The "Mike Trout vs. Bryce Harper" Debate is Dead

[navamind]

Harper's OPS+ would be the fifth best of Bonds' career. But yeah, he sucks.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

Guys, its ok, baseball will be dead soon.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

He's on pace for 48 home runs this year and batting .312.

And even if he did bat .290 and "didn't reach 40 home runs", he's still elite.

Never said he isn't great or elite... I just don't think he is on pace to be one of the greats anymore... His first 2 seasons he looked like he could be a top 10 player of all time... Now i see him to be top 50... Still elite, but just not one of the GREATEST...

And at this point he is no longer a big threat on the bases, and too much of a HR bat... i see this to only continue, and he will continually bulk up... the question is will he be able to keep his stellar BA up... and i just don't see it...

Bryce Harper has better power potential due to body type and swing... so I do think Harper at this point has the higher ceiling...

 

[seahawksfan234]

Trout has had the best start to his career of any player I can find, even from the steroid era. There are not many players who have had a start to their career like him. Hell, there haven't even many players who have had as good of a 4 year stretch of their career like Trout has had, and he's only 23 for Christ Sake!

Mike Trout is an amazing player.

Bryce Harper has finally put his talent together and is having an MVP caliber season, but Trout has been having MVP caliber seasons since 2012.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Isn't he on pace to hit 45+ this year?

on pace doesn't mean he will do it... I don't think he will get 45+... and i won't be surprised if he doesn't reach 40... But i guess, at this point he should reach 40...

 

[mr.hockey4242]

I do think Harper has the brighter future... But at this point Trout is the clear better player...

The problem is Trout is no longer on pace to be one of the greats... As he is no longer a huge SB threat... He is now here to hit HRs, and is great at doing so, but he will not be one of the greats on this road... It is tough to be too good for your own good... and that was Trout...

Look at his numbers the past 2 seasons, yes they are still great, but they are no longer the Mike trout that we fell in love with... Now he is a .290 power hitter who will never have enough power to reach 40+ HRs...

Not sure if you are aware but even after Harpers torrid stretch in May. Trout still caught him in homers at 26.

Trout is a god. The quicker people realize it, the more enjoyable it will be to watch him for the next 15 years

 

[navamind]

Never said he isn't great or elite... I just don't think he is on pace to be one of the greats anymore... His first 2 seasons he looked like he could be a top 10 player of all time... Now i see him to be top 50... Still elite, but just not one of the GREATEST...

And at this point he is no longer a big threat on the bases, and too much of a HR bat... i see this to only continue, and he will continually bulk up... the question is will he be able to keep his stellar BA up... and i just don't see it...

Bryce Harper has better power potential due to body type and swing... so I do think Harper at this point has the higher ceiling...

No such thing. I'll take a guarantee run (home run) over stolen bases 100% of the time.

 

[navamind]

Guys, its ok, baseball will be dead soon.

MLB Completely Dominated Local Prime Time TV During The 2014 Season [UPDATED] - Forbes

MLB Worth $36 Billion As Team Values Hit Record $1.2 Billion Average - Forbes

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Never said he isn't great or elite... I just don't think he is on pace to be one of the greats anymore... His first 2 seasons he looked like he could be a top 10 player of all time... Now i see him to be top 50... Still elite, but just not one of the GREATEST...

And at this point he is no longer a big threat on the bases, and too much of a HR bat... i see this to only continue, and he will continually bulk up... the question is will he be able to keep his stellar BA up... and i just don't see it...

Bryce Harper has better power potential due to body type and swing... so I do think Harper at this point has the higher ceiling...

Dude I'm sorry but this is just outrageous on so many levels.

He's doing things no one has done in 50 years and he's only top 50 material to you?

You don't see him "keeping up" with his numbers when he's still 3 years shy of his PRIME?

Seriously. It's not even logical.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Harper's OPS+ would be the fifth best of Bonds' career. But yeah, he sucks.

wRC+ of 216 so far; that's better than the vast majority of Ruth's season when he started hitting seriously. Would rank 16th among the 20 seasons (unless my eyes deceive me) where Babe Ruth hit seriously with adequate defense. But he sucks

 

[cezero]

Harper pretty obviously made a commitment to roids/PED this offseason. He is so riddled with steroids/PED, he looks like he's swallowed a pumpkin. And for the record, I'm fine with PED in baseball unless MLB ever starts testing in a way that isn't an utter joke.

PED are already taking a physical toll on him, too, with routine plays resulting in injuries.

He had to do enough PED to kill a small horse to have 1 great half of a season. Good for him if he keeps it up, but he'll never be as great a ball player as Trout.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Lolwut? Of all the years to pick, you pick THIS year to start this thread? Harper can very easily be greater than Trout when it's all said and done if this really is his breakout into what many assumed was a transcendent talent.

How can he easily be better if his 1 half season "breakout" year isn't even considerably better than Trouts half season this year....when trout has already 3 years of evidence to support his production?

I mean after Harpers torrid May stretch, trout has been gaining fast just for this year alone.

 

[da55bums]

on pace doesn't mean he will do it... I don't think he will get 45+... and i won't be surprised if he doesn't reach 40... But i guess, at this point he should reach 40...

he needs 14 the rest of the season to get 40, I would be surprised if anything you said on trout makes any sense whatsoever.

Not ANY of the greats had trout beat by 21, trout just has best years of his career to go.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

How can he easily be better if his 1 half season "breakout" year isn't even considerably better than Trouts half season this year....when trout has already 3 years of evidence to support his production?

I mean after Harpers torrid May stretch, trout has been gaining fast just for this year alone.

He's 22. Projection is not all that outrageous here. The cone of uncertainty is so wide here that it's pointless to compare right now. Harper is not exactly lacking in talent.

And even now, Harper has a Ruthian 216 wRC+. That's absolutely competitive with Trout in my book. Does he sustain it? Who the hell knows, but it's not entirely impossible with the talent he possesses. Point being the debate is far from dead, not that Harper is or even will be better.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

He's 22. Projection is not all that outrageous here. The cone of uncertainty is so wide here that it's pointless to compare right now. Harper is not exact lacking in talent.

And even now, Harper has a Ruthian 216 wRC+. That's absolutely competitive with Trout in my book. Does he sustain it? Who the hell knows, but it's not entirely impossible with the talent he possesses. Point being the debate is far from dead, not that Harper is or even will be better.

No doubt about that. I'm not one of those just hating on Harper to hate or anything. Guy is a stud. I was just saying it's hard to right now say that he could "easily" be better when his best half season isn't even trumping a 23 year olds 3.5 year track record.

Both are stars. I personally see Trout going down as the better player when it's all done. But it is def still a debate

 

[seahawksfan234]

Not sure if you are aware but even after Harpers torrid stretch in May. Trout still caught him in homers at 26.

Trout is a god. The quicker people realize it, the more enjoyable it will be to watch him for the next 15 years

I'd be surprised if anyone doubts that.

 

[redseat]

Right now Trout >> Harper and it's pretty clear at this point. When their careers are over who knows. Trout is living up to the hype and Harper not so much to this point.

 

[redseat]

Anthony Castrovince: Bryce Harper vs. Mike Trout could join ranks of great debates | MLB.com

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Both are good players but if I'm starting a franchise Trout is #1 in my book. Would take him over any other player in baseball at the moment.

 

[navamind]

Right now Trout >> Harper and it's pretty clear at this point. When their careers are over who knows. Trout is living up to the hype and Harper not so much to this point.

It's almost like people don't bother to check Harper's 2015 stats. Good fucking lord.