Happy Birthday to Mike Trout - And a note on his greatness

[Angelsjunky]

Mike Trout turned 25 today and is currently on pace to lead the AL, once again, in WAR - both Fangraphs and B-R versions. In both cases it would be his fifth year in a row. Let's put that in context. Mike Trout has led the AL in WAR in each of his first five seasons; that means that if the MVP was determined by WAR, he would be on route to his fifth award.

Here's another thing. How many players have led their league in WAR five times? While I prefer Fangraphs WAR, it is too tedious to look it up for each year so I'm going to rely upon Baseball Reference. Here are the players who have led their league in WAR at least three times, going back to the beginning of the two leagues in 1901 (but including Cy Young, who led his league before and after that threshold):

10 - Ruth

9 - Mays

8 - W Johnson

7 - Hornsby

6 - Bonds, Williams, Young

5 - Mantle, A Rodriguez, Trout (pending)

4 - Alexander, Clemens, Musial, Pujols, Trout (through 2015), Wagner

3 - Foxx, Gibson, Maddux, Mathewson, Ripken, Yastrzemski

 

Look at the company he's in. He's just a couple months from becoming the 10th player in major league history who has led their league in rWAR five times or more - and in his fifth full season!

Now he's not going to keep this up forever, but let's say he leads the AL just twice more: he leap-frogs Barry Bonds, Ted Williams, and Cy Young and becomes one of just five players to lead their league 7 or more times.

Unreal.

[ten ocho recon scout]

If hed lose weight hed be a legend.

[Angelsjunky]

5 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

If hed lose weight hed be a legend.

That makes two of us.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Lol!

[bloodbrother]

Here's his bday gift

[mulwin444]

Why do you hate Trout?

[Angelsjunky]

I didn't post this until after he struck out four times.

[fan_since79]

Babe Ruth never struck out four times in a game.

Even better, Ted Williams struck out 3x in a game on only three occasions.

 

[Docwaukee]

3 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

I didn't post this until after he struck out four times.

but you thought about it and waited purposefully.  The baseball gods are aware of such things

[Angelsjunky]

23 minutes ago, fan_since79 said:

Babe Ruth never struck out four times in a game.

Even better, Ted Williams struck out 3x in a game on only three occasions.

 

True, true, but it was a different game back then. Check out the single season leaders in Ks.

Notice anything? The top 18 are all 2004 to present, and 49 of the top 56 are all 21st century.

[Docwaukee]

11 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

True, true, but it was a different game back then. Check out the single season leaders in Ks.

Notice anything? The top 18 are all 2004 to present, and 49 of the top 56 are all 21st century.

From 1930 to 1935 (5 seasons plus a partial) Ruth saw about 170 different pitchers

From 2011 to 2016 (5 season plus a partial) Trout has seen about 580 different pitchers.  

Trout has seen a pitcher 4 times in 1 game 119 times.  Ruth 366 times during that 30'-35' period.  

Trout RP at bats 1050.  Ruth RP at bats from 30-35 - 550.  

[Blarg]

Imagine Trout's numbers if every pitcher stayed in the game for at least 8 innings.

And the amount that of Tommy John surgeries.

[tdawg87]

Imagine Trout on steroids.

[DoubleOffTheWall]

Imagine how many MVPs he would have if he were actually on a good franchise

[Dick B Back]

Imagine how great Trout would be if he was Dominican.

[Dick B Back]

Or left-handed and played for the Skanks...

[Dick B Back]

Or was 6 ft 10 and was drafted by the Lakers...

[ten ocho recon scout]

Or if he trained in russia in the off season

[ELEVEN]

5 hours ago, Dochalo said:

From 1930 to 1935 (5 seasons plus a partial) Ruth saw about 170 different pitchers

From 2011 to 2016 (5 season plus a partial) Trout has seen about 580 different pitchers.  

Trout has seen a pitcher 4 times in 1 game 119 times.  Ruth 366 times during that 30'-35' period.  

Trout RP at bats 1050.  Ruth RP at bats from 30-35 - 550.  

What if Trout had smoked 28000 cigars, drank 35,000 beers, and bedded 300 whores? He'd be fat, right?

[Make Angels Great Again]

Imagine all the people.

[Spirit]

I hope someday you'll join us.

 

 

[eaterfan]

Crazy! Arguably 2 of the 5 best players of all time (Mays and Bonds) never lead the AL in WAR while Trout is about to do it for to do it for the 5th time at just 25 years old!

[Sciosciapath]

happy birthday Trout, you deserve so much better.

 

You deserve a better organization

A hotter fiance

[Make Angels Great Again]

And apparently better fans.

[Troll Daddy]