Their names will be linked for a long time. Bryce Harper and Mike Trout — two precocious outfielders who have taken the major leagues by storm this season — have no real rivalry with each other. They play in different leagues. Their teams won’t play unless somehow both make it to the World Series. But each player in his own way has injected an added element of star power in a sport that had been tarnished toward the tail end of the so-called Steroid Era.
Now the age-old bar question: Who is better? So far the edge goes to Trout, who has invigorated the Los Angeles Angels on offense and defense, where he is an elite center fielder already at age 20. He entered play Thursday sixth in the majors with a .338 batting average and ninth with a .397 on-base percentage. Once he’s on base, he’s hard to contain. Trout has stolen 19 bases in 22 attempts.
Harper, meanwhile, is holding his own even though he won’t turn 20 until Oct. 6. Entering play Thursday, he had a .291 average with a .372 on-base percentage and an .886 OPS. Among players with 75 plate appearances, Harper leads the Nationals in all three categories. A player needs 3.1 plate appearances for every game his team plays to qualify among the league leaders. Harper likely will be on the leader board by the end of the weekend series with Baltimore. His aggression on the bases has led to extra runs for Washington — stealing home against Philadelphia, scoring the game-winner from first on a single at Boston. Three times out of six singles Harper has gone from first to third base or scored. Unfortunately, he also has been caught stealing three times in seven attempts, including getting picked off twice.
But Harper is 14 months younger than Trout, who was overmatched in the big leagues last summer at 19 and returned to the minors. Both players have respectable plate discipline — 22 walks and 37 strikeouts for Harper and 19 walks on 41 strikeouts for Trout. That skill, more than any other, should help both reach their talent ceilings — and may get them both to the All-Star Game next month.
– Brian McNally
