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New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Presenting the Guardians' All-Quarter Century Team, the best in Cleveland since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. We invited readers to take our survey and make their picks for the best players at each position since 2000, with the results announced in an upcoming story. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement CLEVELAND — An exercise like this tends to spark debate, but in sifting through the names and numbers of Cleveland's finest over the past quarter-century, one thing became apparent: This one's pretty straightforward. There was a brief internal debate over a couple of spots, but for the most part, the answers were obvious. The choices highlight the different eras of Cleveland baseball since 2000, from the twilight of the powerhouse '90s teams to the up-and-down Eric Wedge tenure to the lean years under Manny Acta and the Terry Francona days. There are Hall of Famers, elite talents with unparalleled peaks and future Hall of Famers on this roster. There's also Casey Blake. Without further ado … Stats: .297/.369/.463, 103 home runs, 18.2 fWAR from 2002-09 Martinez cried when Cleveland traded him to Boston in 2009. He can take solace, 16 years later, in the fact that he spent enough time with the franchise — and supplied ample oomph in the middle of Eric Wedge's lineups — to land the starting catching spot on the All-Quarter-Century Team. He was a three-time All-Star with the Indians, a switch-hitting catcher with a smooth swing that usually produced a .300 average, 20-some homers and 30-some doubles. Stats: .288/.418/.602, 141 home runs, 17.6 fWAR from 2000-02, 2011 There's an argument to be made for Carlos Santana, if you prefer longevity over peak, since this exercise limits Thome to his final three seasons in Cleveland (well, and that five-week stretch at the end of the 2011 season, when his back was being held together with toothpicks and Elmer's glue). Consider those three seasons for Thome, though, and try to argue against him occupying this space. 2000: .269/.398/.531 slash line, 37 homers, 33 doubles, 118 walks (132 OPS+) 2001: .291/.416/.624 slash line, 49 homers, 26 doubles, 111 walks (170 OPS+) 2002: .304/.445/.677 slash line, 52 homers, 19 doubles, 122 walks (197 OPS+) Advertisement That 2002 season, his last before he left for Philadelphia, is one of the best offensive showings in team history. Yeah, every hitter put up gaudy statistics in those years. But the OPS+ indicates Thome was still head and shoulders above most of his peers. Santana's best OPS+ in a full season is 136. Thome's 52 homers are a single-season record for a Cleveland hitter. That year, he led the AL in walks, slugging and OPS. Stats: .261/.333/.417, 123 homers, 20.5 fWAR from 2011-19 Asdrubal Cabrera has a case to start here, too. Their numbers are nearly identical (Cabrera's slash line was .270/.331/.410), and both were twice All-Stars, but we'll give the nod to the guy who spent far more time at second base. José Ramírez is riding a 21-game hitting streak, and it's the first 20-gamer by a Cleveland player in a decade, since … Jerry Sands. Just kidding. Kipnis went bonkers at the plate in the first half of the 2015 season, with 51 hits in May and a 20-game streak in June. Stats: .285/.346/.488, 138 homers, 30.6 fWAR from 2015-20 Lindor ranks second, behind his former partner on the left side of the infield, in fWAR among position players since 2000. In Cleveland, Lindor was a four-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and a shortstop who always seemed destined for the spotlight of a big market. Stats: .280/.353/.505, 264 homers, 53.5 fWAR from 2013-25 By the end of next season, he might have twice the fWAR total of any other position player on this list. By the end of his career, he could be the franchise leader in home runs, RBIs, doubles, hits, runs and airborne helmets. You know, just as everyone predicted when he broke into the big leagues as a pinch-running specialist and then struggled at the plate for two seasons. Advertisement Stats: .295/.351/.430, 87 homers, 20.0 fWAR from 2009-18 The final piece in the return for CC Sabathia, Brantley sprouted into a hitting savant who could roll out of bed and bat .300. If he wasn't sidelined with a shoulder injury in 2016, would Cleveland have topped the Cubs in the World Series? Brantley was a three-time All-Star and finished third in the AL MVP balloting in 2014, when he posted a .327/.385/.506 slash line with 20 homers, 45 doubles and 200 hits, the only 200-hit season by a Cleveland batter since 1997. Stats: .269/.357/.473, 139 homers, 30.3 fWAR from 2004-11 Oh, what could have been. From 2005-08, Sizemore was a five-tool center fielder who hit homers, piled up doubles, drew walks, swiped bases and played award-winning defense. He was a treat to watch. And then injuries derailed his career. That peak is enough to earn him a starting spot in this lineup, but when Sizemore's name is mentioned, it's hard to resist wondering what sort of numbers he might have produced had he stayed healthy. Stats: .292/.383/.469, 83 homers, 20.4 fWAR from 2006-12 There's not a ton of competition here. Manny Ramirez left after the 2000 season. Juan Gonzalez starred for only one year in right. On the fWAR leaderboard for Cleveland right fielders this century, Casey Blake and Lonnie Chisenhall follow Choo. Then, Ramirez and Gonzalez for their lone seasons. Next on the list? Franklin Gutierrez. Stats: .278/.382/.509, 200 homers, 22.3 fWAR from 2002-12 Hafner hit in the center of Cleveland's lineups for a long time, but let's zero in on his peak, because, frankly, he doesn't receive enough attention. MLB's OPS leaders, 2004-06: 1. Barry Bonds: 1.213 2. Albert Pujols: 1.070 3. Travis Hafner: 1.030 Advertisement So, that's maybe the most prolific hitter of all time, then the most prolific hitter of a generation and then unquestionably the most prolific hitter to be nicknamed Pronk. That three-year run did the heavy lifting for Hafner's career, as shoulder issues sent him spiraling, but what a glorious reign that was. 2004: .311/.410/.583, 28 homers, 41 doubles 2005: .305/.408/.595, 33 homers, 42 doubles 2006: .308/.439/.659, 42 homers, 31 doubles Santana, Cabrera and Gomes are locks, because of their longevity and production and because, on this make-believe roster, they actually fit specific roles. That leaves one spot for a host of candidates. We'll tab Blake, who was better than you think (.266/.337/.451 slash line, with defensive versatility), but Steven Kwan could very well be the answer in a couple of years … or weeks. Imagine that pestering bat off the bench. (Oh, and his Gold Glove defense.) Jhonny Peralta, Coco Crisp, Ellis Burks and Edwin