Comparing Trout-Trumbo-Pujols to Other Great MLB Trios Throughout History

Usually, it's a dynamic duo that we are talking about, simply because it lends itself to including a number of famous duos in the article—Batman and Robin, Beavis and Butthead and Pinky and the Brain, to name a few.

But the Angels had to go ahead and blow that plan out of the water by giving us two players having excellent seasons...and one having a season for the ages.

So now I'm stuck scrambling for trios. And aside from the Three Musketeers or Crosby, Stills and Nash (which doesn't really work for me because Young belongs there as well), I'm at a loss.

Thankfully, baseball has plenty of terrific trios for us to compare this trio of Angels to.

So how do Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo stack up against some of the best that the game has ever seen?

Keep in mind that in order to accomplish that feat, we need to be forward-thinking—that is, looking at the potential big picture when their days as teammates have come to an end. So, without further ado...

Honorable Mention: Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz

You can't start a discussion about great trios in baseball without talking about Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz.

With a combined record of 873-585 (more than 300 games over .500), 154 saves and seven Cy Young Awards between them, they comprised one of the most, if not the most, dominating group of pitchers that the game has ever seen with the Braves from 1993 through 2002.

If you truly needed to make a comparison to active players, I suppose you could point to either the Angels' Zack Greinke, Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson or the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann, but let's be honest—there simply is no comparison for Glavine-Maddux-Smoltz.

As far as Pujols, Trout and Trumbo go, it's virtually impossible to compare three batters to three pitchers—so I'm not even going to try.

New York Yankees: Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams (1995-2006)

Before the Yankees had a "Core Four," they had their own version of Michigan's "Fab Five"—Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams. Removing Pettitte and Rivera from the equation gives us our trio.

We can make a correlation between Posada and Trumbo in that both are power hitters who play so-so defense. While Trumbo might have more raw power than Jorge did, Posada was a switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate.

Jeter and Pujols are both first ballot Hall of Famers and among the greatest players to ever play their respective positions.

Trout and Williams is where the similarities end.

For as great a player as Bernie Williams was, Trout's tools certainly seem to surpass Bernie's, even at the peak of the former Yank's career. Trout is well on his way to winning his own version of a Triple Crown—Rookie of the Year, MVP and the AL batting crown. Of those, Bernie has only a batting crown on his resume, with his .339-winning 1998.

Of course, the major difference between the trios is that the guys wearing the pinstripes were the driving force behind baseball's last dynasty.

So while Pujols, Trout and Trumbo might wind up with more impressive career numbers when their days together come to an end, they have a long road to travel before they can be considered on the same level as Jeter, Posada and Williams.

Cincinnati Reds: Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez (1972-1978)

You could make the case for Pete Rose should be included, but for our purposes, Tony Perez is a better fit.

There's no question that Pujols is a superior player to Perez, but Perez was the glue that held the Reds together. And while Pujols is certainly not a dividing force in Anaheim, what Perez meant to the Big Red Machine cannot be overstated.

With the exception of power, where they might be even, Johnny Bench trumps Mark Trumbo in every aspect of the game, especially their approach at the plate. Bench's career batting average of .267 may not be impressive, but he was a far more patient hitter than Trumbo is.

Consider this: The season in which Bench turned 26 years old, he drew 80 walks against his 90 strikeouts. Trumbo has already eclipsed Bench's strikeout total this season with more than 100, but only has 29 walks to his credit.

Morgan and Trout is an interesting comparison, as both have world-class speed on the basepaths. But Morgan was a far more patient hitter, leading the league in walks multiple times.

Trout has more power, and his numbers this season are reminiscent of Morgan's second consecutive MVP-winning season of 1976.

• Trout: .343/.407/.604, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 39 SB, 98 G
• Morgan: .320/.444/.576, 27 HR, 111 HR, 60 SB, 141 G

The Reds picked up two World Series titles during this time, and that certainly counts for something. Championships aside, there are quite a few similarities between the six players, and that should be encouraging for Angels fans.

New York Yankees: Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth (1924-1934)

Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth need no introduction.

Combs was an outstanding player in his own right, but in Gehrig and Ruth, you're talking two of the most iconic figures in the history of the game—they have no equals.

So while Albert Pujols is a legendary figure himself and Trout has more power and speed than Combs, there's no real comparison to be made here.

Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Billy Williams

It's on the Northside of Chicago where we find the best comparison for our three Angels, a place Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Billy Williams all called home from 1961 through 1971.

The parallels between Banks and Pujols are uncanny. Both began their careers playing on the left side of the infield before moving to first base, though Banks was an All-Star at both positions while Pujols can only claim first base in that category.

Both are prolific sluggers—Pujols sits exactly 40 home runs behind Banks on the career list—and both players can point to multiple MVP awards on their resumes.

It's still a crying shame that those who vote for the Hall of Fame couldn't figure out that Ron Santo was deserving of enshrinement before he passed away,

Trumbo might have more raw power than Santo, but Santo was a superior defender with a great batting eye—things Trumbo cannot claim as his own.

Billy Williams was a run-generating force on offense who finished his career with more than 400 home runs, but if Trout's 2012 season is a sign of things to come, Trout will wind up a far more complete player and surpass Williams.

Final Thoughts

Pujols is already a Hall of Fame player and an iconic figure, while Trout is certainly giving the impression that he's going to have a career to remember.

Trumbo could go either way—a big-time slugger who hits for average and gets on base consistently, or a big-time slugger who is all-or-nothing.

While this Angels trio certainly has work to do as a group before they can truly be compared to the trios on this list, there's plenty of time for them to equal or surpass those who came before them.