The first table shows the number of seasons from a decade that are in the top 100 (actually the top 106 due to ties). 1900 means the decade of 1900-09. The 1950s had only one such season, Ernie Banks, 3.5 in 1959, which is tied for 62nd place. From 1945-58, there was not a single season in the top 106.
The percent of the total that each decade has is listed next. Then the total defensive WAR from the guys in that decade and that decade's percentage of all the WAR from the top 100 (actually 106).
Decade
|
Count
|
Percent
|
Defensive
WAR
|
Percent
|
1900
|
11
|
0.104
|
40.5
|
0.102
|
1910
|
6
|
0.057
|
23.7
|
0.060
|
1920
|
5
|
0.047
|
19.8
|
0.050
|
1930
|
2
|
0.019
|
7.9
|
0.020
|
1940
|
9
|
0.085
|
31.6
|
0.080
|
1950
|
1
|
0.009
|
3.5
|
0.009
|
1960
|
15
|
0.142
|
55.4
|
0.140
|
1970
|
11
|
0.104
|
42
|
0.106
|
1980
|
11
|
0.104
|
40
|
0.101
|
1990
|
9
|
0.085
|
32.9
|
0.083
|
2000
|
11
|
0.104
|
40.2
|
0.102
|
2010
|
15
|
0.142
|
58.2
|
0.147
|
The 1930s also had only 2 seasons while the 2010s have already had 15, the most since the 1960s. Some of this has to do with how many games get played and teams there are, but the 2010s are still doing very well.
Here is the same table for the top 500 seasons (actually the top 546 due to ties)
Decade
|
Count
|
Percent
|
Defensive
WAR
|
Percent
|
1880
|
13
|
0.024
|
31.8
|
0.020
|
1890
|
8
|
0.015
|
20.5
|
0.013
|
1900
|
40
|
0.073
|
117.5
|
0.076
|
1910
|
33
|
0.060
|
97.8
|
0.063
|
1920
|
23
|
0.042
|
68.7
|
0.044
|
1930
|
28
|
0.051
|
76.2
|
0.049
|
1940
|
31
|
0.057
|
89.5
|
0.058
|
1950
|
26
|
0.048
|
70
|
0.045
|
1960
|
48
|
0.088
|
140.4
|
0.090
|
1970
|
69
|
0.126
|
194.9
|
0.126
|
1980
|
62
|
0.114
|
172.3
|
0.111
|
1990
|
54
|
0.099
|
149.4
|
0.096
|
2000
|
58
|
0.106
|
165.5
|
0.107
|
2010
|
53
|
0.097
|
157.9
|
0.102
|
