Have a Happy Trout Series, btw.
Willie Dang Mays, guys. That's who Trout is.
Trout's slump year came at age 22. He had a total collapse down to a .287-.377-.561 (168 OPS+) line in '14. His other 4 full seasons are significantly better than that. Nelson Cruz's BEST season was last year: .302-.369-.566 (159). Oh, in Trout's WORST season he still won the MVP. And played terrific defense in CF.
In Nelson Cruz's best season, he still couldn't hold a candle to Trout's worst one. OK....so factor out the glove and Cruz peaks at Trout's nadir. Really.
You have to look to Junior to get a similar guy OF guy. Their numbers are comparable to age 25. Trout is that good. When Trout wiins the MVP this year he will have had 5 years without finishing below 2nd in the MVP balloting. He's in Willie Mays territory guys. Mantle, Aaron, Williams and DiMaggio live there, too. I think the address is
#1 HoF Drive
Mt. Olympus
Zeus lives just down the street. But Poseidon and Hades live across the tracks in the low rent district.
Bashing, RHB, + or ++ OF types like Trout (Mays, Aaron, Robinson, DiMaggio) don't see significant production loss until well after the age of 34. In fact, they all had near career seasons at 34. Billy Williams, too. Miggy is like that.
Mortals like George Foster and Richie Allen begin to decline 2 years earlier....and it is more precipitous.
I smile thinking about Mike Trout.
I will enjoy the series.