About This Quiz
The MLB had a lot to offer its fans throughout the 2010s. There was no shortage of amazing moments, clutch performances and legendary teams. Whether it was the Chicago Cubs winning their first World Series in over 100 years, or the Cleveland Indians 22-game winning streak, there was a lot for baseball fans to celebrate.
However, it was the MLB players themselves that stole the hearts of millions of Americans and people around the world. We witnessed some of the best hitters, pitchers and defenders of all time during the 2010s. How much do you know about these players, and can you identify them? Do you know which player hit for the Triple Crown in 2012? How about which pitcher won a Cy Young in both the NL and AL during the decade?
If you want to prove your knowledge of the best MLB players of the last decade or want to learn more about these superstars, this is the quiz for you. Without any further ado, put on your batters helmet, step in the box and get ready to go head to head with our quiz all about the most famous MLB players of the 2010s.
There have been many great pitchers throughout the 2010s, but few (if any) have been better than Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kershaw has won 3 Cy Young awards and has appeared in the All-Star Game eight times.
While he's bounced around to a few teams in recent years, Andrew McCutchen is as talented a hitter as any. He hit with power, hit for a good average and is a former NL MVP, as well.
Mike Trout is as close to a perfect player as you can get. He's made the All-Star Game in every season of his career and has finished top five in MVP voting in every season as well, winning it twice so far.
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Shortstops normally don't hit a lot of long balls, but Troy Tulowitzki wasn't a normal shortstop. He hit over 20 home runs in seven different seasons and made five All-Star Games this last decade.
While he was in the league for a few seasons before joining the Blue Jays, it was his 2010 season with 54 home runs that turned him into a star. From there, he had many more great seasons for the Blue Jays, regularly hitting over 30 homers.
Whether he has played on the White Sox or the Red Sox, Chris Sale has been among the best pitchers of the 2010s. He has had a winning record in all but two of his seasons as a full-time starter and has thrown over 200 strikeouts in nearly every season of his career.
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Ever since he came into the league, Joey Votto has been incredibly consistent. He has had over 20 home runs in nearly every full season he has played and he's always among the league leaders in OBP and walks.
Evan Longoria burst onto the scene in the majors, being named an All-Star during his first three seasons. While he's slowed down, he has still been amongst the most consistent and trusted players throughout the 2010s.
Dustin Pedroia spent his entire 14-year career with the Red Sox. During his career, he regularly hit nearly or over 200 hits a season with averages almost always at right around .300. Pedroia was also known for his incredible leadership.
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Joe Mauer will certainly go down as one of the best Minnesota Twins ever. He spent his whole 15-year career there, heading to the All-Star game six times. In a position where many players hit for low averages, Mauer broke the mold by hitting over .300 for most of his career.
While he has slowed down in the latter half of the 2010s a little, Ryan Braun was one of the best power hitters in the big leagues during the early 2010s. He regularly had over 25 homers and around 100 RBIs, with solid averages to boot.
Giancarlo Stanton has been one of the biggest stars and hardest hitters of the 2010s. Despite rarely playing a full MLB season, he regularly puts up near or over 30 home runs every season. In 2017, he hit 59 home runs, the most in a season since 2001.
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While he might not get as much attention as other power hitters of the 2010s, he certainly deserves to. Encarnacion hit over 30 homers in each season from 2012 to 2018, along with over 100 RBI in all but one.
Adrian Beltre joined the MLB back in 1998 and had good seasons in the 2000s but hit his stride in the 2010s. His average improved significantly during that decade, without losing any of his power.
While he has been solid in the regular season, the place where Madison Bumgarner truly shines is during the playoffs. Bumgarner helped lead the San Francisco Giants to a World Series win in 2014, where he allowed only one run in 21 pitched innings during the World Series.
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After coming into the league in 2010, Craig Kimbrel has arguably been the best closer in baseball most years. He made seven All-Star games, regularly had an ERA under two and often had seasons with more than 40 saves.
Robinson Cano currently plays for the Mets but is known more for his time with the Yankees and Mariners. He made seven All-Star Games in the 2010s and is a rare combination of contact, power and defense.
During the early 2010s, Verlander was among the best pitchers in baseball and was pitching a ton of innings. However, once he moved to the Houston Astors, he seemed to get even better with age, as he's made two straight All-Star Game appearances.
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From his first full season in 2012, you could see Jose Altuve was a star in the making. He's one of the best hitters in baseball and led the American League in hits from 2014-2017, while also being the batting-average leader in two of those seasons.
