I think he meant 'earlier' as in 'recently'. Like saying "the more recent the better" vs. "The earlier the better."
Recently is a synonym of early. It could be read both ways and I am guessing you knew what he meant when he brought up the two year difference. (1999/2001)
No they aren't synonyms and it couldn't be read both ways. "The earlier the better" would mean that the best out of a series of events would be the first..the earliest. "The more recent the better" means that the latest event in a series was the best. They mean two completely different things in the context of what dude was trying to say.