The future of Mike Trout

[G1911]

I am a bit biased in favor of the old timers, as I would expect to find here, but some of these takes are just completely divorced from any objective reality.

[RCMcKenzie]

I mentioned Rickey Henderson. If Trout plays well for 15 more years hitting .300 with 30 homers, I will be wishing I had bought all of his baseball cards instead of making fun of him on a card site. I'm an Astros fan, so I am biased. When I see him play, I'm rooting for him to hit into a double play. The stats show he is elite when it comes to not hitting into a double play.

Also, maybe I'm wrong about the generational ignorance thing. Maybe it's a France thing with Wemby and Spears. Do French people know who Mike Trout is?

I didn't see Ralph Kiner play. His bio says he led the National League in home runs 7 years in a row. Does Trout have a stat like that, one that tells a story, and draws a fan in? Not Rbat, or WRC+.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

I mentioned Rickey Henderson. If Trout plays well for 15 more years hitting .300 with 30 homers, I will be wishing I had bought all of his baseball cards instead of making fun of him on a card site. I'm an Astros fan, so I am biased. When I see him play, I'm rooting for him to hit into a double play. The stats show he is elite when it comes to not hitting into a double play.

Also, maybe I'm wrong about the generational ignorance thing. Maybe it's a France thing with Wemby and Spears. Do French people know who Mike Trout is?

I didn't see Ralph Kiner play. His bio says he led the National League in home runs 7 years in a row. Does Trout have a stat like that, one that tells a story, and draws a fan in? Not Rbat, or WRC+.

Yeah it's called 3 MVPs and 3 second places, 1 or 2 of which should have been 1sts.

[RCMcKenzie]

Steve Nash has 2 MVP's. I don't want people to get upset by saying Trout is baseball's answer to Steve Nash.

MVP's are popularity awards given out by the media. I know that Mike Trout is astoundingly popular. In fantasy literature they call what he has 'charisma.'

If I were to debate on his side, I would say, "Led the AL in runs from 2012-2014 and 2016. Leads all active players in career slugging and on-base average."

Like you say, he's only 31. I'm ready to see how he fares next season. If he goes to the Astros to finish his career, I'll be finding all kinds of nuggets and zingers in support of him.

[Peter_Spaeth]

In Trout's case he won because he was hands down the best player in the league and probably all of baseball. You may be the one denier on the planet who knows.

[G1911]

Sometimes, I wonder if there is any subject at all that a rational discussion can be had about on this board. It would get boring if it happened, but maybe just once a year or so would be nice to show it is possible.

[RCMcKenzie]

Greg, you guys are saying that I'm untethered from reality and unworthy of debating when I say Trout could be another Duke Snider in 2 more years.

Is Trout the greatest player of all time in everyone's mind but mine? I doubt it.

I'd say his greatest stat is his OPS. Here he is at 12 for this stat, next to Mark McGwire. I'm not saying he's a bad player. I'm saying he's not Babe Ruth. Manny Ramirez in 6 years, maybe. Trout's percentages will be going down, not up.