Bryce Harper and Mike Trout's official rookie seasons were both in 2012. Trout debuted in 2011, but appeared in only 40 games. In 2012, Harper was viewed as MLB's next superstar. The player who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16, got his GED at the same age and dropped out of high school to fully pursue baseball, and later ended up being the top pick in the draft had finally reached the major leagues at 19-years old. On the other hand, Trout was a decent prospect with potential, but Harper stole the hype. However, it was Trout who ended up having a better rookie year.
Trout initially steals the show
Since Harper was with the National League's Washington Nationals and Trout played in the American League with the Los Angeles Angels, both players won their respective leagues' Rookie of the Year awards. Trout finished second in AL MVP voting though, while Harper was 30th in NL MVP voting. That tells you all you need to know about their rookie seasons.
Harper would continue to perform well for a young player over the next couple of years. Meanwhile, Trout played at an elite level in 2013 and 2014. He won his first MVP during the '14 campaign and led the Angels to the playoffs. It appeared that Trout and the Halos were in store for much success in the future.
Harper officially broke out in 2015. He enjoyed a spectacular season, winning his first NL MVP. Bryce Harper had finally become the player everyone thought he would be. Yet, Trout was still viewed as the overall better talent from a consistency standpoint.
The 2 decisions that changed everything
Bryce Harper and Mike Trout were expected to become two of MLB's best free agents. They both had the potential to be baseball's highest-paid players. The Angels struggled over the next few seasons though. The Nationals displayed signs of promise, but Harper faced a difficult decision in free agency.
He grew up as a New York Yankees fan and was immediately linked to the Bronx Bombers after hitting free agency before 2019. Returning to the Nationals also presented itself as a possibility. Harper ended up making a decision that would impact MLB for years to come. He signed a 13-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies worth $330 million, a deal that included no opt-outs.
Harper was all in on the Phillies, something that has not changed even in 2023.
So Harper's choice to sign in Philadelphia was the first major decision. Trout made a fairly surprising move.
Some fans speculated that Trout could make sense for the Phillies as well. After all, he's from the east coast and is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan. But in March of 2019, Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million extension with the Angels. Los Angeles was hopeful Trout could lead them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
These two decisions are what led to everything beginning to change when people talked about Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.
Bryce Harper surpasses Mike Trout
Although Harper performed well for the Phillies in 2019, the Nationals ended up winning the World Series. That obviously was not a great look for Harper since he failed to lead Washington to a Fall Classic. Still, his production was impressive during the '19 season.
2019 also saw Trout play well. The Angels struggled again, but Trout won his third AL MVP award. Unfortunately, Trout hasn't played more than 120 games since 2019.
Trout actually played a full season in 2020, but there were only 60 games that year due to the pandemic. Trout played in 60 of those contests and posted strong numbers.
He was limited to 36 games in 2021, 119 games in 2022, and 82 in 2023. The Angels built what they thought to be a contender over the past few years, but they still are mired in a playoff drought. 2023 was another disappointing season for Trout and the Halos.
Harper's 2020 was similar, as he performed well in the short season. 2021 saw Bryce Harper win his second MVP award though. It was another extraordinary campaign for the former No. 1 overall pick. It was also his true emergence in Philadelphia.
Harper was also limited in 2022 and 2023 due to injuries. But this is when the aforementioned huge decisions came into play. Harper chose to join a contending team with a tremendous fan base. Philadelphia has made a superb effort to build around Harper, and the Phillies have reached the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
In 2022, Harper helped the Phillies reach the World Series. They lost in the Fall Classic to the Houston Astros, but Harper established himself as one of MLB's most clutch performers. The same can be said for 2023 so far. He led Philadelphia to an upset NLDS victory over the Atlanta Braves, and the Phillies have the World Series on their mind.
Trout has spent every October since 2014 on his couch. Or probably watching the Eagles in Philadelphia. He's recorded just three total playoff games in his career and has unfortunately become irrelevant in October.
Now, blaming Trout for this is difficult. He's a superstar and future Hall-of-Famer after all. But the fact is that Trout chose to stay with an Angels team that's front office doesn't know how to build a winning ball club. Loyalty is more than respectable, but Trout's legacy has questions given his lack of winning.
Trout is still only 32-years old and can find postseason success in the future. Requesting a trade out of Anaheim might be his best hope, however.
Final Bryce Harper-Mike Trout thoughts
From purely a talent perspective, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are similar. Plus, Trout still has more MVPs than Harper. But in every sports debate, winning tends to trump all.
Tom Brady would not have his same legacy had he not won as many Super Bowls as he did. Peyton Manning was arguably just as talented as Brady, but did not win as much. As a result, Brady is viewed as the greatest QB of his generation (and all-time for that matter).
Michael Jordan fans turn to championships and winning when it comes to the MJ-LeBron James GOAT debate in the NBA. LeBron's talent is incredible but some fans won't change their minds based on what Jordan did in the playoffs.
This is different since Harper hasn't even won a World Series. But everyone knows that one player can't always lead teams to championships in baseball. However, Harper is a winning player. He performs well in big moments, doesn't back down, and the results display themselves.
I'm making the argument that Bryce Harper has already surpassed Mike Trout. But if Harper ends up winning the 2023 World Series with the Phillies, it will be even more evident.
With all of that being said, the Trout-Harper debate won't truly be settled until both players retire.
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