Encarnacion received consideration, too. Stats: 3.16 ERA in 1,341 2/3 innings, 34.6 fWAR from 2011-19 The ace of this staff is the only guy in team history with two Cy Young Awards. In terms of overall franchise lore, he might be the only pitcher in Bob Feller's stratosphere. If Game 7 of the 2016 World Series unfolded differently, there would probably already be a statue of Kluber looking out at traffic on E. 9th Street with the same unflinching, stoic gaze he offered every time he took the mound (or spoke with reporters). During his five-year peak from 2014-18, he and Max Scherzer were in their own league, in terms of workload and effectiveness. Stats: 3.83 ERA in 1,528 2/3 innings, 30.2 fWAR from 2001-08 Sabathia is entering the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer as a New York Yankee, but the first chapter of his big-league career should be studied, not skimmed. He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2007, was a three-time All-Star and, for seven and a half years, he was a workhorse who rarely missed a start. He has stressed how much he regrets pitching poorly during the 2007 postseason. Advertisement Stats: 4.01 ERA in 1,117 innings, 19.0 fWAR from 2002-09 Lee had his moments outside of the 2008 season — he finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2005 — but that award-winning 2008 campaign was a masterpiece. He walked more than two hitters in only three of 31 starts. He allowed more than two earned runs in only nine of 31 starts. He went at least six innings in all but four starts (and lasted at least five in every one). He never finished a start with a season ERA higher than 2.58. Stats: 3.22 ERA in 843 innings, 21.5 fWAR from 2018-24 And, finally, it's the fourth Cy Young Award winner of the century, and the fifth winner coached by Carl Willis. There's still time for Bieber to pad his Cleveland résumé, one that shines even though he's missed significant chunks of three of the past four seasons because of injuries. Bieber is the only All-Star Game MVP on this team. Stats: 3.91 ERA in 1,346 innings, 25.3 fWAR from 2009-20, 2024 Only Sabathia made more starts or piled up more innings than Carrasco, who emerged — after a few years of inconsistency and injuries — as the centerpiece of the Lee trade. From 2014-18, he was a steady Robin to Kluber's Batman. Stats: 1.82 ERA in 312 innings, 9.0 fWAR from 2021-25 There are a few options here, but we have to go with the guy who became the club's all-time saves leader at the age of 26. Clase had a 1.36 ERA in 2022, and that's his third-best ERA in his four full seasons in Cleveland. He has led the American League in saves each of the past three years and even with some early-season struggles in 2025, he still boasts a sub-2.00 ERA in his career. Miller was only in Cleveland for two and a half years, but it only took two and a half months for him to leave a lasting impact on the organization. His performance in the 2016 postseason was the stuff of legend, a 6-foot-7, slider-slinging android sent from Planet Whiff to destroy every hitter in his path. And he'd be the first to tell you that his dominance that October was made possible because of Allen's ability to cover the ninth (and sometimes the eighth). Betancourt and Rafael Perez formed a dynamic late-inning tandem for Eric Wedge. Wickman and Chris Perez often made the ninth inning a recovering smoker's nightmare, but they do rank third and fifth, respectively, on the team's all-time saves list. Speaking of stress-inducing relievers, Bryan Shaw totaled six seasons with an ERA between 2.59 and 3.52. Honorable mention to David Riske, Vinnie Pestano, Brad Hand, Paul Shuey and, eventually, I'm sure, Cade Smith. (Top photo of Jim Thome: Getty Images)
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Presenting the Mets' All-Quarter Century team, Queens' best of the 2000s
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. We invited readers to take our survey and make their picks for the best players at each position since 2000, with the results announced in an upcoming story. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement The New York Mets entered the 2000s in a good place. They had just made the NLCS, losing in six games to a rival, and they were a favorite in the National League to win a pennant in 2000 (which they did). They entered 2025 in a good place. They had just made the NLCS, losing in six games to (perhaps an incipient) rival, and they are a favorite in the National League to win a pennant. Almost makes it seem that the intervening quarter-century was smooth, eh? The juxtaposition of 2025 to 2000 belies the occasional peaks and longer stretches in the valley that the franchise has experienced in that time. The Mets have endured the Bernie Madoff scandal and its consequent years of austerity, a pair of brutal late-season collapses, and a series of debilitating injuries to many of the players I'm about to single out for praise. But the team I'm about to build? It's pretty good. The left side of the infield has combined for more than 100 career wins above replacement (according to FanGraphs). The center fielder has the second-most WAR among all outfielders this century. The pitching staff, while shy on longevity, can be dominant. This is the Mets All-Quarter Century Team. Since it's been almost two decades since his last game with the Mets, you might have thought Piazza wasn't behind the plate enough this century to make this choice so easy. Well, he's caught 200 more games in the 2000s than any other Met, and Piazza isn't going to lose on production to anyone, Met or otherwise. From 2000 to 2005, Piazza hit .286/.368/.525 with 157 home runs. Honorable mention: Travis d'Arnaud Alonso has made this a simple decision, as well, putting up numbers on par with Carlos Delgado's best years for a lot longer in blue and orange. He's played almost twice as many games at first as any other Met, and he should set the franchise home run record later this season. Advertisement Honorable mentions: Delgado, Lucas Duda This is the first difficult selection, and I'm going with Murphy over Jeff McNeil's higher WAR with the Mets. And yes, it's because of about a 10-game stretch in October 2015. This is no slight to McNeil, who has made two All-Star teams and won a batting title with the Mets; he's been their best regular-season second baseman this century. But Murphy's postseason run in 2015 included homers in five straight games (many off the game's best pitchers that season). He provided all the Mets' offense in the deciding victory over the Dodgers in the NLDS — probably the best game the Mets played this century until last fall. And Murphy manned second base nearly as often as McNeil has, making his own All-Star team in 2014. Honorable mention: McNeil Here again, I'm bypassing