Article in BALT paper comparing Trout/Harper/Machado

[caulfield12]

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-05-1...ie-orioles-fans

 

 

Machado has played just 89 games as a big leaguer. Harper has been in 173. Trout, 21, has appeared in 216. The trio's numbers through its first 89 MLB games, though, are remarkably similar. Machado actually has driven in more runs, hit for a higher average (albeit one point higher than Trout at .294) and tied Trout for homers (12, Harper had 10 in his first 89 games).

 

"Now, if you are discussing the 'best young players in the game' list, it is Harper, Trout and Machado leading that discussion," Kurkjian said. "You have to take in account that, last year, this kid was playing out of position, and when [Machado] was called up he was in a pennant race the second he got there. So he is in that discussion."

 

Five major league scouts — three from the National League, two from the American League and none from Washington, Baltimore or Los Angeles — were asked this week to rank those players in order of preference if they could select just one to build a club around.

 

"That's like asking me which Charlie's Angel I'd most want," one veteran scout quipped. "All three are so very good, young, talented and play the game the right way. If I got any of the three as a consolation prize, I wouldn't be disappointed."

 

Two scouts ranked the order as Harper, Trout and Machado; two had it Trout, Machado and Harper and one ranked it Harper, Machado and Trout. One scout said he'd take the Boston Red Sox's shortstop prospect, 20-year-old Xander Bogaerts, third, a spot ahead of Machado.

 

Other names that were mentioned included the Miami Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, 23; Pittsburgh Pirates' Starling Marte, 24; and St. Louis Cardinals' Oscar Taveras, 20. But four of the five scouts polled said there is clearly a Big Three (with Machado included).

 

Both scouts who ranked Machado second and Trout first said they would flip-flop the two if Machado returned to his natural position of shortstop and played it as well as he plays third.

Edited May 14, 2013 by caulfield12