For the last decade, Los Angeles Angels superstar centerfielder Mike Trout has been the best player in the MLB.
The five-tool star does it in every facet of the game, displaying some of the most prodigious power while also playing elite defense.
Who’s winning the AL MVP this season?
Mike Trout +225
Alex Bregman +1200
Aaron Judge +1200
Jose Ramírez +1200
Matt Chapman +1500
Anthony Rendon +1500
Shohei Ohtani +2000
Jose Abreu +2500
Tim Anderson +2500
Vladimir Guerrero Jr +2500
Yoan Moncada +2500
pic.twitter.com/jYKgJ8hbLs— Bet The Bases (@betthebases) March 30, 2021
However, a budding crop of young talent is starting to threaten Trout’s spot at the top of the league.
Now, there is a growing number of players that are knocking on Trout’s doorstep looking to take over the top spot.
Here are the three players that are in the best spot to dethrone him and become the next face of the MLB.
1. Juan Soto
Soto is already a better hitter than Trout.
The style. The swing. The shuffle.
Welcome to Juan Soto's MLB.
Full story by @JeffPassan: https://t.co/fOh3octquc
(📍 @principal) pic.twitter.com/oH6gXFjSwP
— ESPN (@espn) March 26, 2021
In fact, 2020 showed us that Soto is a once-in-a-generation hitter from the left-side of the plate, drawing comparisons to Barry Bonds.
Though it was just a 60-game season, he hit .351, with a .490 on-base percentage and 13 home runs.
Oh, and he was just 21 years old.
Soto has the potential to put up numbers that the game of baseball has not seen in a while.
On top of this, he is a lively personality that is both entertaining and electric to watch.
Because of this, he is setting himself up to be one of the heirs to the throne after Trout, especially as Soto will be around the game for the next 15 years at least.
While he isn’t quite the same five-tool talent, Soto’s bat is an extraordinary level of talent.
This alone could carry him above everyone else.
2. Ronald Acuna Jr.
During his short time in the league, Acuna has shown the potential to be a game changing talent.
In 2019, he came up just three stolen bases short from joining the 40 home run, 40 stolen bases club.
Ronald Acuña Jr.'s first hit of the season is a double. pic.twitter.com/fDKGbWR0Ya
— Baseball GIFs (@gifs_baseball) April 1, 2021
He would have been just the fifth player in MLB history to accomplish the feat, putting him into historic company.
His defense is another bright spot, as he has become an above average outfielder during his three seasons in the MLB.
Along with that, he is still just 23 years old, with a lot of potential improvement ahead of him.
Because of his five-tool potential in the outfield, Acuna seems like the most obvious replacement for Trout at the top of the league.
3. Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis is arguably the most electrifying player in the entire league today.
Getting locked in 🔒 @tatis_jr #SDOpeningDay • @SycuanCasino pic.twitter.com/fLDrXwSxBv
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 1, 2021
The tall, imposing shortstop has taken the league by storm in his two seasons with his flashy and aggressive play.
In 2020, he finished fourth in the MVP voting after hitting 17 home runs with a .277 batting average.
He has it all, with some of the most talent of any player in the game at the high-profile position of shortstop.
Because of all this potential, there is little telling what Tatis’s ceiling is.
Though he is not quite there yet, he is approaching that same level if he can continue his development.
At just 22 years old, he will still have plenty of time to reach his peak in the coming years and once he does, the rest of the league will certainly be on notice.
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