On the same date -- July 8 -- 17 seasons apart, Alex Rodriguez and Mike Trout made their Major League debuts.
In 1994, Rodriguez hit ninth and went 0-for-3 for the Mariners. In 2011, Trout also hit ninth and also came up empty in three at-bats. But while their performances on those days did not reflect what they'd do in the coming years, the similarities in their production persisted.
Through their age-23 seasons, Rodriguez and Trout played in nearly the same amount of games (642 and 652, respectively), and little separates their stats. When it comes to raw hitting metrics, Rodriguez trumps Trout. The shortstop, who ranked as the No. 21 player of all time on #MLBRank's top 100 list, had more runs, hits, home runs, RBIs and steals than Trout through the age of 23. But when it comes to stats that measure players' performances as rates, Trout, already ranked No. 40 on #MLBRank, tops Rodriguez in nearly every category, save for batting average.
Comparing Trout and Rodriguez through their age 23 seasons
Trout's value, as far as career wins above replacement is concerned, is the best ever for position players through their age 23 season. That's better than not only Rodriguez (who ranks seventh), but also Ty Cobb, Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle, according to Baseball Reference. And if Trout continues on the same path as those legends, there's little doubt he will surpass Rodriguez and make his way into the conversation as one of the best of all time.