The Best Player in Major League Baseball

The planet Earth did not know that on August 7, 1991 in the town of Vineland, New Jersey the best player in Major League Baseball was going to be born, and it was none other than Michael Nelson Trout.

Twenty-four years later, at an age where most players do not reach this conclusion, there is a widespread belief that Mike Trout is not only the best player in this sport, the most difficult to dominate, but he has achieved things that only the myths and legends of American national pastime can achieve.

Engaged in a new battle to reach the playoffs, where he only played three games last year, losing clearly to the Kansas City Royals, Trout is having another year that puts him in a privileged position to win another MVP award, just like he did last season. Not only that, but if Miguel Cabrera was not around, Trout could have won four Most Valuable Player awards (provided he wins it in 2015), and some argue that, in fact, he should have also won them in 2012 and 2013.

The last All-Star Game was a new display of his unquestionable talents when he was also named the MVP of the event for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player to achieve this at the age of 23. He has already achieved a single, double, triple, and home run in each of his four appearances, all in the first inning.

However, the best evidence of his place in history is when he is compared to other legends of this sport and what they achieved at the same age Mike Trout just turned. Only Alex Rodriguez and he have achieved a hundred home runs and a hundred stolen bases when they turned 24 (128 and 106 for A-Rod and 130 and 112 for Trout).

Home runs are one of the most valued aspects of baseball, and that is where Trout has evolved from a power-speed player in his first two years to having as much hitting ability as anyone while maintaining a high level in defense. With 32 home runs already this year, he leads the American League and has the fourth-highest figure in history at his age along with Frank Robinson. The three players ahead of him (Eddie Matthews, Mel Ott, and Ken Griffey Jr.) are in the Hall of Fame or will be starting next year, as is the case with Junior Griffey.

Mike Trout's dimension reaches a higher level when he is positioned next to the all-time leaders in different offensive categories.

In relation to the all-time leader in home runs, Barry Bonds with 762, Mike Trout has 130 as I mentioned before, while Bonds had only achieved 59.

The man with the most hits was Pete Rose with 4256. He had 311 at this age, while Trout already has 689.

Hank Aaron was the all-time leader in RBIs with 2297. At 24 years old, he already had 399, while Trout has achieved 375.

Rickey Henderson is not only the best base stealer in history, but he also scored the most runs. He scored a total of 2295 in his career. At 24, he already had 368, while Trout already has 449.

And finally, we find Barry Bonds again, who achieved 2558 walks in his career. When he turned 24, he had 161, while Trout already has 320.

It is clear that we are dealing with a player with immense talent, destined to make an era in this sport and even transcend the practice of baseball. If injuries do not plague him, we may be witnessing not just a talent that emerges every generation but one that appears every 50 years, as it happened in its time with the great legend of the New York Yankees, Mickey Mantle.

It may be premature to identify him with "The Mick," but he is the one who most resembles him with that explosive blend of power, speed, and defense on the field. Accustomed to giving us joy on his birthday, Trout could hit a home run for the third time when blowing out the candles on his cake.

Now, we just have to find out if the Baltimore Orioles and Kevin Gausman are willing to join the party tonight...