If you were not aware, Mike Trout is the best player in baseball.
Yes, Bryce Harper is exciting and flashy, but also inconsistent. Manny Machado is a great all-around player, and in a year or two he may claim the spot currently held by Trout. But right now, there is no more complete player in baseball than Trout.
So why is he not talked about more?
The issue is not that he is under appreciated, baseball understands that he is on pace for a Hall of Fame career. Every day on MLB Network on ESPN, however, it seems that the headline is always Harper hitting a homerun or getting ejected.
This is Mike Trout's fifth full Major League season. He has five All-Star Game selections, a Rookie of the Year, and a Most Valuable Player. He has finished second in the MVP voting three times and has added four Silver Slugger Awards. Bryce Harper has five Major League seasons of at least 100 games. His resume? One MVP, one Rookie of the Year, four All-Star Game appearances, and one Silver Slugger. His next closest MVP finish was 30th. Take your pick.
One of the issues is the market in which Trout plays. But he plays in Los Angeles? Yes, he does, but for the Angels. For those unaware, the Angels are not good. If Mike Trout was a Dodger, he would easily be the most talked about player in the Major Leagues. Take Yasiel Puig for example. Puig has been on a decline since his rookie year, but he still gets more publicity than Trout does.
Some people have raised the issue that Trout is "boring to watch." Well, that can be understandable. He does the same thing in every game he plays, and he does not have the brash personality of Harper. However, picture this. You are the manager of the Los Angeles Angels. By penciling Trout's name in the lineup every day over the course of the season, you are almost guaranteeing yourself 150 games, 30 homeruns, 90 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. That does not even include his Gold Glove caliber defense in center field (check YouTube for further evidence). He is reliable, a leader by example.
The "Harper or Trout?" question is one that I have been asked constantly. Although I love watching Bryce Harper play baseball, I always say Mike Trout. There is no player more dominant in baseball. He is the epitome of a five-tool player.
Through the age of 23 (he is now 25), Trout's numbers were comparable to Hall of Famers such as Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr., three of the greatest outfielders ever. I figure one day I will tell my grandkids about Mike Trout like my grandfather has told me about Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays.
So, baseball fans, appreciate Mike Trout. Pay more attention to how he has revived the center field position. One day you will thank yourself for watching him play baseball.
