Handicapping Mike Trout For The AL MVP Award

There are only a few players in the past 20 or so years with the talent that Mike Trout has. His numbers speak for themselves and has the awards to back it up. At just 23 years old, Trout’s trophy case looks like this: AL MVP (2014), Silver Slugger (2012, 2013, 2014), Rookie of the Year (2012), Hank Aaron Award (2014), and the All-Star Game MVP (2014). This year has been another installment thus far of how truly talented Trout is. Let’s handicap why he will win the MVP Award, and why he won’t.

Why Mike Trout Will Be The AL MVP:

Mike Trout is the best baseball player on earth right now. Defense, offense, base running, either way you break it down there is no player that is as important and as big of a game changer as Trout. After a slow start, the Angels are stringing together wins and looking more like the team that won the division a year ago. Trout has been the catalyst from the beginning. His numbers this season are on par with the greatness we’ve seen the past few years, currently at .289 AVG 9 HR 19 RBI. If he were to keep up this pace for the rest of the year, Trout would finish with a .289 AVG 43 HR 91 RBI and 33 Stolen Bases. This is what separates him from other candidates, Trout is that good to keep a stat line like this all year. The Angels have never needed his offense more than this year, with Josh Hamilton no longer in the picture, a slumping Albert Pujols, and inconsistency everywhere else in the lineup. He has delivered and been the main reason why this team is even 17-17 at this point. The AL West is a crapshoot, and will most likely be the Angels division when it’s all done because of the impact from Trout. Add in the fact that Trout has a very good chance join the 40/40 club this season, which hasn’t been done since Alfonso Soriano in 2006, and you have an AL MVP Award.

Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Why Mike Trout Won’t Be The AL MVP:

When players are super talented, like Trout, it almost gets taken for granted. Just look at LeBron James, he puts up his normal 28, 8, 8, stat line and yet receives more criticism for not playing up to his level. Mike Trout, like LeBron James, is and will be a perennial MVP candidate each year. At some point, voters start to give other guys a shot. The big factor is going to be if the Angels make the playoffs, because if they don’t it leaves that shadow of doubt of “Well how valuable was he really.” Even though Trout might contend for a Triple Crown, he won’t end up leading any of the big offensive statistical categories. Due to the lack of offense in the Angels lineup, opposing teams could start pitching around him more which somewhat hurts his value.

Bottomline:

As stated before, this is extremely early, there are still almost 130 games left to be played. If the season ended today, Mike Trout wouldn’t be the MVP, it would most likely go to Nelson Cruz, Dallas Keuchel, or Stephen Vogt. All of whom are in the AL West. But the season doesn’t end today, which is a benefit to Trout because despite the hot starts from the other three contenders, it is more likely that they can’t keep up that torrid pace. The marathon that baseball is, places more emphasis on talent, and none of these contenders are on Trout’s level. His numbers will be there, it just remains to be seen if the Angels will be.