Age 30 Seasons Provide Aaron Judge And Mike Trout With New Motivations

Even though the calendar tells us we’re in the month of May, conversations regarding the Most Valuable Player Award in the American League are percolating thanks to the early season performances of two frontrunners. A friendly competition between New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout could make for a fun summer of east coast versus west coast banter among baseball fans. Amid their age 30 seasons, health and impending free agency are providing Judge and Trout with new motivations for success.

Judge is eligible for free agency at season’s end. He was unable to come to terms with the Yankees on a contract extension prior to the start of the regular season. The Yankees had offered Judge a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension beginning in 2023 with an average annual value of $30.5 million. Judge was also unable to come to terms on a one-year contract in his final year of arbitration eligibility. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, a hearing is scheduled for June 22^nd to determine whether Judge will earn $21 million, or the $17 million offered by the Yankees.

As the Opening Day deadline failed to produce a contract extension, Judge has remained focused on performing at an elite level thanks to confidence and health. Judge will not be distracted by uncertainty as he has learned how to quiet the noise around him by focusing on matters that are within his control. Judge places tremendous trust in his abilities while demonstrating self-awareness, patience, and discipline. He is a calming presence for teammates while endearing himself to a fan base that wants to see him wear pinstripes for the entirety of his major league career.

A wunderkind who has validated the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) statistic over the past decade, Trout is embarking upon a new chapter in his exceptional career. Health ailments in recent years have temporarily derailed the “Millville Meteor.” A right calf strain limited him to 31 ball games last season as Trout has also lost significant time since 2017 due to right wrist inflammation, a torn ligament in his left thumb, and surgery on his right foot to remove a Morton’s neuroma.

Trout is one of 11 ball players who have won at least three Most Valuable Player Awards. Barry Bonds holds the record with seven and is the only ball player to have won the prestigious award more than three times. Along with Bonds and Trout, Stan Musial and Albert Pujols are the only ball players who have won three Most Valuable Player Awards prior to their age 30 season. Trout is also one of 11 ball players in the American League to have been a unanimous selection for the Most Valuable Player Award. He achieved this feat in 2014 as his teammate, Shohei Ohtani, was a unanimous selection last season.

According to Baseball-Reference’s calculation of WAR for position ball players, Trout (78.5) is presently tied with Brooks Robinson for 42^nd all-time. He will likely surpass the iconic center fielder Joe DiMaggio (79.2) prior to this summer’s All-Star Game on the career leaders list. By season’s end, Pete Rose (79.6), Jeff Bagwell (79.9), and Rod Carew (81.2) will be in his rearview mirror as well. Don’t be surprised if Trout also moves past another legendary center fielder in Ken Griffey, Jr. (83.8).

The magnificence of Trout’s first 11 major league seasons has all but assured him a bronze plaque in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. However, Trout yearns for an opportunity to excel in the postseason as his experience is limited to three ball games against the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Division Series. Plus, the Angels have yet to fully capitalize on the pairing of Trout with the phenomenal Ohtani. Similarly, good fortune is allowing the Yankees to enjoy success as Judge and Giancarlo Stanton strive to become only the second pair of teammates to hit at least 50 home runs in the same season. Roger Maris (61) and Mickey Mantle (54) first accomplished this feat for the Yankees in 1961.

A line of demarcation is drawn in baseball after a ball player turns 30 years old as negative connotations usually accompany this milestone. Since the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) began voting for the Most Valuable Player Award in 1931, the average age of the ball players who have won the award is 28.33 years old. However, 59 ball players have won at least one Most Valuable Player Award after turning 30 years old according to Baseball-Reference. Five of these ball players have won multiple Most Valuable Player Awards between their age 30 through age 40 seasons: Barry Bonds (four), Mike Schmidt (three), Roy Campanella (two), Carl Hubbell (two), and Joe Morgan (two). Bonds’ first three Most Valuable Player Awards were won prior to turning 30 years old and Campanella’s first had occurred during his age 29 season.

Unlike Judge, Trout enjoys the comfort and security of a long-term contract. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Angels owe Trout $319 million over nine seasons at an average annual value of $35.45 million. He signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension in March 2019. Judge intimately understands the current market conditions for ball players of his caliber and prefers discretion in negotiations. He will not tolerate a single distraction as he is deeply focused on winning ball games and being an exemplary teammate.

The next phase of Mike Trout’s career is filled with endless possibilities beginning with health. Aaron Judge is seeking fair market value and diligently working towards a long overdue Most Valuable Player Award. As both ball players continue to demonstrate excellence during their age 30 seasons, individual accolades pale in comparison to what matters most to both of them: winning a world championship.