10-year WAR leaders, by position

Here are the overall leaders in bWAR for the past 10 years combined (2002-11), by position:

Pos	Player	WAR/pos	OPS+	Rbat	Rfield	Rbaser + Rdp	PA	From	To	Age	G
C	Joe Mauer	40.7	134	195	48	10	3911	2004	2011	21-28	918
1B	Albert Pujols	82.2	172	607	109	-2	6757	2002	2011	22-31	1544
2B	Chase Utley	42.7	127	163	67	46	4778	2003	2011	24-32	1109
SS	Derek Jeter	39.5	114	157	-72	26	6904	2002	2011	28-37	1490
3B	Alex Rodriguez	59.8	146	373	-23	23	6387	2002	2011	26-35	1450
LF	Barry Bonds	43.2	219	372	5	-1	2801	2002	2007	37-42	690
CF	Carlos Beltran	49.7	128	219	40	52	5851	2002	2011	25-34	1345
RF	Ichiro Suzuki	47.0	113	113	107	84	7322	2002	2011	28-37	1592
DH	Jim Thome	33.0	147	294	2	-19	5017	2002	2011	31-40	1255
DH	David Ortiz	33.0	143	309	1	-26	6039	2002	2011	26-35	1412

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/30/2012.

Three players make the team despite playing less than 10 years: Mauer (8 years), Bonds (6) and Utley (9).

For the pitchers, here's the top starters, closers and set-up man, righty and lefty:

Pos	Player	WAR	ERA+	SO/9	SO/BB	IP	From	To	Age	G
SP-RH	Roy Halladay	59.3	148	6.97	4.57	2194.2	2002	2011	25-34	304
SP-LH	CC Sabathia	46.5	128	7.61	2.93	2184.0	2002	2011	21-30	322
CL-RH	Mariano Rivera	33.6	231	8.40	5.32	678.1	2002	2011	32-41	639
CL-LH	Billy Wagner	18.7	210	11.18	4.51	559.2	2002	2010	30-38	537
SU-RH	LaTroy Hawkins	12.6	145	6.66	2.91	601.1	2002	2011	29-38	596
SU-LH	Matt Thornton	9.4	129	9.76	2.57	460.0	2004	2011	27-34	472

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/30/2012.

Why have left-handed closers become so unpopular? In the past 10 years, lefties accounted for just 10% of all 30-save seasons (17 of 166). The rate was the same for the previous 10 years (13 of 137). But it was 22% for the 20 years before that, 1972-91 (20 of 91).

It could be just random distribution. But there does seem to be an active disinclination to have a LH closer. There were no lefties among the 28 men with 20+ saves last year.

As a bonus, here are all-righty, all-lefty and all-switchy lineup:

Right-hand batters:

Pos	Player	WAR/pos	OPS+	Rbat	Rfield	Rbaser + Rdp	From	To	Age	G
C	Ivan Rodriguez	22.0	100	-3	31	-15	2002	2011	30-39	1172
1B	Albert Pujols	82.2	172	607	109	-2	2002	2011	22-31	1544
2B	Placido Polanco	31.3	100	18	95	6	2002	2011	26-35	1324
SS	Derek Jeter	39.5	114	157	-72	26	2002	2011	28-37	1490
3B	Alex Rodriguez	59.8	146	373	-23	23	2002	2011	26-35	1450
LF	Manny Ramirez	33.8	155	340	-69	-28	2002	2011	30-39	1193
CF	Andruw Jones	30.4	113	75	92	-11	2002	2011	25-34	1275
RF	Vladimir Guerrero	37.0	138	286	13	-20	2002	2011	27-36	1416
DH	Frank Thomas	15.0	131	146	0	-26	2002	2008	34-40	772

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/31/2012.

Left-hand batters:

Pos	Player	WAR/pos	OPS+	Rbat	Rfield	Rbaser + Rdp	From	To	Age	G
C	Joe Mauer	40.7	134	195	48	10	2004	2011	21-28	918
1B	Todd Helton	40.2	134	278	66	-21	2002	2011	28-37	1389
2B	Chase Utley	42.7	127	163	67	46	2003	2011	24-32	1109
SS	Stephen Drew	10.6	98	-16	-11	8	2006	2011	23-28	733
3B	Eric Chavez	24.8	113	58	59	4	2002	2011	24-33	943
LF	Barry Bonds	43.2	219	372	5	-1	2002	2007	37-42	690
CF	Jim Edmonds	34.3	136	184	50	-9	2002	2010	32-40	1000
RF	Ichiro Suzuki	47.0	113	113	107	84	2002	2011	28-37	1592
DH	Jim Thome	33.0	147	294	2	-19	2002	2011	31-40	1255
DH	David Ortiz	33.0	143	309	1	-26	2002	2011	26-35	1412

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/31/2012.

In the past 10 years, just 5 lefty batters have had a qualified season at SS: 4 by Stephen Drew, 1 each by Russ Adams, Craig Counsell, Tony Womack and Andy Fox(?!).

Switch-hitters:

Pos	Player	WAR/pos	OPS+	Rbat	Rfield	Rbaser + Rdp	From	To	Age	G
C	Jorge Posada	31.9	124	163	-27	-38	2002	2011	30-39	1248
1B	Lance Berkman	42.6	147	368	-19	-17	2002	2011	26-35	1470
2B	Brian Roberts	22.2	105	45	-28	22	2002	2011	24-33	1158
SS	Jimmy Rollins	32.2	98	-47	67	54	2002	2011	23-32	1464
3B	Chipper Jones	44.4	142	296	1	-5	2002	2011	30-39	1293
LF*	Randy Winn	24.5	103	27	49	36	2002	2010	28-36	1350
CF	Carlos Beltran	49.7	128	219	40	52	2002	2011	25-34	1345
RF	Nick Swisher	19.6	116	104	17	-14	2004	2011	23-30	1061
DH*	Dmitri Young	5.2	121	57	-26	-12	2002	2008	28-34	673

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/31/2012.

* To get a switch-hitting LF and a DH who had ever been regulars at those positions, I had to lower the threshold to 30% of games played at that position during the 10-year span.