the club's actual leader in WAR at the position (José Reyes, of course) for a different pick. Lindor's played more than 500 fewer games at short than Reyes (and 800 overall), but he's approaching the same overall value and emerged as a leader for this era of Mets baseball. Honorable mention: Reyes Does this require explanation? Wright is the best Mets player of this century and the last Met to be named team captain. He played five times more games at third than any other Met, such that there's not even a point in having an honorable mention here. (Sorry, Robin Ventura.) He also authored one of the finest individual seasons in team history in 2007, when he might have won MVP if not for the team collapsing around him. If you want to be super strict about positional alignment in the outfield, then this is a close race between Nimmo and Cliff Floyd. (Floyd played more games in left this century than Nimmo has so far.) But when you add up what Nimmo has done in all three outfield positions, he's head and shoulders above the other contenders here. Advertisement Nimmo has matured from an aw-shucks kid from Wyoming into a verifiable team leader, a guy who cried tears of joy on the field last season when the Mets clinched their first postseason series at Citi Field. By the end of his contract in 2030, he's poised to play 15 seasons in a Mets uniform — more than all but Ed Kranepool in franchise history. Honorable mention: Floyd Beltrán isn't just the center fielder for this team; he's the center fielder on the all-franchise team if we go back to 1962. Following a slow start to his Mets tenure in 2005, Beltrán was a force for the final six years of his contract. He made five All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves, placed in the top five for the MVP in 2006 and brought back Zack Wheeler in a deadline deal in 2011. Honorable mention: Nimmo Perhaps Conforto didn't live up to all the promise he showed as a sweet-swinging rookie comfortably performing in a pennant race and the postseason in 2015. Overall, though, he had a fine Mets career that included an All-Star team in 2017 and a 30-homer season in 2019. It's unfortunate that his two best years as a Met were both cut short: 2017 by a shoulder injury and 2020 by the pandemic. Honorable mention: Curtis Granderson Picking a DH doesn't feel right for a team that didn't have one for 21 seasons this century. But let's go with the best hitter not yet on the team, a guy whose acquisition provided as big an in-season spark as an offense has ever experienced. Céspedes did, after all, hit a game-winning homer in the first home game in which the Mets ever played a DH. As with some other greats in franchise history, the memories are better if we forget how it ended. OK, so before you furrow your brow, I'm going with guys who actually came off the bench for most of their Mets tenures. Advertisement Castro ranks fourth among Mets backstops in WAR this century despite never batting more than 240 times in a season with New York. He's getting pushed here now by Luis Torrens, although so is Francisco Alvarez, so Torrens might not be a 'backup' much longer. Had Castro's fly ball to the warning track in the first inning of the final game of the 2007 regular season traveled about six more feet, he'd have supplanted Piazza on this team. Flores is a Mets icon even though he qualified for the batting title only once in Queens, in 2015. A walk-off magician, he overcame the lack of a solid defensive position to be a consistent contributor. I remember writing about him weekly when part of my first job was covering the Appalachian League and he was a 17-year-old wunderkind in Kingsport; that was literally half a lifetime ago for him. Is Chavez's catch still the most memorable Mets play of this century? (Other contenders off the top of the noggin include Piazza's home run in the first game back after Sept. 11, Bartolo Colon's home run and Pete Alonso's season-saver last fall.) He had the best year of his career in 2006, hitting better than .300 with 22 doubles while filling in often for Floyd. Smith edges out Lenny Harris and Marlon Anderson for his pinch hitting prowess. That's right, I'm not even factoring in his absurd 2020 season — which in retrospect will go down as one of the great anomalies in club history. But when pinch hitting for the Mets, Smith posted a .902 OPS with some clutch homers, most notably his unbelievable shot to end the 2019 season. Honorable mentions: Harris, Anderson, Joe McEwing, Mike Baxter, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Scott Hairston DeGrom is as easy a choice as any on the board — a legitimate contender to be on a team picked from the entire league. His run of success from the start of the 2018 season through his injury halfway through 2021 is on par with the greatest in the sport's history. (His ERA+ over that stretch is better than the best four-season stretches by Sandy Koufax, Greg Maddux or Randy Johnson. Pedro Martínez does best deGrom with his run from 1997 through 2000.) Santana had just 3 1/2 healthy seasons as a Met, but he was among the game's aces throughout that stretch. He delivered a signature performance on the penultimate day of the 2008 season and, of course, the first no-hitter in club history. Advertisement While Leiter's most memorable start as a Met came in 1999, he was the ace of the 2000 pennant-winners and a stalwart at the top of the rotation through 2004. He did not post an ERA above 4.00 this century with the Mets. Dickey owns the fewest wins above replacement of this group, ranking way down at ninth for the club among starting pitchers. His 2012 Cy Young season, however, was an obvious bright spot, and his trade to Toronto helped spark the Mets' eventual pennant in 2015. For the last spot, I'm going with Harvey over Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard is actually second among Mets starters in WAR this century, behind only deGrom. However, it's hard to overstate how meaningful Harvey was to Mets fans at the time of his arrival in 2012 and breakout in 2013. And Harvey was right there with deGrom as the ace of the 2015 staff — a guy who deserved Game 1 starts in the postseason (and, as I duck, the ninth inning of Game 5). Honorable mention: Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, Tom Glavine I contemplated going strictly by bullpen roles, but decided that byzantine arguments about who the best longman of the century for the Mets was — Darren Oliver over Trevor Williams, I think — is best left for the comments. Díaz's 2022 season is the best by a Mets reliever this century, and out of this group, he's still the guy getting the nod to close. No Met has thrown more innings out of the pen this century than Familia, whose struggles in the 2015 World Series and at the end of his Mets tenure have overshadowed how good and important he was last decade. Wagner and Benitez were excellent closers who did not do their best work in the postseason, unfortunately. Reed is the best set-up man the Mets have had this century, and Lugo was for a time as useful a reliever as any in the sport (even if the Mets often labored to maximize that usage). Parnell was a solid reliever for a lot of mediocre teams, and Feliciano — or 'Perpetual Pedro,' as Gary Cohen took to calling him — felt like he got a big out every day. He appeared in 344 games over a four-year stretch, or easily more than half of New York's games. Honorable mention: Aaron Heilman, Adam Ottavino, Francisco Rodriguez And because making a lineup is fun: SS Lindor CF Beltrán C Piazza 3B Wright RF Conforto DH Céspedes 1B Alonso 2B Murphy LF Nimmo (Top photo of Jacob deGrom: Brad Penner / USA Today)
