Aug
10
2012

Take Your Pick: Stanton, Trout, or Harper?

An article by Michael Barrett

In Major League Baseball, the debate of which young phenom will have the better career is all the rage. These phenoms, of course, are Mike Trout of the Angels and Bryce Harper of the Nationals. Trout, who just turned 21, is the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year and perhaps MVP. He has almost single handedly turned around a struggling Angels team and continues to impress in every game. Harper, while not quite having the year Trout is, has been the most hyped prospect in years and is putting together a nice season with a stat line of .254/10 HR/30 RBI/13 SB. Not particularly jaw dropping, but considering the kid is barely old enough to get into a rated-R movie at age 19, they are something you could easily live with and get excited about. While both will easily get better as they age, there is one young outfielder who is forgotten in this debate and firmly belongs in it.

That man, is Giancarlo Stanton.

On Wednesday night, the Mets (as they have, since he came into the league) were demolished by the Marlins right fielder. He hit two home runs, one of which that got out before Chris Young could even turn around to look at it. He undoubtedly has the most power of any man in baseball, has a howitzer of an arm, and can run very well for a man his size. He, like the aforementioned outfielders, should only get better as he ages which is terrible news for Met fans as that will likely mean he will also continue to destroy New York whenever he plays them. Yes, he has played on the major league level longer than both Harper and Trout combined, but at 22 he is one of the most dominant power bats in the game at an age when most of us were just graduating college.

So this leads me to the heart of the matter. If you were a GM and had the choice to build around one of these men, who would you choose? The five tool Trout, the teenage Harper, or the tank with legs Stanton?

My vote goes to Stanton. He has strength that no ball park can contain and can anchor the middle of a lineup for the next decade easy. I envision him as a 45 plus home run guy, driving in 100 plus runs every year, and I definitely think I am being conservative with those numbers. I doubt you could go wrong with any of these players, and hopefully as Met fans, we could one day have a position player that rivals the talent of these men.

About the Author: Michael Barrett

A lifelong Met fan literally since birth, most of the greatest moments of my life in sports have come from the Mets. I currently work for MLB.com these days, which has only furthered my passion for the guys in orange and blue.

17 Comments + Add Comment

Alex68 August 10, 2012 at 9:04 am

HMmmm…. Wow. good article… I mean, IMHO you cannot go wrong with either one of those… i too like stanton. he’s strong and he will be a beast for years to come. however, with pujols in the lineup to take off all the pressure from the rest of the players on the team i think trout will have better numbers overall. Harper seems like a decent player, he does have good baseball insticts though. we’ll see in a few years how they turn out
- Fonzie13 August 10, 2012 at 7:38 pm
  
  Actually it’s the other way around. Since Trout got called up, he’s been the best player on the planet and that’s when Pujols started to hit. Trout is the one that took the pressure off Albert and the rest of that team, not the other way around.
jessep August 10, 2012 at 9:09 am

I think it’s a great argument and to me it’s impossible to say somebody is “wrong” with at least 2 out of 3 of these guys. Harper to me will be a solid player but his hype makes him something he’s not right now.

For me it’s Trout. The kid turned 21 this week and is on pace to probably win the MVP and Rookie of the Year. He’ll be the youngest MVP ever if he does this. Vida Blue is the youngest right now but he turned 22 during that season.

Being an MVP at such a young age would put Trout with guys like Bench, Musial, Cal Jr, Mays, Aaron, Gehrig as an example.

That’s an impressive list.

Stanton to me is no slouch at all. Trout just has it all. He’s a threat at the plate in multiple ways, a threat on the base paths and an excellent fielder.
- Alex68 August 10, 2012 at 9:34 am
  
  Don’t forget fred Lynn…. 23 Years of age when he won the MVP
Metstheory22 August 10, 2012 at 9:52 am

I think you can add Trumbo to this group. I think right now, I would take Trout. I do remember F. Lynn-amazing player while healthy. Became a big fan of his during his time and rooted for the Red Sox over that AL NY team since then.

Now which of these players will be available in years to come because of finances?

I would say Stanton in Miami.
- Alex68 August 10, 2012 at 9:55 am
  
  then he’d be a yankee is he does…
Mitch Petanick August 10, 2012 at 10:00 am

Trout all the way…I never thought anyone would ever steal my heart away from Griffey Jr., but Trout is making it hard for me to stay loyal right now.
- Alex68 August 10, 2012 at 10:08 am
  
  Really??? Ken Griffey JR?? Mike Trout???? Wow…. That is very… Very…. BOLD!
  - Mitch Petanick August 10, 2012 at 10:21 am
    
    Sorry…should’ve been more clear. I was just referring to their rookie seasons…not projecting Trout to have a better career than Griff, but he’s off to a hell of a start.
srt August 10, 2012 at 10:09 am

I wish Loria was in full fire sale mode. If he was, I’d put the farm up to get Stanton.
- Hodges14 August 10, 2012 at 10:14 am
  
  I’d rather have Stanton. I’ve seen too many rookies of the year take the plunge and never come back again. Stanton made his adjustments to the league and he’s here to stay.
- Even Flow August 10, 2012 at 8:00 pm
  
  Wait until the winter. He’ll dangle Stanton out there. He did it to Cabrera when he was around Stanton’s age. Knowing the Marlins, giving up the farm will be unnecessary. Getting a good return for a big time player is not their forte.
Heybatter August 10, 2012 at 10:50 am

If Stanton became a Yankee, he could hit 80 dingers in that cracker box.
D. Meeker August 10, 2012 at 12:26 pm

I take Trout and I dont even look back. The kid is absolutely phenomenal and every night he seems to make the highlight reels. Unbelievable.
Donal August 10, 2012 at 1:09 pm

You could build a team around any of them. I’d go with Trout just because he’s doing a great job at a premium position.
Just_Da_Damaja August 11, 2012 at 1:09 am

we might be able to add Manny Machado to that list as well…Baltimore/Washington are going to have 2 studs for years to come…

With the money the Orioles have in increased attendance…plus their owner has bank….I would not be surprised if they made a run at David Wright…who grew up pretty close to baltimore and his whole family is in the DMV area ( DC/Maryland/Virginia )
Joe D August 11, 2012 at 5:55 pm

I love pieces like this Mike. Choosing between these three is not easy and if I could only pick one I’d have to go with Trout and hope he continues to play like this in his sophomore campaign.

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