Mike Trout and Bryce Harper quickly became an enigma within professional baseball. Both would forever be linked as they won the Rookie of the Year Awards in their respective leagues in 2012.
A few years later, Trout would go on to win the American League MVP Award for his impressive performance. He started 157 games, hitting .287/.377/.561 with 36 home runs and 111 runs batted in.
Harper had a good season in 2014, but not in the way that Trout did. In 2015, the Washington Nationals youngster knew he had some work to do and crowned Trout the best player in baseball, via The Guardian.
"Mike Trout is the best player in baseball, and I don't think anybody can argue that" said Harper.
That was huge praise for somebody that many around the league also believed deserved that title. However, Harper knew he had some things to prove before he could be handed that title.
Harper worked hard over the offseason and put himself in a position to do great things during the 2015 season. He would take his game up a couple of notches, showing the world what he is truly capable of.
Bryce Harper matches Mike Trout's 2014 accomplishment
During the 2015 season, Bryce Harper could do no wrong. His swing was short and compact, he was seeing the ball well, and there were not many pitchers that had success against him.
During a three-game stretch in May, Harper was a menace to the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. He hit six home runs during that span, with one being a walk-off home run against Atlanta.
Harper started 153 games that season, hitting .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs and 99 runs batted in. He compiled a 9.7 WAR, which still stands as the best of his career.
At the end of the season, Harper was awarded the National League MVP Award. Now, he and Mike Trout both had a Rookie of the Year and MVP Award to their name.
However, the 2015 season was not perfect. Harper and the Nationals went on to miss out on the postseason after finishing second in the NL East to the New York Mets.
Harper also lost his temper a few times, causing him to be ejected. This was also the same season that he and Jonathan Papelon got into a physical altercation in the dugout.