MLB Madness: Final Four pits MVPs head-to-head
With the NCAA tournament underway, we conclude the MLB Madness series with our countdown of the four best players in baseball. On Tuesday, the top seeds in each MLB-based region advanced to our Elite Eight, where the lower-ranked Giancarlo Stanton upset Paul Goldschmidt, and Josh Donaldson knocked out Miguel Cabrera after receiving the second-most votes of the eight finalists.
The results leave us with a Mount Rushmore of ballplayers that features three MVPs and a heavy-hitting runner-up. Here are the top four players in baseball as voted by users and theScore staff:
4. Giancarlo Stanton
When healthy, Stanton's an annual 50-homer threat. Last season, a hand injury ended his year in June; before that, he hit 27 long balls while slugging .606. If he hadn't broken his hand, he might have broken some records. He's only 26, so the sky's the limit if he can avoid the DL. - Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb
3. Josh Donaldson
Donaldson, a late bloomer, had some excellent breakout seasons in Oakland. Leaving the cavernous O.co Coliseum, however, made him an instant MVP, and his monster 2015 campaign helped turn Toronto into a World Series contender. Having made Rogers Centre his personal launching pad, expect him to be even better in 2016. - SSG
Who's No. 1? Trout vs. Harper
Our editors debate who's the best player in baseball.
Pro-Harper: It was only a matter of time before he realized the potential that landed him on the cover of SI as a 16-year-old prodigy, and following his mind-boggling 2015 campaign, Bryce Harper has supplanted Mike Trout as the game’s best player. Trout is superhuman, too, but he’s never hit like Harper did last year, and it’s tough to shake the feeling that he peaked in 2013. - Jonah Birenbaum
Pro-Trout: The Angels center fielder has been a top two player in baseball in each of the past four seasons. But his superstar numbers have dulled some of the shine because, at this point, they're expected. Harper was finally healthy in 2015 and posted a historic season, but he'll need to consistently stay on the field before dethroning Trout. - Brandon Wile
The Verdict
There’s really no wrong answer, though results from our Elite Eight showdown tipped decidedly in Trout's favor. Trout’s career may be more consistent to date, but Harper’s monster MVP season was what baseball had been waiting for after years of hype. There can only be one No. 1, however, and after staff and user voting, that distinction belongs to Trout, the Angels stud who's either won the AL MVP or finished second in voting in each of the past four seasons, and has compiled more WAR before his age-24 season than any position player in baseball history. After all, Harper just turned 23 - we need to give him something to shoot for.