New York Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Presenting the Reds' All-Quarter Century Team, the best in Cincinnati since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. We invited readers to take our survey and make their picks for the best players at each position since 2000, with the results announced in an upcoming story. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement Last week, Jayson Stark released his All-Century Team for Major League Baseball, and it seemed like a fun idea to do the same for different franchises. While the Reds haven't won a playoff series in this quarter century, the franchise has had some good players, including two Hall of Famers in Ken Griffey Jr. and Scott Rolen. Neither of those players is enshrined with the wishbone C on their cap, but Joey Votto will be. It should be noted that only the statistics accumulated both during the 2000-2025 seasons and while wearing a Reds uniform will be taken into account for this exercise. Barry Larkin was not selected as the shortstop because this time period encompassed the last five seasons of his career, and Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Hamilton would have compelling cases if you factored in their work for other teams. I considered both Baseball-Reference WAR and FanGraphs WAR, but was not beholden to either. Offensive statistics played heavily in the position player selection, but defense wasn't entirely overlooked. For all players, longevity with the team was also considered. I didn't do a full bench or designated hitter because that seemed more like trying to fit guys on (the dreaded participation trophy) and the DH wasn't in use for the National League for the majority of the time frame we're working with. Let's get into it. Not only did Barnhart play more games behind the plate than anyone else for the Reds over the last 25 years, he also won two Gold Gloves in their uniform. Barnhart, who wasn't drafted, wasn't an offensive force, but he did manage to hit .248/.324/.371 with the Reds. But a catcher's first job is always behind the plate. Barnhart's work there puts him here. Barnhart is just one of three Reds catchers, along with Johnny Edwards and Johnny Bench, to have won Gold Gloves. Edwards notched two in his time in Cincinnati, while Bench earned 10. Advertisement In a couple of years, this spot on the All-Century roster could very well belong to Tyler Stephenson, but for now, Barnhart is the pick. With apologies to: Stephenson, Ryan Hanigan, Ramón Hernández OK, nobody had to look this one up. Votto will be in the Hall of Fame in a few years and he didn't play in any other big-league uniform. Votto's name is listed throughout the franchise record book: Second in home runs (356), first in walks (1,365), third in RBIs (1,144), second in doubles (459) and OPS (.920). With apologies to: Sean Casey Again, no research is needed for this one. Phillips played more than three times as many games as anyone else at the position for the Reds during this time frame, made three All-Star teams, and won four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. The fan-favorite also recorded a 30-homer, 30-steal season in 2007. In his 11 seasons with the Reds, Phillips had 1,774 hits, 191 home runs and 194 stolen bases. Phillips is one of two players former general manager Wayne Krivsky acquired early in 2006. Krivsky sent pitcher Jeff Stevens to Cleveland to acquire Phillips in the first week of the season. With apologies to: Jonathan India, Pokey Reese, Scooter Gennett On the last day of the 2014 Winter Meetings, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty completed two trades, both of which were coups for the Reds. Jocketty sent pitcher Mat Latos to the Miami Marlins for pitcher Anthony DeSclafani and catcher Chad Wallach and also dealt pitcher Alfredo Simon to Detroit for Suárez and pitcher Jonathan Crawford. At the time, Suárez was considered a glove-first shortstop. After filling in at shortstop for an injured Zack Cozart for the majority of the 2015 season, Suárez was moved to third in 2016. After some growing pains defensively, he became a solid defensive third baseman. Advertisement Suárez was an All-Star in 2018, and in 2019, he hit 49 home runs, a record for a major-league player born in Venezuela. As part of their 2022 fire sale, the Reds traded Suárez, along with outfielder Jesse Winker, to the Seattle Mariners, where he played two seasons. He's now in his second year with the Arizona Diamondbacks and became the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game earlier this season. With apologies to: Todd Frazier, Scott Rolen, Aaron Boone The Reds had four standout shortstops for the majority of the second half of the 20th century — Roy McMillan (1951-1960), Leo Cardenas (1960-68), Davey Concepcion (1970-1988) and Larkin (1986-2004). Since Larkin retired following the 2004 season, 14 different players have started at shortstop for the Reds on Opening Day. Only three of those have started more than one — Álex González (2007, 2009), Elly De La Cruz (2024-25) and Cozart (2012-2017). Cozart wasn't the flashiest of shortstops, but he was an excellent defender, making those hard plays look easy. While he hit just .254/.305/.411 in his time with the Reds, he saved his best for last, starting the 2017 All-Star Game and hitting .297/.385/.548 with 24 home runs that season. He signed a multiyear deal with the Los Angeles Angels that offseason, but injuries cut his career short. With apologies to: Barry Larkin, Felipe López, Elly De La Cruz The 'Big Donkey' was a lightning rod for fans as the epitome of the three-true-outcomes player, leading the league in strikeouts three times and walks once during his Reds career, all while hitting at least 40 home runs in each season from 2004 to 2008, which is also when he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 6-foot-6 former University of Texas quarterback had huge power