Creating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2010s all-decade offense

In the 2010s, the Dodgers saw a new ownership group, seven-straight NL West titles, a franchise-record setting season, and two NL pennants.

In one of the team’s best decades since the 1980s, the Dodgers saw the direction of the franchise do a quick about face, especially in the last few years of the 2010s. The team has been bringing in massive crowds and plenty of TV revenue, and the Guggenheim group has shown no signs of slowing down.

The 2010s also happened to be the decade in which my fandom grew the most. From Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre to Orlando Hudson and Manny Ramirez, the time between the 2008 and 2009 seasons and the early 2010s provided budding Dodger fans like myself a generation of homegrown stars to enjoy.

On offense, Matt Kemp dominated the early part of the decade, with Andre Ethier having his moments as well. American League All-Star Adrian Gonzalez stopped by and Hanley Ramirez did his thing in the postseason. Yasiel Puig began a wave of prospect success that still has yet to dwindle, with Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and now Gavin Lux and Alex Verdugo making a major impact at the big league level.

This decade has certainly been one for the ages, but for all that it did well, it still does not house a World Series ring. In a decade in which the Los Angeles Kings and Los Angeles Lakers hosted championship parades, the Dodgers failed to do so despite hosting two World Series near the decade’s close.

In this set of articles, I’ll go position by position and create an all-2010s roster, complete with short blurbs about why I selected each player. I’ll break down the roster into pitchers and hitters, with honorable mentions as well (Don’t be afraid to comment on who I snubbed, as I’ll certainly find a way to leave off a big name or two).

The All-Decade Offense- The Outfield

It’d be hard to talk about the Dodgers last decade without bringing up a few big seasons from a group of young outfielders. Here’s my three starting outfielders for the decade.

Matt Kemp– The obvious choice, Kemp had the greatest single season of any Dodger hitter in 2011, when he notoriously should have won the NL MVP award if not for the roid-aided season of Ryan Braun. Kemp’s 39 home runs and 40 steals complemented a .324 average and 8.3 WAR season overall. He’ll forever be a fan-favorite, even in the minds of recent fans who saw him launch a home run in the World Series in 2018 against the Red Sox.

Yasiel Puig– In over 700 games with the Dodgers, Puig went from being an unknown from Cuba, to a Spring Training phenom, to finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2013. He hit important playoff home runs, including the all-time greatest moment of my Dodger playoff fandom, when he hit a three-run home run in the 2018 World Series in Game Four off of Eduardo Rodriguez. Puig’s cannon arm and bat-licking antics will forever remind me of the best reasons to enjoy baseball: because it brings you back to your own childhood. He’s one of my favorite Dodgers, despite the drama he brought to the clubhouse.

Cody Bellinger– His 2019 postseason still stings, but his Rookie of the Year campaign subdues my frustration when considering his overall skills and performance during the decade. By WAR, he put up the second-best Dodger season with the bat, after Kemp’s 2011, and like Kemp, Belli-Bomb will probably finish second in the NL MVP voting. While he may have less of a long-standing relationship to Dodger fans than contemporary Andre Ethier, he literally is just as beloved, as the fans who ran on the field to hug him would tell you.

Honorable Mentions:

Andre Ethier (the most games as a Dodger during the decade) and Joc Pederson

Now, onto the infield.