The 2000s were the beginning of the end of the steroid era, the most exciting time in baseball. The decade was loaded with talent with players like Bonds and Griffey Jr, but this article is going to focus on rising stars rather than aging players, which would exclude them. Here are my top five players of the 2000s.
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5. Manny Ramirez
One of the best pure hitters of our generation, Manny hit for power and average. Although he was a below average defender and base runner, his 348 home runs and and .317 BA in the decade made up for that.
4. Vladimir Guerrero
Just like Manny, Vlad was a great hitter. It seemed as if Vlad could hit any pitch. He could take you deep if he wanted, or just flip a single into right field. From 2000 to 09', Vladdy hit .323 with 315 home runs. He also won the 2004 MVP in a year in which he hit .337 with 39 home runs and drove in 126 runs. Although he wasnt a plus fielder, you couldn't run on Vladdy's cannon.
3. Ichiro
He could hit, he could run, he could field, he could throw.. really well. When Ichiro came to the majors from Japan in 2001, he was arguably the most exciting player in baseball. In just his first year in the Majors, Ichiro was awarded the Rookie Of The Year and the MVP as he hit .350 and stole 56 bags. On top of that, Ichiro won 10 consecutive gold gloves, broke the single season hit record in 2004, and became the first player with 10 consecutive seasons of 200 hits. From 2001 to 2009, Ichiro tallied 341 stolen bases, 2030 hits, 228 doubles, and 68 triples.
2. Albert Pujols
You don't get a name like "The Machine" unless you can hit, and Albert did that as well as anyone. No doubt on of the most fun players to ever watch, whether you rooted for him or not. As a 21 year old kid, Albert played 161 games and put up gaudy numbers. The rookie hit .329 while mashing 37 home runs and driving in 130 runs. Albert's 10 consecutive years of 30 HR, 100 RBI's, and .300 average are beyond impressive. Albert hit .339, 366 home runs, and drove in 1112 runs in the decade to go along with his 3 MVP awards. It is almost hard to not put Pujols first, he was that great of a hitter.
1. Alex Rodriguez
Yep, A-Rod is the best player of the 2000's. Just like Pujols, A-rod won 3 MVP's in this time frame, to go along with the 2 gold gloves he won as a short stop before converting to third base in 2004. Rodriguez led the league in home runs 5 times in the decade, totaling 435. He also drove in 1243 runs while hitting .304. The most feared hitter of his era, A-Rod was no slouch on the bases as he stole 179 in the decade. A-Rod's all around ability is what separates him from Pujols, he possessed all 5 tools which is rare for a shortstop. Perhaps the best shortstop of all-time, Rodriguez is not only the best player of the 2000's, he's one of the best ever.
That'll wrap up this list of the top five players of the 2000s. I think we can all agree that these are some of the best players we've had the chance to watch, and you really can't go wrong with any of them.
