averaged 189 strikeouts a SEASON from 2010-14, including 222 in 2013 with the White Sox. Hitting 146 home runs during that time, however, was enough for teams to keep him employed. Who was the Big Donkey?
Who am I?
Now drawing controversy for his anti-LGBT beliefs and views, let's forgo talking politics to focus on the fact that this man was a six-time National League All-Star and an elite hitter in his prime. Spending 2010-13 with the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers, the first baseman/outfielder had a fantastic 249-221 K-BB ratio, although his power was non-existent aside from a 31 home run season in 2011. During this time, 'Big Puma' was worth 5.4 WAR, with 3.5 of that coming in 2011. Who is this?
Who am I?
I should not have to write anything here. I really shouldn't; especially not with the answer choices. Come on, Sandman! The greatest closer of all time! Five World Series rings! The leader in saves and a record that is not likely going to be broken anytime soon! The Core Four! If you do not get this one wrong, then you almost definitely failed this quiz, which makes me wonder why you're still taking it. Can you name this former New York Yankees closer?