Bryce Harper reached the Major League World Series with the Phillies but Mike Trout and the Angels are still waiting

Bryce Harper’s journey, from a sensational teenager to one of baseball’s biggest stars, has spanned 11 years before a climax, which came Sunday night when his walk-off home run two runs in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series put the Philadelphia Phillies through to their first World Series since 2009.

One of the greatest figures in this sport has finally reached the most important instance. But Mike Trout, another of the top idols, is still waiting.

Their careers have been intertwined since they were teenagers, when Sports Illustrated called Harper “baseball’s chosen one” and Trout began to be compared to Mickey Mantle. Both had high expectations before they even made a Major League team lineup. They were considered the next superstars.

Somehow, Harper and Trout have lived up to the hype.

They are now mature players, in their early 30s and with careers that could land them in the Hall of Fame. Harper is one of the most feared sluggers in the majors. Trout patrols center field for the Los Angeles Angels, perhaps as the most complete player of the last decade.

Trout has long dominated the debate about which of the two players is better. But Harper now has an accomplishment not on Trout’s resume — a glorious moment in October.

Thanks to his home run on Sunday, the Phillies travel to face the Astros on Friday, in the first game of the World Series.

“In this game, people ask, ‘What have you done for me recently?’” Harper said of the Phillies’ journey this season. “That’s the way it’s always been.”

Statistical advantage for Trout

Judging by the numbers alone, Trout has the edge in most categories. He has been voted the Most Valuable Player in the American League three times. Harper has twice won that award in the National League.

Trout has made 10 All-Star appearances, while Harper has made seven appearances.

Analyzing the complicated calculations of sabermetrics, baseball-reference.com says Trout has 82.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in his 12 seasons. Harper’s number is 42.5 in 11 seasons.

And if dollars are your yardstick, Harper set an all-pro sports record in the United States and Canada by signing as a free agent with the Phillies in 2019 for $330 million over 13 years. He then tried unsuccessfully to convince Trout to join him in Philadelphia.

Instead, Trout extended his deal with Los Angeles for 10 years and $360 million.

It would be unfair to blame Trout for the Angels’ struggles, but Harper’s recent success highlights how alien the postseason has been to Trout. Even In a year when 40% of Major League clubs advanced to the playoffs, Los Angeles was eliminated after the regular season with a disappointing 73-89 record..

For years, the reason for the failures of the Angels, who have placed several stars at Trout’s side during his career, has been an enigma. Currently, she is with him Shohei Ohtanithe best to simultaneously display virtues of pitcher and hitter since Babe Ruth.

“We’ve got two of the best players to ever wear uniforms, but we need more,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said recently. “It is not a game of two against two. If it was, I’d love our odds.”

Trout has played in only one postseason, in 2014. The Angels were swept in the AL Division Series and Trout went 1-for-12, though his only hit was a home run.

In hindsight, there was a prophetic streak of games this season, in June. Harper’s Phillies swept Trout’s Angels in a three-game series.

That was the start of a rise for Philadelphia that culminated in their unexpected trip to the World Series.

The Angels were mired in a 14-game losing streak at the time and continued to flounder, in a season in which Trout eventually got hurt. His back problems this year served as a reminder of the fragility of a professional athlete’s career: As wonderful as he is, the 31-year-old star won’t be putting up MVP-worthy stats forever.

“I’m doing everything I can to stay on the field, but things come up,” Trout said. “Hard game”.

It’s impossible to know if the Angels will soon contend for a championship. The payroll has always been competitive under the orders of owner Arte Moreno, who is now exploring the sale of the team, which generates more uncertainty.

“I’m confident Perry will bring a winning team here,” Trout said. “He insists on it every year, since they eliminated us (from the playoffs). He is looking to bring a great group here to compete.”

The good news for Trout is that postseason fortunes can change quickly. Harper put a four-year playoff drought behind him, from 2018 to 2021, before leading the Phillies to the World Series this year.

For their part, Harper and Trout profess mutual respect for each other. In June, Trout had gone 0-for-11 in three games when the teams met, but Harper said the slump wouldn’t last.

“I think we all go through periods like that,” Harper told the Los Angeles Times. “I have had them in my career. He is one of the best in history. Everybody knows how good he is.”

“He’ll come out of this and by the end of the year, no one will even think about this streak he’s going through. He will be the same Mike Trout and he will hit .300 with 40 home runs.”

Harper was practically right. Trout finished batting .283 with 40 homers despite back problems. He thus continued with a career that can be considered among the best in history.

Now, fans hope to see similar success in the playoffs one day.