Who ya got: Mantle or Mays ... or Trout?

How can you possibly choose just one?

April 22nd, 2020

. . Who was the better player? Wait a minute, what about another center fielder whose career is still unfolding and so far has him on a trajectory to be one of the greatest players of all-time? We¡¯re referring to , of course.

How can you possibly choose one from this trio?

With the Dream Bracket going on, there is a lot of talk about some of the game¡¯s all-time greats, so what better time to bring back one of baseball¡¯s great debates?

Let¡¯s analyze this trifecta of center fielders and see just how difficult such a choice would be.

First of all -- and let¡¯s just get this out of the way now -- there is no perfect method for determining the value of a baseball player, let alone three of the best to ever take the field. But we¡¯ll give the comparison a shot here and let you make up your own mind.

First, a look at all three individually.

Mickey Mantle

Oh, what could¡¯ve been. Mantle is remembered for being one of the best to ever play the game, but all of his accomplishments came with a pair of bad knees and a host of other ailments that kept him from perhaps becoming the greatest player in baseball history.

First, the numbers: Over an incredible 18-year career with the Yankees, Mantle hit .298/.421/.557 with 536 home runs. He was named American League MVP three times, won the Triple Crown in 1956, batting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBIs (not to mention leading the Majors with 132 runs scored, a .705 slugging percentage and a 1.169 OPS), and hit a record 18 World Series home runs.

Now, the legend: There is perhaps no other player in baseball history who has been more mythologized than Mantle, and for good reason. At the time he made his Major League debut on April 17, 1951, the 19-year-old from Commerce, Okla., might have been the strongest and fastest player in the game. His musclebound frame and natural ability made him the hero of an untold legion of baseball fans, young and old. But that was only the beginning.

Two years to the day after he made his MLB debut, Mantle hit a baseball that has been shrouded in lore and spoken of reverently ever since. It came at Washington¡¯s Griffith Stadium, where he smashed a homer that some have estimated traveled 565 feet. Ten years later, Mantle launched a home run that hit the right-field facade above the upper deck at Yankee Stadium, just feet from the roof of the ballpark, leaving players and fans stunned.

Whatever the distances of those mammoth blasts, Mantle¡¯s legend was assured. It would take quite a player to ever exceed what he did at his peak.

Willie Mays

Ted Williams said Mays was ¡°born to play baseball.¡± The Giants¡¯ center fielder was, indeed, as good as they come. In a 22-year MLB career, the ¡°Say Hey Kid¡± hit .302/.384/.557 with 3,283 hits, 660 home runs (fifth all-time) and 338 steals. He was the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year, a two-time NL MVP, a 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, and finished in the top five in NL MVP voting seven times.?

Mays¡¯ most famous moment came in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, in which he made ¡°The Catch,¡± a tremendous over-the-shoulder grab of a drive hit by the Indians¡¯ Vic Wertz at the Polo Grounds. The ball traveled around 460 feet in the oblong park, and after Mays made the stunning catch, he wheeled around and rifled a throw back to the infield to prevent a run from scoring.

Mays led the Majors in homers three times, belting 51 as a 24-year-old in 1955, 49 in '62, and 52 in '65. He also led baseball in stolen bases each year from 1956-58. At age 40 in '71, he led the NL with 112 walks and a .425 on-base percentage.

Many consider Mays to be the greatest all-around player in baseball history.

Mike Trout

He¡¯s not only the best player in the game today, but his statistics, ability and even his physical build are uncannily reminiscent of Mantle. In nine seasons so far, Trout has slashed .305/.419/.581 with 285 home runs and 200 steals. He¡¯s a three-time AL MVP and has finished runner-up in AL MVP voting four times.

Compare that with Mantle¡¯s record through his first nine seasons: .311/.425/.569 with 280 home runs and 98 steals. Given Mantle¡¯s knee problems, the difference in stolen bases is understandable.

And we probably still haven¡¯t seen Trout¡¯s peak. Injuries limited him to 114, 140 and 134 games over the past three seasons, and he¡¯s still only 28 years old. There¡¯s no telling what we might see from him in his second decade in the Majors.

Who¡¯s the best?

There are a number of ways you could dissect the numbers, and the word ¡°best¡± is subjective. But we¡¯ll focus on two stats here through each player's age-27 season, where Trout is now -- Baseball Reference wins above replacement per 162 games and adjusted on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS+).

WAR will give us an idea of all-around value that can be compared across leagues and eras, and OPS+ will give us offensive values that do the same.

Since individual awards and postseason success depend heavily on factors outside a single player¡¯s control -- the competition, the quality of the team around him, etc. -- that won¡¯t factor into the analysis here. But we have included some notable achievements to help you further appreciate each player¡¯s greatness.

So let¡¯s get into it.

Mantle through age-27 season:

WAR/162: 8.8

OPS+: 173

Accolades: 2-time AL MVP, 1956 Triple Crown, 8-time All-Star, 5-time World Series champion

Mays through age-27 season:

WAR/162: 9.1

OPS+: 158

Accolades: 1951 NL Rookie of the Year, 1954 NL MVP, 2-time Gold Glove Award winner, five-time All-Star, 1954 NL batting title, 1954 World Series champion

Trout through age-27 season:

WAR/162: 9.8

OPS+: 176

Accolades: 2012 AL Rookie of the Year, 3-time AL MVP, 8-time All-Star, 2-time All-Star Game MVP

Well, clearly by these criteria, it¡¯s Trout all the way, right? Not so fast.

First, a separation of one win per season from Trout to Mantle, with Mays between them, is relatively small -- each of these three is producing at a superstar level through age 27. Given that WAR is not the be-all, end-all stat, that's important to keep in mind.

And then there¡¯s the fact that Mays actually got better as he reached his early-30's -- from 1962-65 (age 31 through 34), Mays' WAR/162 was an otherworldly 11.1, and his OPS+ was 174.

An important point in Mantle's favor, which neither Mays nor Trout have, is that he was a switch-hitter. Of the three, Mantle is also disadvantaged due to injury. Particularly on defense, his knees likely prevented him from accruing more value in that department. Then again, baseball games aren¡¯t won or lost based on ¡°what if¡¯s.¡±

So there you have it. You get one center fielder for your all-time club -- Mantle, Mays or Trout.

Who¡¯s it going to be?

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com