We’ve all played the “would you rather” game with baseball players. If you’re starting a franchise, who would you rather have? Or for one at bat with the game on the line?
What could make that hypothetical more fun? Asking actual talent evaluators who they would rather have. This season, we’ll take some of the best players/groups in baseball and ask scouts and executives who they’d take in a head-to-head situation, with a breakdown of their respective tools on baseball’s 20-80 scale to illustrate why.
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Outside of those Trout and Harper kids, you’d be hard-pressed to find two better young bats than Mookie Betts and Kris Bryant. Not only are they ridiculously talented, they’ve already had tremendous success. Bryant was last year’s National League MVP, and if not for that Trout fella, Betts would have been his American League counterpart.
I made an NL team scout do the impossible—pick one.
Hit tool:
“If Bryant was going up against the majority of players he’d have a shot. Not against Betts. He’s going to win multiple batting titles. He uses the whole field and the swing is so quick that it’s hard contact everywhere. I know he’s struggling right now in that aspect, but I don’t think that’s going to continue for very much longer.
“Bryant makes a ton of hard contact everywhere as well, but because he strikes out so much I don’t think he’s ever going to be in that .300 range that Betts will be. It’s certainly not a weakness, but it ain’t Betts.”
Grade:
Betts 70
Bryant 60
Power tool:
“Betts is not a (dink-and-dunk) hitter by any means. The wrists are strong, and while I think he has taken advantage of Fenway somewhat, there’s certainly real power in his bat. It wouldn’t shock me if he had a 35- or 40-homer season.
“I’d say Bryant has more power in his bat than anyone but (Giancarlo) Stanton and (Joey) Gallo right now. It’s so easy, too. Yeah, the swing is long, but there isn’t much effort in it, and he still just obliterates baseballs to every part of the field. This is easy 80-grade power, the kind you see put up 50-plus homer seasons. That could happen for sure.”
Grade:
Betts 60
Bryant 80
Speed:
“Bryant isn’t horrifically slow and you don’t have to pinch run for him, but come on. Centerfielder vs. third baseman.”
Grade:
Betts 70
Bryant 40
Defense:
“So what’s interesting about both of these guys is that they provide some versatility. Bryant is a good, if not great third baseman who can also hold his own in either of the corners. Betts, however, provides the value of all three outfield positions, and he came up as a second baseman and looks pretty good there, too. Again, this isn’t a case of one being ‘bad’ at a certain thing, it’s just that Betts provides borderline special value with the glove. Bryant can’t match that.”
Grade:
Betts 70
Bryant 50 (at third)
Pick one:
“I gave Betts a bunch of plus-plus grades and only gave Bryant one, so my answer may surprise you, but I’m going with Bryant. Yes, Betts is a better defender and he provides more value with the speed. But Bryant is a special middle-of-the-order bat. The kind of bat that you see on teams that win championships.
“I’m not saying that Betts isn’t one of those players, I’m just saying I feel more confident in being able to win in the long-term with Bryant. I think he’s going to be a Hall of Fame player who hits a remarkable number of home runs. Betts is very, very good. I’m just not sure if he carves out that kind of career. It’s certainly close, but if I have to pick one, Bryant is the one I’m picking.”
