The Official TROUTstanding Thread

[Tank]

On 8/1/2018 at 2:48 PM, Angelsjunky said:

Update on the race for best player in the game.

https://www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx?players=10155,11579

Looks like its neck-and-neck.

i didn't think Puig was doing all that well this season.

i think i'll click the link and see what's up. BRB.

[Lou]

17 minutes ago, Tank said:

i didn't think Puig was doing all that well this season.

i think i'll click the link and see what's up. BRB.

he just homered 5 minutes ago.

thanks, Tank

[happybat4]

I still don't get how Trouts defense was so bad his Warren went down.      . 4 while he's been out. 

[Dick B Back]

Trout at 100 BBs. We are so surprised.

[NachoPop]

What do you think Trout need to do to win the MVP from here? Lead in WAR, OPS, both, something else? 

[Angelsjunky]

6 minutes ago, NachoPop said:

What do you think Trout need to do to win the MVP from here? Lead in WAR, OPS, both, something else? 

Trout has a couple problems going for him as far as the MVP is concerned:

1. He's only got 62 RBI and in a best-case scenario will finish with something like 80-85. I know voters are more savvy now, but it will be hard for them to vote for a power-hitting MVP that has that few RBI.

2. There are two other great candidates, both of whom play for playoff bound teams.

 

Given that, this is what I think needs to happen for Trout to win the MVP:

1. He needs to go on an absolute tear and finish with 10+ WAR, a batting line around .320/.470/.650, 40 HR, close to 90 RBI, 110 Runs.

2. Mookie and Ramirez both need to slump substantially and finish half a run or more behind in WAR.

So really it is three moving parts: Trout needs to finish strong and both Mookie and Ramirez need to slump. That's a tall order.

[Blarg]

With RISP this year Trout is hitting .310/.561/.569/1.130

That on base percentage says he is not getting anything to hit. Pitchers are effectively intetionally walking him by pitching and hoping he chases. So his ability to generate RBIs are tied to the unwillingness of opponents to throw a hittable pitch. 

[NachoPop]

That's the sort of thing that got me wondering. A lot of the traditional things that used to get looked for aren't thought of the same by a lot of people.  RISP, contending team, would the team still win without them, games missed, all can get taken into consideration rightly or wrongly. Power, consistency, 'clutchness', the list goes on.

It will be truly sad if Trout doesn't win a few more. Would you rather always be right up there in the voting and just miss out, or would you rather have a couple of great years mixed with a few down ones but win more trophy's?

[Docwaukee]

Trout would trade every personal trophy in the world for a team one.  

[Lou]

2 hours ago, Dochalo said:

Trout would trade every personal trophy in the world for a team one.  

I agree 

 

[Dick B Back]

J.D. Martinez has a shot at the triple crown and we know how the voters feel about that.

[Angelsjunky]

9 minutes ago, Dick B Back said:

J.D. Martinez has a shot at the triple crown and we know how the voters feel about that.

Actually that might help Trout because it would split the "Boston Vote." That is already one advantage Trout has: both Boston and Cleveland have two superstars, and in both cases the "secondary" superstar (Martinez and Lindor) might steal a vote or two from the "primary" superstar (Betts and Ramirez).

[Angelsjunky]

In other words, one route to Trout getting the MVP would look something like this in terms of first place votes:

9 Trout

8 Betts

7 Ramirez

4 Martinez

2 Lindor

[Taylor]

27 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

In other words, one route to Trout getting the MVP would look something like this in terms of first place votes:

9 Trout

8 Betts

7 Ramirez

4 Martinez

2 Lindor

In other words, JD Martinez is Jill Stein?

[Angelsjunky]

20 minutes ago, Taylor said:

In other words, JD Martinez is Jill Stein?

Sorta, although then that would make Trout into Trump.

[GrittyVeterans]

He’s the best player in the game, there’s no question about it. The other great players have a season here or there where they get close to his level but they can’t sustain it. Trout does it every year.

He should be cruising to at least his 4th MVP right now. 

I fear We’re going to be known as the franchise that fucked up Mike Trout’s prime 

[Angelsjunky]

Fangraphs Top 5 WAR leaders since 2012:

2018: Betts, Trout, Ramirez, Lindor, Chapman

2017: Judge, Altuve, Stanton, Trout, Rendon

2016: Trout, Betts, Bryant, Donaldson, Seager

2015: Harper, Trout, Donaldson, Votto, Goldschmidt

2014: Trout, McCutchen, Stanton, Brantley, Rendon

2013: Trout, Cabrera, McCutchen, Donaldson, Carpenter

2012: Trout, Posey, McCutchen, Cano, Cabrera

On first glance there could be a slight worry that Trout is losing his dominance, but it is worth noting that he was actually effectively tied with Harper in 2015 at 9.3--Fangraphs lists Harper ahead because he is presumably a fraction up--he was also injured in 2017 and would have led the majors, and in 2018 he still can take the lead.

So yeah, he's pretty much either been the best player or tied for the best player every year since he became full-time. 

That said, there is a wave of young guys who could challenge him: Ronald Acuna, Juan Soto, and Vlad Guerrero Jr. I don't think Vlad or Soto will have the all-around game to challenge his WAR, but Vlad could challenge him for best hitter in a couple years. Acuna, I think, has the all-around game to challenge. 

 

[Tank]

5 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

He’s the best player in the game, there’s no question about it. The other great players have a season here or there where they get close to his level but they can’t sustain it. Trout does it every year.

He should be cruising to at least his 4th MVP right now. 

and that's the rub in this discussion. does "best player" translate into "most valuable" for the voters?

gonna be extremely tough to overlook the guys in boston and cleveland this year for a guy who missed almost a month and is on a team under .500.

[GrittyVeterans]

6 hours ago, Tank said:

and that's the rub in this discussion. does "best player" translate into "most valuable" for the voters?

gonna be extremely tough to overlook the guys in boston and cleveland this year for a guy who missed almost a month and is on a team under .500.

It doesn’t for the voters, but it should. There’s no question if you put Trout on Boston and Betts on the Angels Boston would be a better team

[Angelsjunky]

5 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

It doesn’t for the voters, but it should. There’s no question if you put Trout on Boston and Betts on the Angels Boston would be a better team

Not this year. Betts has been every bit as good of a player as Trout this year.

Deal with it.

[Tank]

6 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

It doesn’t for the voters, but it should. There’s no question if you put Trout on Boston and Betts on the Angels Boston would be a better team

i don't think "best player" is the same as "most valuable."

[GrittyVeterans]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

Not this year. Betts has been every bit as good of a player as Trout this year.

Deal with it.

Haha no, he hasnt

[tdawg87]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

Not this year. Betts has been every bit as good of a player as Trout this year.

Deal with it.

Haha

[Angelsjunky]

3 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Haha no, he hasnt

On what do you base this perspective? They are virtually tied for WAR. Trout's hitting numbers are slightly better, but Betts has been a better defender. 

[Chuck]