King Felix was without a doubt one of the premier pitchers of the 2010s. He could do it all on the mound. He would strike out a ton of batters, not allow a lot of runs and stayed quite healthy throughout his career despite high usage.
It's hard to find a more accomplished pitcher of the 2010s than Max Scherzer. In addition to winning 3 Cy Young Awards, he also has made seven straight All-Star appearances and led the National League in strikeouts each of the last four seasons.
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Despite only coming into the league in 2013, there is no doubting Arenado isn't among the best and most famous players of the 2010s. He's a perennial MVP candidate because of his high average, along with his impressive home run and RBI numbers.
Fresh off of a 13-year, $330-million-dollar contract, Bryce Harper without a doubt is one of the most famous players of the 2010s. Not only is he famous, but he's also very talented. He has only missed the All-Star Game twice and has put up impressive hitting numbers for his entire career.
No active player has hit more home runs than Albert Pujols. After a fantastic career in St. Louis from 2001-2011, Albert Pujols moved to the Los Angeles Angels, and while his batting average has fallen, he still retains a lot of power in his swing, even at almost 40 years old.
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Miguel Cabrera has been playing unbelievable baseball for almost 20 years. After a great end to 2000s, he only got better in the 2010s, winning back to back MVPs in 2012 and 2013, including the aforementioned Triple Crown in 2012.
Outside of a rough 2015 and a slow start to 2019, Corey Kluber has been lights out. He has gotten 18 wins or more four of the last six seasons and finished top three in Cy Young voting in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Despite only playing until 2016, there's no doubting David Ortiz was among the most famous and talented players of the 2010s. He made four straight All-Star Games to begin the decade and had 38 home runs and 127 RBI during his final season at age 40.
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While he might not blow your socks off, you can't deny the consistency of Freddie Freeman. He's hit around 20 home runs (or more) in every season of his career, while maintaining a better-than-average batting average, as well.
While his numbers and accolades might not jump off the page at you, it would be tough to find a more consistent pitcher throughout the 2010s than Cole Hamels. His ERA is rarely ever above four, and advanced stats like WAR (wins above replacement) love him.
Along with being a three-time World Series champion, Buster Posey is also a former NL MVP and made six All-Star teams and four straight from 2015-2018. While he wasn't a huge home-run hitter, he always hit for a high average and drove a lot of batters in.
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Despite moving around a lot during the decade, there's no doubting Justin Upton is criminally underrated by some. His average wasn't always the best, but you can't deny his power. Add his defensive skills to the mix and you have a very solid player with many years still ahead of him.
While most players get worse with age, that isn't the case with Nelson Cruz. His best seasons came after he was 30, and he's still playing well at almost 40. In particular, he is a power hitter who has hit over 35 home runs in each of his last five seasons.
Jon Lester began his career with the Red Sox and had a winning record almost every season. Once moving to the Cubs, this continued. He had the most wins of all NL pitchers during the 2018 season and has appeared in five All-Star Games.
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Players that can throw, play defense and hit with both power and contact are rare, but Manny Machado is one of those players. He has had over 30 home runs in every full season since 2015 and has also taken home multiple Gold Glove Awards.
Zach Greinke has been playing since 2004, but it wasn't until his move to the Dodgers (and later the Diamondbacks) that he began to light up the MLB. Since then, he has made all but one All-Star Game, has had over 13 wins every season and finished high in voting for the Cy Young numerous times.
During his time with the Orioles, Adam Jones had an amazing decade during the 2010s. He hit well across the board, got four Gold Glove Awards and made four straight All-Star Games in the decade.
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Not only has Yadier Molina's tenure in St. Louis been long but also very successful. He has made nine All-Star Games (eight in the 2010s), as well as taking home numerous Gold Glove Awards and winning not one but two World Series'.
While his best seasons came at the start of the decade (he was an All-Star from 2010-2015), David Price has been able to prove time and time again that he is still a dangerous pitcher. He hasn't had a losing record on the mound since 2011.
Despite retiring in 2016, Prince Fielder is without a doubt one of the best and most famous players of the last decade. He regularly drove in over 100 batters, went to four All-Star Games in the decade and could hit with power as well.
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Whether it's playing defense at a high level or hitting the ball hard and often, Paul Goldschmidt can do it all. He made six straight All-Star Games from 2013 to 2018, putting up over 20 or 30 home runs most of those years.