Mike Trout

[molsaniceman]

no kidding, but nobody ever in the history of baseball as started out like this.

Trout 402 G

78HR 305 R 250 RBI 95 SB 313/403/555 958 ops

Williams 426 G

91 HR 400 R 378 RBI 8 SB 356/475/640 1.16 ops

Trout can steal bases better Williams hit 406 @ 22

 

[Darkstone42]

It will be interesting to see if pitchers ever figure out that Trout's hot spot is the entire low part of the zone (he slugs over .700 on those pitches, Puig is next in all of baseball, somewhere in the low .600s) and that, if his swing has a hole, it's up. Of course, for Trout, a "hole" means he's average on pitches up there, but I'm sure a pitcher would rather face an average hitter than Trout.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[da55bums]

Trout 402 G

78HR 305 R 250 RBI 95 SB 313/403/555 958 ops

Williams 426 G

91 HR 400 R 378 RBI 8 SB 356/475/640 1.16 ops

Trout can steal bases better Williams hit 406 @ 22

When I posted this pole, Trout had his 20th and 21st year old seasons, 2 of the best seasons ever by a 20 and a 21 yr old, done and he was ahead of Williams, tough to compare to Williams 22nd year old season, one of the greatest single seasons in history. Either way, you are comparing Trout to Ted Williams, that says enough.

Will be the youngest 100/100 guy ever also, who knows if he will keep it up.

 

[gandydancer]

He can become a great. On track for sure. Stay injury free and who knows.

Just as Miggy passed Albert and Trout is passing Miggy. Someone will come along and pass him, just at this age he still has to sustain for many many years. IMO he will.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Trout has been the best player in baseball since he came up but "on pace to be in discussion for best player of all time" after 400 games is a lot like being on pace to be the greatest team ever after one week of baseball. He has been nothing short of phenomenal but let's not go crazy describing a 22 year old kid.

Considering he has two MVP runner ups in two full seasons and now in his 3rd is a heavy favorite for MVP so far...I think the discussion is actually realistic. People did it with Lebron...even took him a while to get the MVP's flowing.

 

[gandydancer]

Hey, Don't mess with Dougie...he is entertaining, consistantly...

Hammer could charge for the entertainment Dougie brings.

 

[da55bums]

Considering he has two MVP runner ups in two full seasons and now in his 3rd is a heavy favorite for MVP so far...I think the discussion is actually realistic. People did it with Lebron...even took him a while to get the MVP's flowing.

Someone else brought up Ted Williams season.....not bad for a 22 yr old?

 

[Lemon Harang Pie]

Considering he has two MVP runner ups in two full seasons and now in his 3rd is a heavy favorite for MVP so far...I think the discussion is actually realistic. People did it with Lebron...even took him a while to get the MVP's flowing.

OK but it's not.

He's not even close to playing long enough to get on a ballot much less actually having a HOF caliber resume. He's been great so far but there have been plenty of great young players in baseball history.

 

[tnerb57]

OK but it's not.

He's not even close to playing long enough to get on a ballot much less actually having a HOF caliber resume. He's been great so far but there have been plenty of great young players in baseball history.

While that is a true statement, the poll asks if he "will be". A prediction poll, nothing more.

 

[CSD]

If he stays healthy and continues to play at this level, he could very well be the next Mickey Mantle.

 

[da55bums]

OK but it's not.

He's not even close to playing long enough to get on a ballot much less actually having a HOF caliber resume. He's been great so far but there have been plenty of great young players in baseball history.

please, feel free to list 5 if you can, doubt you can list 10 who started like Trout has. Make sure none of them are HOFers.

 

[cezero]

Are we seeing one of the best hitters to ever play the game?

yes.

not just best hitter, but one of the best players ever if he can even stay within 20% of his current production for the next half decade.

i have little doubt that he will eventually be in the conversation for greatest MLB player ever.

 

[cezero]

He's been great so far but there have been plenty of great young players in baseball history.

your point bout it being too early to call him a hall of fame player has merit. if he were to retire right now, of course he wouldn't be in the hall of fame. that's a fair claim.

as for the rest of it, there's great and there's great.

which other players have had 2.5 great seasons like trout has had?

i challenge you to find any who have had 2.5 seasons at any point in their careers similar to trout's who is not in the hall of fame.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[Darkstone42]

 

[Loneranger]

yes.

not just best hitter, but one of the best players ever if he can even stay within 20% of his current production for the next half decade.

i have little doubt that he will eventually be in the conversation for greatest MLB player ever.

We can all agree he's a very good player today and has been since he came up. That said , he's a far cry from any discussion about "greatest ever". I mean no disrespect to Trout or your opinion but greatest ever players are not .302 hitters - they're .342 hitters several times over. Certainly there's more to it than batting avg. but that's a good starting point and right now he isn't one of those. I believe he can be and may very well be but right now he isn't. He's the best player in the game today probably but he isn't anywhere near anyones greatest ever list.

 

[StanMarsh51]

[/B]We can all agree he's a very good player today and has been since he came up. That said , he's a far cry from any discussion about "greatest ever". I mean no disrespect to Trout or your opinion but greatest ever players are not .302 hitters - they're .342 hitters several times over. Certainly there's more to it than batting avg. but that's a good starting point and right now he isn't one of those. I believe he can be and may very well be but right now he isn't. He's the best player in the game today probably but he isn't anywhere near anyones greatest ever list.

So Hank Aaron and his .305 average doesn't make him one of the greatest players ever? Willie Mays at .302?

When you look at it, many (if not most) of those players with ridiculously high averages were either pre-WW2 (where many seasons had the league average at .280+) or not well-rounded hitters/players.

A .310 average (which Trout has for his career) in a league that hits .255 isn't necessarily worse than a .330 average in a league that hits .290.

 

[Loneranger]

So Hank Aaron and his .305 average doesn't make him one of the greatest players ever? Willie Mays at .302?

When you look at it, many (if not most) of those players with ridiculously high averages were either pre-WW2 (where many seasons had the league average at .280+) or not well-rounded hitters/players.

A .310 average (which Trout has for his career) in a league that hits .255 isn't necessarily worse than a .330 average in a league that hits .290.

I'm not saying Aaron isn't an all time great , I just don't consider him ,or Mays for that matter ,in any discussion about "greatest ever" . There's a big gap between the 2 and greatest ever is a standard very few can ever be mentioned for consideration. I agree with your opinion that many in the past were not well rounded players - it's just as true today. Trout certainly is as well rounded as they come and that is what sets him apart from so many today. Still we judge position players mostly by their offense. His offensive production is impressive especially for a kid his age. I believe he will be a guy who hits .340 more than once and will end up in the discussion with very few other players in history. Then again maybe he won't. Wasn't that long ago and we all thought Arod was going to be one of those , same with Griffey. There's a long ways to go for Trout to be in the greatest ever conversation , long ways. I'm a fan of his and would love to see him end up there.

 

[da55bums]

If ARod stayed a SS and played with one team, would he be talked about as one of the greatest to ever have played the game, better numbers than Jeter. Griffey moved teams also.

Guys of old, stayed with one team, Jeter, Rivera stayed with one team. Pujols even switched teams and isn't talked about as one of the greatest anymore after 10 years of talk about him being it, but could still end up putting up numbers to put him up there.

Does anyone think if a player switches teams during their peak years, it affects them negatively in the all time greats?

Ruth, Miggy, changed pre peak?

Its actually a sorta of odd observation of peoples views of "all time greats"