Mickey Mantle is undoubtedly my favorite player of all-time. Some people find it a bit unusual when I tell them that a player I never actually got to see play, let alone even remember when he was alive, is the baseball player I idolize. But how can you not? Whether it was Mantle’s power that produced 536 home runs with a picturesque swing from both sides of the plate, being one of the most dominating players of his era and clamming three MVP’s during his 18-year-tenure in the big leagues, or his Oklahoman charm that made women adore him and guys wish they could be him. It’s a safe bet that I am not the only red-blooded American male that has worn the no. 7 on a baseball team for The Mick.
Dwelling in the past for a bit longer, if the 23 other teams who passed on Mike Trout in the first round of the 2009 draft could have a Mulligan with their first round draft selections, I’m pretty confident Mike Trout would not have been the 25th overall selection. Not even the Los Angeles Angels selected Mike Trout with their first pick. That selection, and forever an answer to a trivia question of who the Angels drafted in the first round of the 2009 draft is Randal Grichuk. The Angels selected Trout one pick later, and it’s looking like they may have drafted the modern-day Mickey Mantle.
Trout, like Mantle, is one of my favorite players. Trout’s first two full seasons in the big leagues has nearly netted him two MVP’s and has started one of the biggest divides in baseball when it comes to statistical analysis verses traditional thinking. Trout has put up two historical seasons that the likes of baseball has never seen or done before.
But is Mike Trout really the modern-day Mickey Mantle?
To see if the high honor of being compared to the greatest switch hitter of all-time is warranted, let’s compare each player’s skill sets and stats through their first 365 games in the big leagues when it comes to their power, speed, superb hitting ability, and tremendous fielding ability.
Power
Mantle: The Commerce Comet was touted to be able to hit like Joe DiMaggio from the right side of the plate and had the same graceful, yet viciously powerful, stroke from the left side of the plate that former New York Yankee legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig featured. His power was unquestionable from the first day he put on pinstripes, with folklore of Mantle hitting near 500 foot blasts in the minors.
Trout: In 286 games in the minors, Trout complied a total of 23 home runs. Nothing too special about that. But in 365 total games in the big leagues, Trout has 68 career big flies on his resume. With already a season of 30 home runs and 27 home runs, it’s undeniable that Trout has more than astute power.
Who has the advantage?
Although The Mick has a career total of 536 home runs, through his first 365 games he only had 57 home runs. Compared to Trout’s 68, eleven home runs isn’t that big of a gap. But in terms of raw power I think Mantle was a better power hitter overall. For the sake of this article though in comparing the two and their first 365 games in the MLB, it’s a draw. Too evenly matched thus far.
Speed
Mantle: It’s rumored that Mantle was once clocked from the left-handed batters box to first base in 3.1 seconds. When he first arrived in the big leagues, there was no one faster. In the 1951 World Series against the Giants, Willie Mays — then also a rookie — hit a ball to centerfield. Before the game Yankees skipper told Mantle that DiMaggio had lost a step and wanted the young speedy outfielder to get every ball he could. As Mays sent a ball out to right center, Mantle was charging running full speed like a horse in the Kentucky Derby. While on a dead sprint he heard the voice of DiMaggio calling off Mantle. Trying to stop himself, Mantle hit a storm drain hole and blew his knee out which led to the barrage of various knee injuries he’d have throughout his career. Robbing him of his true stolen base potential.
Trout: In Trout’s first full season, he stole 49 bases and lead the AL. In his second full season he stole 33. Although Trout only has four going into his 365 game played, he’s well on pace to steal 30. Keeping up with his reputation as one of the best base stealers in baseball.
Who has the advantage?
Mantle’s leg problems were already in full swing going into his 365th game played. He only had 20 stolen bases in his career by then. I feel that Mantle would have been the first 500 steals/ 500 home run player in history if not for his various health issues. Trout has the clear advantage here.
Hitting
Mantle: While Mantle did strike out quite a bit as a young hitter, he still got on base at nearly a .400 clip, hit for a .295 average in his first 365 games, while sporting an OPS+ of 144.