and set what was then a record for most home runs by a rookie in a single month (12) in August 2001. He made the All-Star team the next year. Advertisement In eight seasons with the Reds, Dunn hit .247/.380/520 with 270 home runs, including a home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers' José Lima that left the stadium in center field. Dunn would play six more seasons for the Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics, finishing his career with 462 home runs. With apologies to: Adam Duvall, Chris Heisey, Jonny Gomes, Ryan Ludwick The hometown kid was the biggest name in the game when he was traded to the Reds on Feb. 10, 2000. While Griffey didn't have the storybook ending in Cincinnati that everyone hoped for, he still made three All-Star teams and hit 210 home runs in a Reds uniform. A series of injuries cast a cloud over Griffey's time with the Reds before an eventual move to right field, but he's still in the team's Hall of Fame. With apologies to: Billy Hamilton, Ryan Freel, Shin-Soo Choo, TJ Friedl The Reds hadn't made the playoffs since 1995 when Bruce stepped to the plate on Sept. 28, 2010, in the ninth inning of a tie game. He sent the first pitch he saw from Houston Astros lefty Tim Byrdak over the center-field wall to clinch the National League Central title. The top prospect in baseball entering the 2008 season, Bruce was 3-for-3 with a pair of walks in his debut and later that week hit a walk-off for his first home run. Bruce played parts of nine seasons with the Reds, making three All-Star teams, winning two Silver Sluggers and finishing 10th in MVP voting twice. He hit 233 home runs with the Reds and 319 in his 14-year career, playing for five more teams before retiring in 2021. With apologies to: Austin Kearns The Reds moved to Great American Ball Park in 2003, and the stadium has been nightmare fuel for pitchers ever since. But the team has been able to put together some impressive staffs without the benefit of big free-agent signings (remember the lesson of Eric Milton — don't spend money on starters just to say that you did). Of the five listed here, three (Harang, Castillo, Arroyo) came via trades, one was drafted (Bailey), and one was signed as an amateur (Cueto). Advertisement Harang was a workhorse for the Reds and some of his numbers are inflated (4.28 ERA with the Reds) by the era in which he pitched (2003 to 2010), but the 6-foot-7 Californian led the National League in wins (16) in 2006 and finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting in 2007. Current Reds manager Terry Francona shook his head this spring when Krivsky's 2006 trade of Wily Mo Peña to the Boston Red Sox for Bronson Arroyo was brought up. Francona understood why Peña's power was enticing, but he also knew how valuable Arroyo was to his Red Sox team that won the 2004 World Series. In his first year with the Reds, Arroyo went 14-11 with a 3.29 ERA and made his first and only All-Star appearance. From 2006-13, Arroyo pitched at least 200 innings in seven of those eight seasons, throwing 199 innings in 2011. Arroyo won 108 games in a Reds uniform, including three in 2017 when he was 40. In his big-league debut, Cueto struck out 10 Diamondbacks, didn't walk anyone and gave up a run on just one hit over seven innings. Although his career spanned 17 years, Cueto's first eight were in Cincinnati and he proved that you could dominate from the mound despite the ballpark. From 2008 to 2015, Cueto started 213 games for the Reds and went 92-63 with a 3.21 ERA. Just as Bruce was rated higher than Votto as a prospect, Bailey overshadowed Cueto. The 6-foot-4 Texan was taken No. 7 in the 2004 draft and made the big leagues at age 21 in 2007. Bailey is best remembered for the pair of no-hitters he threw for the Reds, but it often overshadows the best-pitched game of his career, Game 3 of the 2012 National League Division Series, when he struck out 10 and allowed a run on one hit over seven innings in a Reds extra-inning loss. Picked up off waivers right before the start of the 2016 season, Dan Straily went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA on a team that used 15 different starters over the course of a 94-loss season. Straily's performance was so impressive that the Marlins sent three players, including Castillo, to the Reds in exchange for him. It didn't take long for the Reds to realize what they had in Castillo, who was called up that June and put up a 3.12 ERA in 15 starts. In his six years with the Reds, Castillo was 44-53 with a 3.62 ERA and was twice named an All-Star. Advertisement With apologies to: Mike Leake, Sonny Gray, Hunter Greene, Anthony DeSclafani Both Francisco Cordero and Danny Graves had more saves as a Red, but nobody came out of the bullpen and struck fear into the hearts of batters like Chapman and his triple-digit fastball. The Reds were a shocking winner of the Chapman sweepstakes when he came out of Cuba, and once he settled into the closer's role, he was as dominating as any pitcher in the game. Chapman struck out 42.9 percent of the batters he faced during his time as a Red. With apologies to: Francisco Cordero, Danny Graves, Raisel Iglesias (Top photo of Ken Griffey Jr.: Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images)
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Texas Rangers' All-Quarter Century Team, a 26-man roster of the club's best since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. We're inviting readers to take our survey and make their picks for the best players at each position since 2000, with the results announced in an upcoming story. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement On Thursday, Jayson Stark gave us his version of an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, and that got a few of us around here thinking: What would a franchise-specific team look like? Let's dig in and find out. First, the rules: Only stats from 2000-2025 count toward this exercise. So, for instance, you won't find Rusty Greer on this list, even though he stuck around until 2002, because he played only 218 games over those three years, for a combined 2.4 WAR (Baseball Reference). He has a case for an all-time Rangers team, but for the purposes of this exercise, he's out — his biggest contributions came from 1994-1999. The other way my team differs from Stark's is that I'm putting together a full 26-man roster with a dual goal: honor the players who contributed the most in this era and build a roster constructed to win a playoff bracket against other teams our writers are cooking up around the league. Here we go. Yes, his best years were pre-2000, so we're not getting vintage Pudge here. But even though Rodriguez played only four seasons in Texas after the turn of the century (one of which was the back half of the 