Ask most who follow the MLB, and they’ll tell you Mike Trout is the best hitter in baseball. “He can go to all fields better than anyone in the major leagues!” “He’s already got the credentials to be a Hall-of-Famer!” “He’s the perfect blend of contact and power!” Since J.D. Martinez’s scorching hot stretch and Tony Mazz’s endorsement of J.D. as one of the two best hitters in baseball, I figured I’d take a closer look at the numbers and see how Martinez and Trout stack up.
Before we delve into the stats, let’s establish the time frame: From the start of the 2017 season to now, both Trout and Martinez have played approximately 165 games (165 and 168 respectively), which makes for (more or less) the duration of one MLB season.
The stats:
The case for Martinez:
Considering that he beats Trout by a decent margin in slugging percentage and crushes Trout in homers and RBIs, it’s clear that J.D. is a better power-hitting, run-producing slugger than the 2x MVP. For what it’s worth, Martinez also uses the whole field more effectively than Trout (see spray chart). At the end of the day, 44 more RBIs and 12 more home runs is a significant gap; if there’s someone you want up with runners on base, it has to be J.D.
The case for Trout:
On the other hand, Trout has nearly 2 times as many walks and 50 fewer strikeouts, logging an OBP almost 70 points higher than Martinez’s. These numbers say Trout is smarter and more patient at the plate; what he lacks in power and run production he makes up for in finding ways to get on base. If you believe that OPS is the best measure of a hitter, Trout’s advantage in that category--albeit only a 12-point one--is particularly meaningful.
The bottom line:
Both of these guys are world-class hitters, and it really just depends what you prefer in a player. However, in the six most important categories listed above (exclude triples, doubles, walks, and Ks), Martinez has the 4-to-2 advantage. The largest gap between the two in any of these measures is in RBIs, and I’d say a 44-run difference is pretty damning. Maybe it’s just me being a homer, but I’ll take the guy who can hit the ball exceptionally well to all parts of the ballpark, even if it means sacrificing a few walks and surrendering some extra strikeouts. That said, I wouldn’t blame you for picking Trout--just don’t do it because of his name.
(Stats via Baseball-Reference)
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