Ok. We did it. On to the 2020s. This has been an interesting decade. We started with the pandemic-shortened season and empty stadiums. We have seen the introduction of larger bases, pitch clocks, shift limitations, and the Manfred Man. We have also had some pretty good teams, including one that broke our playoff losing streak.

As I mentioned in the first article in this series, we need to get a little creative here since the decade is only half over. As a result, I will double the WAR total for this all-decade team. Is it scientific? Nope. Will it tell an accurate story? Maybe. Read on and find out. 

Let's take a look at the 2020s all-decade team, so far.

Starting Pitching

SP1 - Sonny Gray - 2023. Sonny Gray has a rule. He will be an All-Star every four seasons. 2015, 2019, and 2023. With the Twins, he pitched to a 2.79 ERA, and that was bolstered by a 2.83 FIP. He led the league in home run rate (in a positive way), allowing just .4 HR/9. His pitching was good for a 154 ERA+, and he struck out roughly a batter per inning. While he often argued against being pulled from the game, it’s tough to argue with the results.

SP2 - Pablo Lopez - 2023. In the 2023 offseason, the Twins traded Luis Arraez, fresh off his batting title, for their hopeful ace pitcher. They taught Pablo a sweeper, and he was great in his first season with the team, making his first All-Star team. He cut his walk rate and attacked the zone, ending the season with just shy of 11 K/9.

Relief Pitching

CL - Taylor Rogers - 2021. Rogers was the latest in a long line of failed starters being converted to the bullpen, then becoming lights-out relievers. In 2021, he had a 2.13 FIP and over 13 K/9. He gave up less than 1 HR/9, and walked just 8 guys all season in 40 games. He was great, until he wasn’t.

Lineup

1B - Luis Arraez - 2022. El Regador sprayed singles all over the field on his way to his first batting title. He demonstrated a savant-like understanding of the strike zone, and hit 28% better than league average. He was fun to watch, as he would shake his head at pitches outside of the zone. He walked a decent amount, and rarely struck out. In 2022, he walked more than he struck out. Defensively, he was neutral at first base, which is impressive in itself based on his size. Stylistically, he was a throwback player who may have looked more at home on some of the 1960s and 70s teams. He also had great intangibles, offering up fun (and funny) interviews postgame.

2B - Willi Castro - 2024. Cast off from the Tigers in his first arb-eligible season, he has been a revelation for the Twins. Last year, he was one of their best 3-4 position players. This year, he has been even better, and has done so while playing at least 20 games at 5 different positions by the halfway point - the first player in history to accomplish that feat. Castro has played passable defense everywhere he has played, and has been an iron man, playing if every game this season. He’s on pace for 5 WAR, and is under team control. From a hitting standpoint, he has been 21% better than average. He is also one of the only guys on the team who has wheels, with 10 SB in the first half a season.

SS - Carlos Correa - 2024. Correa is having his best season in a Twins uniform, and it would be close to MVP caliber if not for Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt. In half a season, C4 has a 151 OPS+, and has made more than a handful of slick fielding plays that someone without his instincts just wouldn’t make. He’s hitting .308 at the halfway point, and is on pace for almost 80 XBH.

OF - Byron Buxton - 2022. This was (another) injury-shortened season for Buck. Despite being limited to 92 games, Buxton clubbed 28 HRs. That’s a 49-HR pace, which for a strong defensive center fielder is pretty dang good. He hit 33% better than league average, and made his presence felt in nearly every game he played. The healthy version of Buck is one of the most fun players I have watched in my 35+ years of fandom.

DH - Nelson Cruz - 2021. The Boomstick brought the boom, hitting 32 homers in his age-40 season. He was 29% better than average as a hitter, and that’s after his decline upon being traded to the Rays for Joe Ryan. Having a 93 MPH average exit velocity, and slugging .497 as a 40-year-old is impressive, and a feat that very few others have done before him. Must have been the naps.

To date, the 2020s all-decade team has accumulated 25.7 WAR. Doubling that for rough parity, they may be worth 51.4 WAR. With the 52 replacement wins, that may put them at 103.4 wins. Very, very good. However, they are still outpaced by the 1960s team.

There is still lots of time, and the remainder of this decade should see All-Star appearances by guys like Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Jose Miranda, Joe Ryan, and hopefully guys like Walker Jenkins, Eddie Julien, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Matt Wallner. The future is bright. We currently have a TON of young, talented, and controllable guys. Will the next 5 years cement an all-time-great decade? We will have to watch and see.

Are you surprised that the 1960s won? Do you think the 2020s have a real chance to overtake them? Did you like this activity? Comment below your thoughts.