2009 season, in which he played just 28 games), he's still the team's most valuable catcher of the 2000s with 12.9 WAR (FanGraphs). Imagine how much easier this exercise would be if the team hadn't let him depart in free agency after 2002, when he went on to win the 2003 World Series with the Marlins and the last three of his 13 Gold Gloves in Detroit. Rafael Palmeiro certainly has an argument here. He hit 14 more home runs than Teixeira in the 2000s, and … actually, that's it. Of Palmeiro's 44.6 bWAR as a Ranger, 23.7 of it came in the 1990s, leaving 20.9 bWAR in the 2000s. Teixeira outpaces him in just about every other category (and he's close in on-base percentage and slugging percentage). Notably, he was worth 21.5 bWAR with the Rangers, just ahead of Palmeiro's total for this exercise. But I'm giving Teixeira bonus value for this: When the Rangers traded him, they acquired five players, including three — Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison and Neftalí Feliz — who helped the team make its first World Series appearances in 2010 and '11. We could have a debate about Michael Young here, but bear with me. (Spoiler: He'll be on this list, just not at second base.) It might surprise you to know that when I filtered for Rangers players between 2000 and 2025, Kinsler was the third-most valuable player by fWAR (29.3, trailing only Adrián Beltré and Andrus). Kinsler caught a lot of flak for a perceived plethora of popups (#IKPU was a frequent hashtag in those days), but the facts are the facts: No other second baseman since 2000 comes close. Advertisement Before you scroll immediately to the comments section, let me just say: I know. But I'm building a team to win, and while Andrus was indubitably a better ambassador for the team, Rodriguez's three years in Texas were otherworldly. Look at these numbers, accumulated in three seasons. .305/.395/.615 (1.011 OPS), 156 home runs, 395 RBIs, 25.5 bWAR, 1,146 total bases. He was not a Ranger at heart, no. And given his later suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs, there's every reason to believe those numbers were a byproduct of the, uh, era. But I'm sorry, I don't think there has been a Rangers player — maybe not even in their entire history — who was a more dangerous hitter than 2002-04 A-Rod. His 27.0 fWAR as a Ranger ranks fourth since 2000, and he did it in 485 games. Nobody else in the top five played fewer than 1,066. Roast me if you will, but look: Do you want to beat Chandler Rome's Astros or not? By far the easiest choice of this entire exercise. Beltré sealed his Hall of Fame induction over his eight-year tenure in Arlington. In the process, he provided Rangers fans with some milestones — his 300th and 400th home runs, his 3,000th hit, his last three Gold Glove awards, precisely one stolen base per year — and more than a few moments of sheer joy. If you want to hear more about why this pick was so easy, I wrote about him when he was elected to the Hall of Fame. I'm not sure there's much argument to be had here, either. Shin-Soo Choo got on base at a much higher clip, but never approached Cruz's power. Joey Gallo did, but his 36.7 percent strikeout rate blows past Cruz's 22.4 percent. (To be fair, Gallo's 14.9 percent walk rate was close to double Cruz's 7.8 percent.) Gallo (who was better in Texas than you remember if you're a Yankees, Twins or Nationals fan) was kind of close. But while it's easy to remember the one moment — you know the one — the fact is that the Rangers don't make it to the 2011 World Series without Cruz going 8-for-22 (.364) with six home runs in six games against the Tigers in the ALCS. His walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning of Game 2 is one of the top five greatest moments in franchise history. Advertisement Some idiot once said 'I don't think there has been a Rangers player — maybe not even in their entire history — who was a more dangerous hitter than 2002-04 A-Rod.' What a fool. What an absolute buffoon. Because 2010 Josh Hamilton was so good that I might have included him on this list even if that was the only season he ever played for Texas. Fortunately for me, the choice is much easier, since he was in Texas for five years, including that transcendent MVP season. One hundred nineteen players have gotten at least one start in left field for the Rangers since 2000. Murphy started 482 games there from 2007-2013, the most among the group. The next three on the list? Hamilton (253) and Kevin Mench (239). In the 1,731 games (counting the 60-game 2020 season plus 51 this year) since Murphy's departure, the Rangers have started 61 different players in left field. The leader? Willie Calhoun with 149 starts. Not a single left fielder has even played 162 games at the position in over 11 years. The only other real contender here is Choo, but he played more right field than left. Their career numbers with the Rangers are comparable — Choo had more home runs, but Murphy's slugging percentage was still higher — so I'm giving the nod to Murphy, just because he's been the only stable left fielder the Rangers have had since Greer. Since defense and speed (and ergo, range) were the biggest knocks on Young elsewhere — but it doesn't seem right to bench the club's all-time leader in so many offensive categories — this feels like the best fit. The upside: If this hypothetical team ever played a full 162, having Young on the roster would give it a lot of flexibility, since he could fill in at all four infield positions. That's going to come into play later. Just for fun, here's my batting order: 2B Kinsler CF Hamilton SS A. Rodriguez 3B Beltré RF Cruz 1B Teixeira C I. Rodriguez DH Young LF Murphy Advertisement That lineup isn't hugely imbalanced, with six right-handed hitters, two lefties and a switch-hitter. But we'll balance it a little more by taking switch-hitting Heim as our second catcher, with big apologies to Mike Napoli, who spent only two full seasons with the Rangers (plus 35 games in 2015). Napoli's postseason heroics made this a tough choice, but with Pudge as our starter, the ability to have a defense-first switch hitter on the bench was too tempting. With Young capable of filling in for a different infielder every day, that leaves us with three spots, so let's identify our three biggest needs: speed, a big left-handed bat, and outfield defense. The team doesn't feel right without Andrus, and he just so happens to be the franchise's all-time leader in stolen bases. Bonus: He could serve as a late-innings defensive replacement for Rodriguez or Kinsler at shortstop or second base, respectively. If we'd gone with a 25-man roster, I would have to shake things up and include Leonys Martín, since he hit left-handed and was a good defender. Instead, we still have two spots: a lefty bat and a