The San Diego Padres 2010’s All-Decade Team
Credit: USA Today
Left Field: Justin Upton
Upton gets the nod after only one year in a Padres uniform. That speaks to how productive Upton was, and still is. Carlos Quentin gave him a run for his money (3.0 WAR in three seasons) but Upton took the cake in one year with a 4.4 WAR.
That was thanks to 26 home runs, 81 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and a +8 Defensive Runs Saved in the outfield. He was the whole package and lived up to the hype, even if it was for that one “all-in” year in 2015.
Center Field: Cameron Maybin
This seems so long ago (he was traded at the beginning of the 2015 season for Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton), but Maybin played four seasons for San Diego. From 2011 to 2014, Maybin was the everyday centerfielder (except for an injury-plagued 2013) and did a pretty good job. In those four seasons, he posted a +23 Defensive Runs Saved at one of the hardest positions in baseball.
For the most part, his bat left a little bit to be desired. His best offensive season in San Diego was 2011. He hit nine homers with 40 RBI and 40 stolen bases with a .264 average. He was a fantastic base stealer and athlete when he wasn’t hurt. He finished his Friars career with a .246 average, 19 home runs, and 74 stolen bases. Although his bat wasn’t as powerful then, he certainly was valuable in center field on defense. He posted a 7.2 WAR during his time in San Diego. Just to portray how good Manuel Margot is, Margot had a 2.5 WAR just this past season, which is the best single season for a Friar center fielder since Maybin’s 2012 campaign.
Right Field: Will Venable
This was a pretty easy one. Venable was the steadiest presence in the Padres’ locker room throughout this decade. He held the title of “Longest Tenured Padre on the Roster” for quite a while. He had a 13.2 WAR during his eight seasons in San Diego. We all remember his best catches in the outfield, especially that one in San Francisco. His 2013 season at the plate was the best of his career by far. His 22 home runs, 53 RBI, 22 doubles, and 22 stolen bases added up to a solid 126 OPS+.
Venable could have won a Gold Glove in 2010. He had a +15 Defensive Runs Saved in 121 games. He posted a positive DRS in five of his six years in right field. He never approached his 22-homer 2013 again, but he was solid with the bat. He had two straight seasons of eight triples and four straight years of at least 22 stolen bases. He was the most reliable of the “2010’s Decade” Padres to date.
Starting Pitcher: Tyson Ross
Tyson Ross beat out Clayton Richard and Andrew Cashner for this honor. He was the lone All-Star of the bunch, in 2014. From 2013 to 2015, he was a solid a starter as you could ask for in the big leagues. 2014 was indeed a great year for Ross. He won 13 games with a 2.81 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 195 innings. He made 33 starts that next season and had a solid 3.26 ERA with 212 strikeouts, his career high.
He tried to give it a go in 2016, but only lasted Opening Day before being shut down for the season with an injury. In three relatively healthy seasons in the Padres’ rotation, he won 26 games with a 3.16 ERA and 531 strikeouts. He had a career 112 OPS+ as a Padres starter.
Reliever: Huston Street
Street currently sits fifth on the Padres’ franchise list with 80 saves. He did that in just two and a half seasons from 2012 to 2014. He was given a good push by Heath Bell (who actually did a lot of his work pre-2010, hence the exclusion) and most recently, Brad Hand (2.56 ERA, 4.5 WAR in two seasons). Street was an All-Star twice during his Padres tenure. He came in 2012 and made an immediate impact, saving 23 games with a stifling 1.85 ERA. He saved 33 games that next season with a 2.70 ERA. His ERA never once finished near 3.00 in San Diego.
He was dealt in the middle of 2014, but before he was, he had a ridiculous 1.09 ERA in 33 appearances. He appeared in 116 games total for the Friars with a career 2.03 ERA. Only Joaquin Benoit and Mike Adams have a lower Padres career ERA with at least 100 appearances.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.
