Trout’s Bucket List

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusmail
Facebooktwittergoogle_plus
http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Mike-Trout-Angels.jpg

Mike Trout

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout isn’t your typical 23-year old. Trout is already in his fifth Major League Baseball season and he has already done what most players don’t accomplish for an entire career. In 2012, Trout became the first Angels player since Tim Salmon in 1993 to be named as the American League’s Rookie of the Year. That season Trout batted .326 with 30 homers, 83 runs batted in and 49 stolen bases as it took a Triple Crown season from Detroit Tigers infielder Miguel Cabrera to prevent the young phenom from also being named as the AL MVP. In 2014, Trout would bat .287 with 36 home runs and 111 runs batted in and this time around he would go on to be named as the AL MVP as he helped the Angels with the AL West for the first time since 2009. Trout is also a four-time MLB All-Star and he has gone on to make history at the Midsummer Classic.

This past Tuesday night at the MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati, Ohio, Trout led the contest off with a home run off of Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke. Trout finished the game going 1-for-3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored as he helped the American League defeat the National League 6-3. Trout would go on to be named as the All-Star Game MVP and in the process he became the first player in the illustrious history of MLB to win consecutive All-Star Game MVP Awards. This is coming from a young man in Trout that won’t be 24-years old until next month.

Already Trout’s career wins above replacement (WAR) is at 34 which is good for ninth place on the Angels all-time list and he should surpass Frank Tanana, Bobby Grich, and his current teammate in starting pitcher Jered Weaver to move into the top five in the category before the season ends.

Trout is a fan favorite as he has one of the top selling jerseys in Major League Baseball. Trout’s hustle and overall excellence on the baseball diamond has seen him draw comparisons to Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. And like Mantle, Trout is seeking to lead his team to a World Series Championship.

Last season the Angels won 98 games in the regular season, but in the American League Divisional Series, they were upset and swept by the eventual AL Champion in the Kansas City Royals. In the three games against the Royals, Trout batted a meager .083 with a homer and a run batted in what was a disappointing way for his stellar season to end.

After stumbling at the start of this season, the Angels went into the All-Star break winning seven of their last ten ballgames and in the process they were able to overtake the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West. Heading into the second half of this season, the Angels now have their eyes set on getting back to the playoffs with Trout leading the way. This season Trout is batting .312 with a .405 on-base percentage, 26 home runs, and 55 runs batted in. Trout is on pace to be the first Angels player since Troy Glaus in 2001 to hit at least 40 home runs in a season and he’s already tenth on the franchise’s all-time home runs list. And when it is all said and done, Trout should re-write the Angels offensive record book as long as he spends his entire MLB career in Orange County with the Halos.

It’s amazing that Trout has not even played five Major League Baseball seasons and he already appears to be worthy of first-ballot entry into Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Trout is worth the price of admission and then some as he is as good as any Hollywood production being that what you see from him in every game is sheer greatness. Trout is already the reigning AL MVP and he will look to do what Cabrera of the Tigers did in 2012 and 2013 as he won the award in consecutive seasons. Trout is piling up the individual accolades and the only thing missing from his stellar resume is the most coveted award in MLB which is the World Series Championship. And when Trout gets that one, his MLB bucket list will be complete.

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusmail
Facebooktwittergoogle_plus
By | 2015-07-16T11:10:09+00:00 July 16th, 2015|Categories: Major League Baseball|Tags: , |0 Comments

About the Author:

Leave A Comment