fourth outfielder. That allows us to sneak Corey Seager onto the team. There. We have Seager and Andrus on the team. You can now forgive me for putting Alex Rodriguez on this list. That leaves one spot. Maybe this is recency bias, but given how good García was in the 2023 postseason before he was injured (and the fact he won a Gold Glove that year), I didn't have to think too hard about adding him to the roster. He can pinch hit for Murphy if the opposition brings in a lefty late in the game, and would also be a fantastic late-innings defensive replacement in right field if the team happens to be one out away from winning a World Series. Which brings me to this decision: Sorry, Wash. Bochy was at helm when the Rangers won their first-ever World Series. Maybe we should ding him for being on the other side of the field when Ron Washington's 2010 squad made the first World Series appearance in franchise history. But I'm not gonna do that. Advertisement You know what's tricky? Evaluating pitching value across this century. If I were putting together a roster to win a World Series, I would absolutely take Rangers-era Jacob deGrom over peak Kenny Rogers, and it's not even close. If this exercise was to put together the best single seasons in these years, I'd have to take a hard look at 2015 Mike Minor and 2019 Lance Lynn. But if the point is to choose a team based on their contributions to the Rangers from 2000-25, we can't leave out Rogers — or Lewis, for that matter. For what it's worth, they're both tied for second with the Rangers in fWAR (14.1) over this period. For a franchise that was so long defined by its big bats, Rogers and Lewis were the two biggest workhorses of this century. The leader in that category, by the way, is Darvish at 18.1 fWAR. He was the first guy who came to mind even before I consulted the numbers. That's an easy slam-dunk. For the other two, I'm including their importance to the franchise beyond just regular-season numbers. I debated putting Cliff Lee on here, since his presence was central to the first World Series team, but he was only in Texas for 15 starts. Instead, we'll go with Hamels, who was central to the team's return to the postseason in 2015-16. And of course, Eovaldi was the ace on the first World-Series-winning team in franchise history, and started the clinching game. Apologies to Kevin Millwood, Martín Pérez, Derek Holland and C.J. Wilson (for now). Cordero has more saves (117) than any other Ranger in this timeframe and Feliz is second (93). The latter also has a statue outside the stadium commemorating the moment he struck out another member of this list to send the Rangers to their first World Series. Those two are easy picks. So is Francisco, who pitched 277 games and carried a 3.75 ERA for the Rangers in a time when home runs were soaring out of ballparks around the league. Advertisement Nathan's best years were in Minnesota, but in two seasons in Texas, he amassed more value (4.1 bWAR) than all but three relievers, and more saves than all but the two I just mentioned. It was a brief-but-brilliant tenure. As for Leclerc: His ninth-inning meltdowns (and there were a few) notwithstanding, he was also untouchable when he was on — maybe the nastiest reliever I've seen in a Rangers uniform. He also appeared in more games during these years than any Rangers reliever besides Cordero, and his 11.83 K/9 ranks third (behind Kirby Yates and David Robertson, each of whom pitched just one year in Texas). You might be surprised to see Claudio on this list. Not only was he one of my favorite pitchers to watch (the soft-slinging lefty wibble-wobble set was an all-time signature pitching move), but he also amassed more bWAR than any other left-handed Rangers reliever since 2000. Not Darren Oliver, not Matt Moore, not Jake Diekman — not even Wilson, who I am including here as a nod to his importance to the 2010 and 2011 World Series teams (even though he started in those years). I'm also including Wilson because his versatility would allow him to spot start, close, or anything in between. That brings us to the last name on the list: Sborz, who threw the curveball that sealed the franchise's first championship. There are a few franchises that don't have that guy in their history books yet. Sborz has been worth a mere 1.4 fWAR (and -0.6 bWAR) in his four seasons with the Rangers (though his 11.11 K/9 is fourth-best of all candidates). Don't care. He threw the pitch. He's on the list. (Top photo of Adrián Beltré: Rick Yeatts / Getty Images)
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Presenting the Cardinals' All-Quarter Century Team, the best in St. Louis since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. We're inviting readers to take our survey and make their picks for the best players at each position since 2000, with the results announced in an upcoming story. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement Full disclosure: This last quarter-century of baseball is all I've ever known. As a baseball writer still grasping to her late-20s, I grew up in an era when the St. Louis Cardinals set the standard in drafting and development. It wasn't until much later, when I took over as The Athletic's Cardinals beat writer in 2021, that I started to understand just how imperative that era was for this franchise. The Cardinals have made the playoffs in 16 of their past 25 seasons, including two World Series championships. Even during their current down stretch, they remain one of baseball's most prestigious and respected franchises. That's partly what made this exercise so hard (the other part being that I was a pre-teen/early teenager during the Cardinals' most dominant stretches). But if I know how to do one thing, it's how to annoy people with relentless questions. And that's exactly what I did as I surveyed various people around the ballpark over the past week, taking as many different opinions on players before my final submission. Below is The Athletic's official St. Louis Cardinals All-Quarter Century team. I look forward to you all agreeing with me. In the case that you don't, I'll try to do better when we do this again in 2050. Wow, who saw this one coming? I mean, he's only a two-time World Series champion, a 10-time All-Star, a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner, a future Hall of Famer and one of the best defensive catchers the game will ever see. Enough said. OK, I promise these get less obvious as we go on. But the resume of Mr. 703 speaks for itself. A World Series winner, twice. A three-time National League MVP, all with St. Louis. An 11-time All-Star. A six-time Silver Slugger and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. He should be a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection when he's eligible in 2028. Advertisement