Bryce Harper, Mike Trout: They meet again as baseball's greatest story adds another chapter
Mike Trout's return to the diamond on Friday couldn't have been more timely.
It sets up a rare meeting between two of Major League Baseball's top superstars when Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals visit Trout in Anaheim for a two-game series beginning Tuesday evening.
Trout and Harper have only met once in the regular season -- in April 2014 since they made their debut in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Trout went 5-for-14 with a double and a walk while Harper went 1-for-11 with a walk in the three-game series in Washington.
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Despite the non-rivalry on the field, the debate over who is better and comparisons between the two superstars has been ongoing since they both became perennial All-Stars in 2012.
Both Trout, 25, and Harper, 24, won Rookie of the Year Awards in their respective leagues in 2012. They have combined to win three Most Valuable Player Awards, with Harper working his way toward a second this season and possibly Trout on his third. They also have been named to a combined 11 All-Star teams.
In just six full seasons, both are charting Hall of Fame courses, even if the "who's better?" question seems to have just one answer nowadays.
Trout's career Wins Above Replacement (51.8) doubles Harper's (25.5), and his 48.5 WAR through age 24 is the most ever by a player.
Lest we forget, Harper's 2015 season was nearly the best ever for a 22-year old: He produced 9.9 WAR in winning the NL MVP, second only to Ted William's 10.6 WAR in 1941.
Harper's only blemish is his durability. He has played in 119 fewer games than Trout because of multiple stints on the disabled list over the years. Nagging injuries also likely contributed to his forgettable 2016 season. Trout managed to avoid the disabled list until his recent six-week stint due to a thumb injury.
For those more inclined toward traditional stats, Trout holds significant advantages there, too:
- Batting average: Trout, .308 to .285
- Home runs: Trout, 184-144
- Runs scored: Trout, 636-489
- RBI: Trout, 533-406
- On-base percentage: Trout, .400-.388
- Slugging percentage: Trout, .566-.514
- OPS: Trout, .974-.903
- Steals: Trout, 154-60
Harper has an edge in a very key area, however: Playoff exposure. The Angels' lone postseason appearance was a three-and-out performance against the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 AL Division Series, and they must leapfrog four teams for a shot at a wild card berth this year. Harper, meanwhile, is well on his way to a fourth playoff appearance in six seasons with the Nationals, as Washington's steady rebuild trended upward just as Harper's nascent talent arrived.
That pendulum could swing the other way, as well, and even as we examine both players' growing sample size, let's not forget that Harper is still just 24, Trout 25.
Tuesday night in Anaheim is merely the next small chapter in baseball's greatest novel.
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