Mike Trout is #1 in almost any measure you want to examine. At .318/.441/.559 and 27 steals from the center field position he's the runaway best player in baseball this year, though the writers might once again fail to award him the AL MVP.
But in one respect he's merely #2.
In his age 24 season, his fifth year of Major League ball, Mike Trout has now surpassed 994 of the 995 gentlemen who have ever played for the Angels franchise in career WAR.
In just five seasons, Trout has amassed 48 WAR for the Angels. Jim Fregosi, who played 11 seasons for the California Angels and who earned MVP votes in eight of them, managed 45.
Tim Salmon, who played his entire 14-season career for the Anaheim Angels, and crushed 30+ homers four times, accounted for 41 WAR.
Only Chuck Finley, a 14-year Angels veteran with 165 wins for the club, stands precariously ahead of Trout in nearly three times as many seasons of service. He'll fall to second by next All-Star break.
But order is restored to the universe in this sense: Trout's first five seasons establish him as the greatest player of all time, so far.
No one matches his accomplishments by age 25; no one matches his accomplishments in their first five seasons. Not Ty Cobb, not Mickey Mantle, not Joe DiMaggio or Willie Mays or Walter Johnson or Christy Matthewson or Marv Throneberry.
Trout isn't the best hitter ever during that period -- Williams is -- but with a 170 OPS+ he's second. He's not the best base runner or fielder or slugger. But he's among the greatest in all those categories and they add up to #1.
Right where he belongs. Don't let the fact that his teammates stink confuse you.
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