MLB Network is Right: Mike Trout Is UNDOUBTEDLY The Best Player In Baseball
Of course they did, you didn't think anyone other than Mike Trout would be the best player in baseball, did you? Past few nights they've been revealing their top 100 players in baseball. A nice, fun exercise to do while we still have snow on the ground and guys are reporting for spring training. Thursday night they got down to the top 10 and it was pretty much the players you'd expect.
10-7 is about right. I'd be okay with any of these 4 in any order. Belli didn't do his normal Belli stuff last year at the plate but he's still a top 10 player in baseball. People will probably bitch about Yelich being that high because he had a bad season last year but lets be real. He's a stud who had a down year in a pandemic. Expect him to bounce back in a huge way this season, that's why him at 9 is perfectly okay. Anthony Rendon is doing Anthony Rendon things again, being the most underrated player in baseball. All he does is show up, make web gems and hit dongs and doubles. Stud. Acuna is a flat out monster, just a monster.
Now we're getting to the meat and potatoes. The big boppers. The man of the hour Fernando Tatis Jr. coming in at #6 after taking the league by storm last season when he hit 49 grand slams. You could make a legit argument for Juan Soto being higher, maybe at #3. He's a freak. Missed the beginning of the season with Covid and came back to hit .351/.490/.695 with 13 bombs in 47 games. He lead the league in average, OBP, and slugging, and he's only getting stronger. But I won't freak out at MLB Network naming him the 5th best player in baseball. Freeman is coming off a well deserved MVP season and has consistently been mentioned as a top guy in the game, good for him for getting his recognition. Is he good there at 4? Maybe, maybe not. He's the best first baseman in baseball, but I think that may be a little high. And we really don't have to have a convo about Jacob deGrom because he's the best pitcher in baseball and it's not close.
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It really was a 2 man race between Mookie Betts and Trout, and unfortunately Mookie got the #2 spot. It's nothing to hang your head about, especially when you got another World Series Championship in your pocket. Mookie had another fantastic season, this one being on the west coast. He's easily the best player in the NL and he's honestly not that far behind Trout for best in baseball. He's just so consistently good.
Trout being #1 is the right move. He came in FIFTH in MVP voting last year and it was his lowest MVP finish EVER. 17 bombs, 46 RBIs, .280 average, he's just the best. He's been #1 on this list every year since 2013 except for 2015 when they gave it to Kershaw, decent run for Mike! And I think it shows how good he is by him finishing in fifth and still being named the best player in the game. I'm sensing that we're going to get some Lebron fatigue with Trout soon in the MVP voting. He's having unreal seasons every year and people will find a way to NOTE vote for him just because they want to see someone else win it, shoutout Derrick Rose. Trout is the best player in baseball. He just is. MLB Network made the right call here. It's great to see all this talent taking over, so many good players hitting their peak at the same time and it's great for the game. For all the issues this stupid sport has, star power is not one of them. Advertising and marketing their stars…that's another blog for another day.
Enjoy your #1 spot Mr. Trout, now lets see if your team can finally sniff the playoffs. And here's 15 minutes of Trout being the best player in baseball.