LA Angels (Troutless) Season Awards

If the LA Angels were to give out season awards, Mike Trout would likely win every single one he was eligible for. So now, we will be handing out awards to the team, but Trout is ineligible to win.

The LA Angels Team MVP was Mike Trout. Their Silver Slugger was Mike Trout. Best Defensive Player Award? Mike Trout has a case.

Mike Trout is everything to the LA Angels. However, not all the praise can go to him. So now, we will be handing out five awards for the LA Angels, most of which Mike Trout would win, and disqualify anyone who has ever been Top 2 in MVP voting five times in the first five years of his career.

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For anyone wondering, that means Trout and Barry Bonds are not allowed to win these awards.

So, without further ado, I give you the 2018 LA Angels 2018 Season Awards…sans Mike Trout. As an extra caveat, no player is eligible to win more than one award.

Angels’ Cy Young Award

Winner: Jaime Barria

Now, this is one Mike Trout (probably) would not win. Andrew Heaney won the Nick Adenhart Award, given to the team’s best pitcher. That is voted on by the players, and the Angels’ Cy Young Award will be going to someone different.

Jaime Barria was the best pitcher for the Angels this season. His 3.41 ERA ranked second among starters to only Shohei Ohtani, who only threw 51.2 innings last year. Barria was consistently exceptional in his rookie year, and deserves much more praise than he has received, and could even be the ace the Angels need going forward.

Mike Trout’s Likelihood of Winning: 0.27% (Trout did throw upper-90’s in high school, and stayed healthy while doing so)

Angels’ Rookie of the Year

Winner: David Fletcher

David Fletcher was everything the Angels could have hoped for in 2018. He was amongst the best hitters in the minor leagues, and his hitting translated well to the bigs. Fletcher slashed .275/.316/.363 in 80 games for the Halos. While Shohei Ohtani and even Barria have solid cases for Rookie of the Year, Barria was already the Cy Young and Ohtani (spoiler alert), will be featured for another award.

Fletcher played four different positions for the Angels, spending most of his time at second base. He was solid on defense and was a great leadoff hitter for the Halos down the stretch. Fletcher is slated to be the Opening Day second baseman in 2019, and while he might never possess the power to be an everyday starter, he is the kind of gritty player (i.e David Eckstein) who elevates his teammates and makes a good team great.

Mike Trout’s Likelihood of Winning: 2.7% (Mike Trout is a Philly fan, and if Ben Simmons was considered a rookie, maybe Trout could be too?)

Extending Mike Trout is All That Matters For Halos. Related Story

Angels’ Gold Glove Award

Winner: Andrelton Simmons

Simmons once again won the Gold Glove Award for AL shortstops. For those keeping track at home, that is four Gold Gloves in six full seasons. He was the same lights out defender in 2018, with 21 defensive runs saved.

Some people try to knock Simmons for his number of errors (10 in 2018), but the only time he makes errors is when he tries to go above and beyond. Simba has elite range, a cannon for an arm, and the natural instincts required to be a Gold Glove shortstop.

2019 will likely be more of the same for Simmons. He is due for a contract extension soon, and given his once-in-a-generation defensive ability and solid offensive output, he will be an expensive signing for the Angels.

Mike Trout’s Likelihood of Winning: 27% (Trout improved tremendously on defense, but Andrelton Simmons is one of the best defenders in the entire MLB)

Angels’ Silver Slugger Award

Winner: Justin Upton

To be fair, the first choice for this would have been Mike Trout. Then Shohei Ohtani. And then probably Simmons. But, due to the nature of these awards, congratulations to Justin Upton, the (third runner up) winner fo the 2018 Angels’ Silver Slugger Award.

It was more of the same Upton in 2018. He hit .257 with 30 home runs(second on the team), 85 RBI’s (first), 80 runs (second), and 18 doubles (sixth). Overall it was a solid season for Upton, as we know what kind of hitter he is at this point in his career. Luckily, that is pretty good when all is said and done. Sure, his hitting can be streaky and you’d like to see his average a bit higher, but overall Upton is the definition of a slugger. Not a golden slugger, but silver nonetheless.

Mike Trout’s Likelihood of Winning: 100% (Mike Trout drove in 79 runs and hit 39 home runs, meaning only 40 of his RBI’s were his teammates)

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Angels’ Team MVP Award

Winner: Shohei Ohtani

Of all the pitchers to take the mound for the LA Angels this season, none was better than Shohei Ohtani. Of all the hitters to step into the batter’s box for the LA Angels this season, only Mike Trout was better than Ohtani.

Without Trout in the picture, Ohtani is the clear cut MVP.

The likely (and honestly if he is not then there is something wrong with voters) AL Rookie of the Year was absolutely dominant in his rookie campaign. It was littered with absolutely electric moments, from his three-run home run in his home debut, to his near-perfect game in his other home debut.

Shohei Ohtani was historical in his first year in the bigs. While he won’t take the mound until the next decade, you can bet your bottom yen that Ohtani will be one of the best designated hitters in the MLB next season.

Mike Trout’s Likelihood of Winning: 100%

Mike Trout is the best player to ever wear an Angels’ uniform. He is an all-time great already, and if he retired tomorrow, would be in the Hall of Fame five years from now. Mike Trout is the best player in the MLB. These “Troutless” awards are all fun and games right now, but two years from now, this may be reality unless the Angels can really compete and sign Trout to an extension.

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