When a sport has two ridiculously talented athletes, the natural thing to do is compare them. In baseball, the best of the best get compared to their contemporaries as well as the best in history.
So it’s understandable that Jacob deGrom and Mike Trout have been compared and debated countless times over the past few years.
Especially when you consider that, in the case of both pitchers and position players, nobody has approached their level of dominance over the past few years.
But, the comparison is old and needs to stop.
Different positions — different players
Asking whether deGrom or Trout is a better player is comparing apples to oranges.
Position players have a completely different skill set than a starting pitcher, even comparing a starter to a closer is a useless conversation.
Yet at the same time, I think when looking at the value that each player has on their respective team, deGrom has more to offer.
I’m taking full accountability for my bias regarding this topic, but Jacob Anthony deGrom can not only pitch, but hit and field as well.
This man deserves a Cy Young, MVP, silver slugger, and gold glove this season. There’s a reason that every time he steps on both the mound and the plate he receives MVP chants.
The man has the lowest ERA over 11 starts in MLB history at 0.54 while being injured on and off for most of the season.
Imagine what he’d dish out pitching healthy?
Over his 11 starts he’s allowed 7 runs, while also getting 11 hits and bringing in 6 RBI currently hitting .423 over 26 plate appearances with an OPS+ of 151.
I don’t think anyone conceptualizes just how insane the 33-year-old is. His own teammates don’t fully believe that he’s human.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not denouncing Trout’s talents or accomplishments by any means.
Trout is currently hitting .333 with a .466/.624/1.090 split and 194 OPS+ no one in their right mind could argue the talent of the Angel’s center fielder.
His defensive metrics are just as impressive.
This only furthers my point that comparing two players, in two different leagues, who play two different positions, is arbitrary.
Both athletes are the best at what they do, and baseball fans need to just let them exist in their own lanes instead of prolonging the conversation of this over-debated topic.
