Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
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The great thing about the Mike Trout vs. Bryce Harper feud is that it’s no longer a one-sided contest. Trout has the lengthier track record of historic success, so he’s still the favorite, but Harper is coming to the end of a season that bests anything Trout has produced in his four-plus seasons in the league, a season that has him sidling up to Ted Williams as far as age-22 performances go. Harper hit 40 homers for the first time in his career just last week, and Tuesday night, Trout matched the feat with his own first time at 40.
Well, almost matched it: it takes time for an old man like Trout to catch up to a youth like Harper, you know, so he didn’t get to 40 until his age-23 season.
There is no real need to talk about iff Trout or Harper is the better player. The thing to focus on is that we can actually have that discussion now if we want to, because Harper has finally ascended to the levels the prophets and/or scouts envisioned for him when he went first overall to the Nationals in the 2010 draft. Trout, on the other hand, continues to evolve, cutting down on his strikeouts yet adding power while leading the AL in OPS+ even though an injury sapped his production in the second half. Yes, Trout is batting .293/.395/.584 for a career-high OPS with a career-high in dingers even after a massive, injury-induced slump.
Watching these two for the next five or 10 or 15 or however many years is going to be special, y’all. Hopefully we can keep asking which of the two is better that entire time.
- The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays, bringing the series to 1-1 and cutting Toronto's AL East lead to 2.5 games.
- The Yankees did lose a legend on Tuesday evening, however, as Yogi Berra passed away at age 90. There has never been anyone like Yogi except Yogi, and it's hard to imagine there will be another.
- Yadier Molina isn't one of baseball's most valuable players, unless, of course, he is one of baseball's most valuable players. Catching is weird, okay?
- Jose Bautista's arm is not something baserunners should test, but they keep trying anyway.
- Joe Maddon thinks AC/DC ruined Wrigley's infield, so Grant Brisbee came up with every AC/DC reference for the story that he could.
- The Cubs got over their infield issues by hanging out with zoo animals, though.
- Dustin Pedroia is owed $95 million over the next six years, which has some feeling the Red Sox and new President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski should trade him. That idea does not make any sense for 2016.
- Wins above replacement are better at telling us who the MVP is not than who the MVP is, writes Rob Arthur.
- Would you like to know what Joey Votto thinks about aging in baseball? Eno Sarris discussed getting older with the Reds star.
- The Pirates are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. The Giants aren't officially out of things yet, as they are still gaining ground on the Dodgers.
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