OT: Trout vs. Mantle

[ctownboy]

IMHO, I think the Angels are mismanaging Trout.

One study that was done (a Saber study?) showed that most players best years were between the ages of 26 - 28 or 27 - 29. That is when everything seemed to jell especially the power numbers.

To me, guys with speed usually are best when they are younger and then the speed goes and they have to adapt as a player. If Trout is already not running as much (by choice or by orders from above) then he/they are limiting his skills and wasting the speed years while trying to force him into the power years which he might be ready for and which the strikeouts show.

No, if Pujols doesn't want Trout running because it distracts him when he is in the box, my suggestion has always been to have Trout lead off, with Hamilton batting second and Pujols third. That way, Trout can run if he wants to and Hamilton has the hole between first and second to try and pull a ball through.

This also makes it harder for opposing defenses to put a shift on. I say this because if nobody is covering third and Trout is successful at stealing second then he can just get up and run to third.

So, to wrap it up, I would let Trout steal as much as possible early in his career to get those numbers up and then let him grow into his power. He could easily be stealing 50 bags a year in his youth and then hitting 40 to 50 home runs a year in his peak years.

David