Mike Trout INDEED!!

[packs]

He only played 111 games last year and has an outlier year during his MVP season. That's why his career mark is where it is. His first three seasons his OPS was 816. The season between his MVP and last year his OPS was 814. His OPS this year is 821.

[AGuinness]

Originally Posted by packs

He only played 111 games last year and has an outlier year during his MVP season. That's why his career mark is where it is. His first three seasons his OPS was 816. The season between his MVP and last year his OPS was 814. His OPS this year is 821.

I don't think dismissing his MVP season is fair, because he clearly has the underlying talent/skills to do that. That season wasn't a fluke, he's been considered a great talent since he was in his mid-teens. And I don't think GMs of teams will dismiss it either, which is why I think he will get a big contract. Unless his underlying talent/skills have changed, and in particular thanks to his young age, there's a pretty good chance he can put up another MVP-type season or two in the coming years.

Side note: Harper's MVP season ties him for 53rd on the Baseball-Reference single season position player WAR list. Babe Ruth populates three of the top four on that list, while the player who ranks third on the list kind of surprised me: Yaz in his triple crown year of 1967.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I cannot imagine a better proxy for his OPS than his actual lifetime OPS.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by packs

He only played 111 games last year and has an outlier year during his MVP season. That's why his career mark is where it is. His first three seasons his OPS was 816. The season between his MVP and last year his OPS was 814. His OPS this year is 821.

Harper leads the NL with 19 home runs and 56 walks. He's hitting the ball hard, and seeing pitches well. His OPS is off this year because of his batting average, which is only .214. He was a career .285 hitter coming into this season.

Harper is having just terrible luck. He's got a career .323 BAbip coming into this season. It's .211 in 2018. He's clearly been hitting the ball hard.

Harper is too good a hitter to be held down much longer. His numbers will normalize.