Troutstanding! Mike Trout Wins 2014 AL MVP!

Mike Trout was announced by the BBWAA as the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player live on MLB.com Thursday night. After finishing second in each of the past two seasons, Trout finally took home the prestigious award. Trout joins Vladimir Guerrero and Don Baylor as the only players to be crowned MVP while wearing a Halos uniform.

Mike Trout dominated the vote tonight, winning unanimously. 2014 was a truly remarkable season for the Angels’ young centerfielder. Trout is incredible, and this season he hit .287 with 36 home runs, 111 runs batted in, and 115 runs scored. Trouty set career highs this season in home runs, RBI’s, runs scored, and total bases. Trout’s 111 RBI’s led all of baseball, as did his 115 runs scored.

More from Halo Hangout

Victor Martinez finished second in the voting after putting together one of the best seasons for a designated hitter in baseball history. V-Mart posted a .335 batting average, with 32 dingers and 103 RBI’s. At age 35, Martinez put together the best season of his 11-year career, and the Tigers rewarded him with a new four-year deal worth a reported 68 million dollars. Cleveland Indians centerfielder, Michael Brantley, had a breakout campaign in 2014. Brantley hit .327 collecting 200 hits, with 20 of those hits being long balls, and driving in 97 runs. Brantley is entering the prime of his career at age 27, and figures to be vying for the award again in the coming seasons.

Jun 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) holds up a game ball as he celebrates his no hitter against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers won 8-0.Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Clayton Kershaw continues to rack up the accolades this offseason, adding a National League MVP to his treasure trove of trophies. Kershaw tallied 18 first place votes to take home his first MVP on Thursday night. Kershaw was nigh unhittable in 2014, going 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, and punching out 239 hitters. Kershaw took home the NL Cy Young Award last night, and this past season will not soon be forgotten. Los Angeles baseball fans rejoice; the city of LA can now officially lay claim to having the two best players in the entire league. The West Coast has once again proven to be the best coast.

Miami Marlins superstar right fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, was the runner-up on Thursday night. Stanton’s pure power cannot be equaled, but pundits have always questioned whether he could put it all of his tools together. Stanton answered those questions this season, batting .288 with 37 home runs and driving in 105 runs. The winner of the 2013 NL MVP, Andrew McCutchen, finished in third place in 2014. McCutchen has led the Pittsburgh Pirates to the postseason in back-to-back campaigns. Cutch hit .314 with 25 home runs and 83 RBI’s for the Pirates this past season.

Trout arguably should have received this honor in previous years, but baseball writers were uncomfortable giving the honor to such a young player on a bad team. Perhaps, the biggest difference between 2014 and the last two years is the fact that the Halos posted the best record in baseball en route to making the postseason. Trout really impressed voters this season by clubbing 36 homers, and leading the league in RBI’s and runs scored. Trouty is putting together a Hall-of-Fame resume at just 23 years of age. It is hard to believe, but Trout may get even better in the years ahead.

Mike Trout is the best player in the league, and his play in 2014 satisfied the baseball nerds and baseball purists alike. Trouty is the face of baseball, and I cannot wait to watch him do his thing for the next 15 plus seasons in Anaheim.

Home/LA Angels News