Trout: Trout, like Mantle, has struck out quite a bit early in his career. But that hasn’t subsided his abilities to hit a baseball better than almost anyone in the game today. With a career .314 average after 365 games, while boasting an outstanding 166 OPS+ after 365 games, Trout is as good as they come when standing in the batters box.
Who has the advantage?
It’s a push yet again. When I compare stats later you’ll see how almost identical both players stat lines are through 365 games played.
Outfield ability
Mantle: This is one of Mantle’s more underrated skills. With good reason. When you have Mays playing but 10 minutes away from you 81 times a year, it’s easy for someone’s defensive abilities to go unnoticed. Mantle had a few big catches in his career though. None bigger than in Don Larsen’s perfect game when he robbed Gil Hodges of a hit that would have been a home run in a handful of other not so cavernous ballparks. Mantle also won his first and only Gold Glove in 1962.
Trout: I’m still perplexed that Adam Jones beat out Trout in 2012 for a Gold Glove. Last year Trout posted negatives in UZR and DRS, but a lot of that has to do with him being shifted all over the outfield to accommodate Peter Bourjos. Still, Trout is the best in the business in centerfield. Even though he has not been properly awarded for his skills, you would be hard pressed to find someone better with the leather than Trout in center.
Who has the advantage?
With limited defensive metrics to choose from due to the era Mantle played in, you can really only look at a few statistics. Mantle had 24 errors in the outfield during his first 365 games compared to Trout’s nine. Mantle also posted a -0.6 defensive WAR compared to Trout’s 2.1. I still feel that Mantle was a better outfielder than given credit for, but it bears repeating: Trout is the best defensive center fielder in baseball today.
Now on to statistical comparison
This is when the similarities between Trout and Mantle become downright eerie. Starting with slash line comparisons, Mantle owned a .295/.384/.497 line through 365 games. Trout currently owns and is adding to a slash that reads .313/.403/.545 through 365 games played.
Trout has got The Mick in average. on-base, and slugging percentage early on in his career, but they are still very close. Both hitters managed to get on base at above well league average clips, while hitting for a good average and power.
Trout’s OPS+ –, a statistic that is great for comparing players of different era’s to each other — of 166 compared to Mantle’s 144 shows that he has been quite a bit better as a player than Mantle had to this point in his career. But both still great nonetheless.
Looking at other stats, Mantle had 398 hits, 72 doubles, 15 triples, 57 home runs and 244 RBIs. Trout has 435 hits, 80 doubles, 2 triples, 68 home runs, and 214 RBIs to this point. What is very compelling is that how close Trout and Mantle are in doubles considering Yankee Stadium until it’s renovations in 1973 was a cavernous ball park that ate up a lot of would be home runs. It would make sense that Mantle has a lot of doubles because of that, but Trout — even though Angel Stadium isn’t a great place to hit home runs — shows how smart of a base runner he is and how good his speed is.
What isn’t so compelling is the amount of three-baggers or home runs Mantle has over Trout. Once again, Yankee Stadium was huge. If a ball got to center, you could run for days. Angel Stadium, not so much. And I stated this earlier before I felt that Mantle had more raw power than Trout does even though Trout did edge him out by 11 home runs.
Taking a look at one more stat, which, I think many would consider, Trout is the poster boy of: WAR. WAR — or wins above replacement — not only started a war, but has changed the way a lot of people think about baseball. In 2012 when Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown, Mike Trout had a WAR of 10. Which was four wins more valuable than the man who led the league in average, home runs and RBIs.
To this point in Trout’s career, he has posted a total WAR of 23.6. Which is the highest of all time for a player at the age of 22. Mantle after 365 games owned a WAR of just 13.3.
WAR is not the be all end all, but Trout being worth 10 wins more through this point in his career is one of the many reasons why I felt this article was a necessity. To show that this isn’t crazy talk or baseball blasphemy.
Mike Trout is actually better than Mickey Mantle was to this point in his career.
Now take this in stride: I am not trying to say that Trout will be better than Mantle when it is all said and done with. In but three short seasons Mantle would claim his first of three MVP’s and legitimize himself as the greatest switch hitter of all-time.
But comparing each player through 365 games Trout is as close as the modern-day Mantle as Cabrera is as close to the modern Hank Aaron there is in baseball today.
