Trout has been considered the best player in the game despite no postseason win.
MLB: ***2024 Minnesota Twins***
- Thread starter Marcelason78
- Start date
Offensively, 2010 Morneau*, 2009 Mauer, and '96 Knoblauch are the ghosts he's chasing. Could throw '19 Cruz in from just an OPS standpoint
Obviously defensive value is going to set things over the top if the numbers stay anywhere close.
Otherwise you have to go back to Carew/Killebrew years.
*2010 Morneau was 81 games then missed the rest of the season with the career hampering concussion. Was on pace for a top 3-5 all-time Twins offensive season.
Last edited:
Ok. I'll split that hair... Trout is a career .300 hitter, with 6x 30+ HR seasons, 3x 30 stolen base season, and 5x 90+ RBI seasons (3x 100+). Bux hasn't achieved a SINGLE one of any of those listed stats in ANY SEASON.
Don't get me wrong, I love Buxton and he's off to a great start to the season (hope he stays healthy) but he isn't in the tier you're trying to put him in yet.
Probably would have to go back to Puckett in 1988 before that. But agreed, Morneau in 2010 was the best, if he continued at that pace.
Yeah '88 Puckett fits in the discussion too. Those three, plus Morneau's half season are the clear top post 70s single season.
Contract is still worth it when not healthy. Right now based on his WAR, he would command $4 to $5 million if he would stop playing next week. At this rate, all he has to do is play another 50 to 60 games for him to be worth the salary he is getting. A Buxton who plays 80 to 100 games is like getting an all star who plays 150 games.
When he was clapping hard celebrating his walk off home run on the way to first, I legitimately paused for a second and thought please god don’t break your wrist.
Trout:
Bux:
Mookie:
Buxton because he is cheaper and two years younger - but that wasn't the original point of discussion. The topic was 'he is the best player in the game'; not 'he is the best 'value' in the game'.
Bux is far closer to Mookie Betts than he is to Mike Trout. Let me put this another way... I've given a list of 14 regular season career statistics that Trout achieved and Buxton didn't - Is there ONE statistic that Buxton has achieved that Trout hasn't?
If I'm taking a player straight up for Buxton, based on 'value' it's Ronald Acuna Jr.
Now do the exact same thing, except expand last year's Buxton stats to the number of games Trout played vs the number he did. I think you would be surprised by the results.
Right now you could argue that he's the best hitter in the game, he's the best defensive player in the game, and he's the fastest player in the game. He may not have the best outfield arm in the game but he's certainly in the top 5% at the worst.
