Who Is Currently The Best Baseball Player?
Contents
Who is the best baseball player? This is a question that has been asked since the game was invented. The answer is not as simple as it may seem.
Mike Trout
Hitting
Mike Trout is, quite simply, the best hitter in baseball. In 2019, his 10th season in the majors, he led the league in slugging percentage and OPS (on-base plus slugging), and he was second in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. He has won the American League Most Valuable Player award twice, and he has finished in the top five in MVP voting five times.
Fielding
One category where Trout arguably lags behind his peers is in fielding. He finished 12th among AL outfielders in 2019 with minus-1 defensive runs saved and a Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games of minus-4.4. In his eight seasons, he’s never ranked higher than fourth in DRS among outfielders or fifth in UZR/150. By BP’s Defensive WAR, he has finished as high as third among outfielders just once.
Even so, it’s worth noting that Trout has improved as a fielder over the years. He was well below average in DRS and UZR/150 through his age-23 season but has been above average in both metrics since then. In 2019, his DRS improved to plus-5 and his UZR/150 to plus-2.2 in the second half of the season after looking like a significant liability early on. If he can continue to trend in that direction, he should be just fine defensively going forward.
Base Running
Base running is often overlooked as a key aspect of the game of baseball. However, it can be the difference between winning and losing. Mike Trout is one of the best base runners in baseball. He has the ability to steal bases, take extra bases, and score runs. In addition, he is very smart on the base paths and knows how to avoid getting thrown out.
Mookie Betts
Betts, who plays right field and bats leadoff for the Dodgers, is in the midst of one of the best seasons in recent memory. He’s hitting .346/.438/.661 with 17 homers, 15 stolen bases, and an MLB-leading 49 RBI. Oh, and he’s also playing Gold Glove-caliber defense. Betts is doing it all for a Dodgers team that has the best record in baseball.
Hitting
Mookie Betts is an incredible hitter. He has a batting average over .300 and an on-base percentage over .400. He also has a lot of power, hitting over 30 home runs in each of the last two seasons. Betts is also a great baserunner and fielder, making him one of the most well-rounded players in baseball.
Fielding
Mookie Betts is an incredible baseball player. He not only has great hitting stats, but he’s also an excellent fielder. In 2018, he led all outfielders in putouts and assists, and he was second in the majors in defensive runs saved. He has won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers, and he is widely considered to be the best right fielder in baseball.
Base Running
Mookie Betts is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. Betts is a three-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and a two-time World Series champion. He is the only player in MLB history to win both the batting title and Gold Glove Award in the same season more than once (2018 and 2019)
In 2019, he became the first player in MLB history to win both a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award at two different positions in the same season. He was named the 2018 American League Most Valuable Player (MVP), and led the major leagues in batting average (.346), runs scored (129), and slugging percentage (.640). He also won a Platinum Glove Award that year.
Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2013 MLB draft.
Hitting
Cody Bellinger is currently the best baseball player. He is a left handed hitter with raw power. In 2019, he hit .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs, 115 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He led the majors in home runs and was second in RBI. He also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.
Fielding
Cody Bellinger is currently the best baseball player because of his fielding abilities. He has played first base and outfield for the Dodgers, and he has been awarded a Gold Glove and a Platinum Glove.
Base Running
Cody Bellinger is an outstanding base runner. He routinely takes the extra base, and is very aggressive on the bases. He has good speed and is a very smart base runner.Bellinger is not a burner, but his speed plays up because he is very aggressive on the bases. He takes good baserunning routes and reads pitchers well, allowing him to take the extra base. He also steals bases at a good clip, with 19 stolen bases in 2019.
Christian Yelich
As of right now, the best baseball player is Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich. Yelich is in the midst of an absolutely unbelievable season. He’s hitting for a .326/.429/.671 slash line with 36 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and 100 RBI.
Hitting
In 2019, Yelich led the majors in batting average (.329), home runs (44), and RBIs (97) while compiling a .671 slugging percentage and 1.100 OPS. He became the sixth player in history to achieve those marks in a single season, joining Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, and Mel Ott. For his efforts, Yelich was unanimously voted the National League Most Valuable Player.
Fielding
Yelich is an excellent fielder. He’s won a Gold Glove in each of the past two seasons, and he has 17 outfield assists over the past three seasons combined. In 2019, he had a fielding percentage of .997, which was the best among all major league outfielders.
Base Running
One of Yelich’s best assets is his speed on the base paths. In his career, he has stolen 97 bases and been caught just 17 times, for an excellent success rate of 85%. He is also very adept at taking the extra base, as evidenced by his career slash line of .298/.377/.435. When you compare that to his career average of .326/.402/.531, it’s clear that Yelich is a very good baserunner.
