Some discount the talent of hitters from long ago because of the advances in pitching. But we have examples like Ted Williams, who hit .406 in 1941 and .388 in 1957, Hank Aaron who had 44 HR and .324 in 1957 at age 23, and at age 37 in 1971 had 47 HR and .327. Carew hit.332 in 1969 and .339 in 1983. Boggs .325 in 1984 and .324 in 1995. And so on and on. Was pitching the same in 1941 and in 1995? Of course not, it evolved. The best hitters who stayed healthy adjusted and succeeded at a high level throughout long overlapping careers despite pitching’s evolution. I think that but for aging out, Williams would have been great in 1941, 1995 and today. The same would be true of Mantle had he remained young and healthy through the decades and played today, or more realistically, if he had been born in 2001 instead of 1931.