No disrespect to his 10-year stint with the Los Angeles Angels, but when you think Albert Pujols, you think the St. Louis Cardinals. Some of his most magical swings came wearing the Birds on the Bat. The memorable moments range from his first career homer on April 6, 2001 (when he would later go on to win the National League Rookie of the Year), to his monstrous homer off Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS, to his first home run back in a Cardinals uniform in 2022 — the beginning of a truly storybook final season. And of course, there were career home runs No. 699 and No. 700 on the same night at Dodger Stadium. Who's forgetting that? In a franchise rich with legends and heroes, Pujols stands among the very top. There will simply never be another No. 5. Carpenter, who spent 12 of his 14 MLB seasons with St. Louis, debuted with the Cardinals when St. Louis was on a roll. His gritty, hard-nosed style captured the hearts of Cardinals fans, who certainly had plenty to cheer about from 2011-2015. Those times coincided with the start of Carpenter's career. He was a back-to-back All-Star in 2013 and 2014, and notched his third selection in 2016. In 2013, he led the National League in hits (199) and doubles (55) and won a Silver Slugger at second base. There has been no shortage of tenacious middle infielders in St. Louis (seriously, it's like a factory out here). But Carpenter's time with the Cardinals was special. He announced his retirement earlier in the month and is all but a lock for the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Renteria spent six seasons with the Cardinals, winning two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and a National League pennant in that time. He was also a two-time All-Star selection, so not too shabby. Rentería is the only player in Cardinals history to win Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards in the same season twice. He ranks second in shortstops in franchise history in home runs (71) and stolen bases (148) and third in batting average (.290, with a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances), hits (973) and RBIs (415). Advertisement Rentería was named to the team's 2025 Hall of Fame class in early April and will be inducted this September. Rolen was an All-Star in four of his six seasons with the Cardinals and was a key piece of their 2006 World Series team — the franchise's first title in a 24-year span. He was also instrumental in the team's National League championship season in 2004, where he set career highs in (deep breath) home runs (34), RBIs (124), batting average (.314), on-base percentage (.409), slugging percentage (.598) and OPS (1.007). He finished fourth in MVP voting that year, behind teammates Pujols and Jim Edmonds (who, spoiler, might be on this list as well). Rolen helped spark the Cardinals to four postseason appearances (including two World Series) and played in 32 playoff games for St. Louis. His booming home run off Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the NLCS that season ultimately sent the Cardinals to the World Series in 2004. While Rolen played for four organizations throughout his 17 MLB seasons, he chose to represent the Cardinals when he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023. The Cardinals are no strangers to excellence at the hot corner, and Nolan Arenado is certainly worthy of consideration here. But given Rolen's extensive postseason experience, it's his spot for now. He's a seven-time All-Star (four with St. Louis), a four-time Silver Slugger, a 2011 World Series champion and a Cardinal Hall of Famer. After coming to the Cardinals halfway through the 2009 season, the organization inked him to the largest free-agent contract in franchise history at the time. Good thing they did. Holliday led the Cardinals in OPS for three consecutive seasons from 2012-2014 and received MVP votes in five of his eight seasons as a Cardinal. In his 982 games with St. Louis, Holliday hit .293/.380/.494 and tallied 1,048 hits, 237 doubles, 156 homers and 616 RBIs. Holliday ranks third all time among Cardinals outfielders in home runs (behind Stan Musial and Ray Lankford) and was instrumental in the team's run in the early 2010s. Advertisement Edmonds was the definition of center-field superiority during his time with St. Louis. After being traded to the Cardinals in 2000, Edmonds won six straight Gold Gloves and was a human highlight reel in the outfield, dazzling fans with his rugged style. The Cardinals reached the playoffs in all but two of the eight seasons he played in St. Louis. In those eight seasons, Edmonds was an All-Star three times, hit .285 with 241 home runs — ranking fourth all time within the franchise — and won the Silver Slugger Award in 2004. Edmonds was elected into the Cardinals' inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2014 and remains an organizational favorite amongst Cardinals fans. Taguchi came to St. Louis in 2022, his age-32 season, becoming the Cardinals' first Japanese-born signing. It wasn't until 2004 when he started making an impact, but his role in the Cardinals' 2006 World Series championship turned him into a fan favorite. During the 2006 postseason, Taguchi hit a scorching .400/.438/.867 with two homers, tying his regular-season total. Other right fielders who played for the Cardinals (J.D. Drew, Lance Berkman, Larry Walker, to name a few) might have more prestigious career resumes. But Taguchi's impact in a short time in St. Louis matters more, given what it led to. This rotation features 515 Cardinals wins (200 from Wainwright), four World Series championships, 11 All-Star selections and two Cardinals Hall of Fame berths (and two more coming, once Lynn and Wainwright are eligible). Pick your favorite here, you can't go wrong. Few closers were as effective as Isringhausen in the 2000s. In the seven seasons he spent as the Cardinals' closer (from 2002 to 2008), Isringhausen made 401 appearances and holds the franchise record for saves (217) and ranks third amongst Cardinals relievers in strikeouts (373). He established the Cardinals' then-single-season record for saves in 2004 with 47, and followed up that performance with an All-Star selection in 2005. During Isringhausen's tenure, the Cardinals won the National League Central Division four times, the National League pennant twice and the World Series in 2006. He logged 408 innings and posted a 2.98 ERA with 217 total saves. Even with other stellar closers that followed behind him (Trevor Rosenthal and Ryan Helsley, both of whom have broken his previous single-season save record), Isringhausen still reigns supreme as the Cardinals' ninth-inning man. (Top photo of Yadier Molina, left, and Albert Pujols from 2022: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
