Legendary power hitter and pitcher who revolutionized baseball in the 1920s-30s
Baseball historians, era enthusiasts, and those valuing cultural impact and raw power
Modern baseball's greatest all-around player combining elite offense, defense, and baserunning
Modern baseball fans, analytics enthusiasts, and those valuing all-around excellence and longevity
Mike Trout is the superior all-around player by modern metrics, combining elite hitting, baserunning, and defense across his career. While Babe Ruth revolutionized baseball and dominated his era with unmatched power, Trout's consistency, versatility, and sustained excellence across multiple positions give him the edge in head-to-head comparison.
Mike Trout emerges as the better player when accounting for era-adjusted metrics, defensive versatility, and sustained excellence across his career. Choose Babe Ruth for historical significance and raw power dominance; choose Mike Trout for all-around superiority and modern consistency.
Choose Babe Ruth if
Baseball historians, era enthusiasts, and those valuing cultural impact and raw power
| Metric | Babe Ruth | Mike Trout | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career Home Runs(HR) | 714 | 382 | +87% |
| Batting Average(.XXX) | .342 | .303 | +13% |
| Career Wins Above Replacement(WAR) | 183 |
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Choose Mike Trout if
Modern baseball fans, analytics enthusiasts, and those valuing all-around excellence and longevity
| 85+ |
| +115% |
| On-Base Plus Slugging(OPS) | 1.164 | .989 | +18% |
| Stolen Bases(SB) | 124 | 401 | -69% |
| MLB All-Star Selections(selections) | 7 | 10 | -30% |
| World Series Titles(titles) | 7 | 1 | +600% |
| Defensive Positions(positions) | 2 (OF, P) | 3 (LF, CF, RF) | -33% |
| Career Games Played(games) | 2503 | 2516+ | — |
| Strikeout Rate(K%) | ~8.5% | 20.2% | -58% |
| MVP Awards(count) | 1 (pre-modern voting) | 3 | -67% |
| Career OPS+(OPS+) | 206 | 169 | +22% |
All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Apr 2026.
Babe Ruth
1914-1935 (Pre-integration, limited talent pool)
Mike Trout
2011-present (Modern, global talent pool)🏆
Babe Ruth
714 HR🏆
Mike Trout
382 HR (as of 2026)
Babe Ruth
Primarily outfield & pitcher
Mike Trout
All outfield positions & DH🏆
Babe Ruth
10-12 elite seasons
Mike Trout
14+ elite seasons (ongoing)🏆
Babe Ruth
~183 career WAR🏆
Mike Trout
~85+ WAR (age 33)
Babe Ruth
.342 career🏆
Mike Trout
.303 career
Babe Ruth
Average for era (~124 stolen bases)
Mike Trout
Elite (401 stolen bases, 4x All-Star)🏆
Babe Ruth
Era+ needed for fair comparison
Mike Trout
Direct modern metric comparison🏆
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Mike Trout edges out Babe Ruth when using modern advanced metrics (WAR per season, OPS+, defensive metrics), but Ruth's era-adjusted statistics (OPS+ of 206) remain historically dominant. The answer depends on whether you value absolute dominance within an era (Ruth) or sustained all-around excellence in a competitive modern environment (Trout).
Dive deeper with these curated resources
| Attribute | Babe Ruth | Mike Trout |
|---|---|---|
| Career Home Runs(HR) | 714 | 382 |
| Batting Average(.XXX) | .342 | .303 |
| Career Wins Above Replacement(WAR) | 183 | 85+ |
| On-Base Plus Slugging(OPS) | 1.164 | .989 |
| Stolen Bases(SB) | 124 | 401 |
| MLB All-Star Selections(selections) | 7 | 10 |
| World Series Titles(titles) | 7 | 1 |
| Defensive Positions(positions) | 2 (OF, P) | 3 (LF, CF, RF) |
| Career Games Played(games) | 2503 | 2516+ |
| Strikeout Rate(K%) | ~8.5% | 20.2% |
| MVP Awards(count) | 1 (pre-modern voting) | 3 |
| Career OPS+(OPS+) | 206 | 169 |
Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes
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