Keri: Mike Trout’s ridiculous encore performance

From Jonah Keri at Grantland on August 7, 2013:

Last year, Mike Trout was the best player in baseball (even if voters and players disagreed). His was one of the best rookie seasons of all time, ranking with Dwight Gooden’s off-the-charts ’85 campaign as one of the best efforts ever for a player in his age-20 season.

All of that is yesterday’s news. In many ways, Trout’s even better in 2013 than he was in his ludicrous 2012 season. On this, his 22nd birthday, he’s on the verge of making history. Again.

Trout made his 2012 debut on April 28. In his 139 games played, he hit .326 with a .399 on-base percentage and a .564 slugging average. He led the majors in runs scored (129), stolen bases (49, caught stealing just five times), and Baserunning Runs. On a park-adjusted and rate-stat basis, he was the best hitter in baseball, tying with Miguel Cabrera in creating 66 percent more runs than the average hitter.

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There’s a funny thing about scouting, [Angels scout Eddie] Bane said. In the back of any good scout’s mind, he thinks, This could be the day I find the next superstar. He’s hidden somewhere and I’m going to find him.

“You always look at player comps in this business,” Bane said. “None of our guys wanted to put down the comp that you’d expect in this case, because it’s just too much pressure. We should have done it, though. We should have put down the comp that a lot of people have put down since then. You look at Trout, you see Mickey Mantle.”

Read the full article here: http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/70717/mike-trouts-ridiculous-encore-performance



Originally published: August 7, 2013. Last Updated: August 7, 2013.