With Stats Slightly Down, Millville’s Mike Trout Still Remains Baseball’s Best Player

by Marc Narducci | May 31, 2019
With Stats Slightly Down, Millville’s Mike Trout Still Remains Baseball’s Best Player
For years South Jersey has staked claim to producing the best player in Major League Baseball, Millville’s Mike Trout.
 
To show his greatness, Trout is not off to the hottest of starts, but he has stats that most players would welcome in a heartbeat.
 
Then again, the 2009 Millville graduate isn’t most players.
 
Here is what Trout averaged in his first seven full seasons - .310, 31 doubles, six triples, 34 home runs, 90 RBI, a 1.000 OPS and 26 stolen bases.
 
That is the average, many of the seasons were better. Trout has won two MVP awards, finished second four times and fourth another.
 
That is incredible to finish among the top four in MVP voting every season and either first or second six times.
 
He is a seven-time all-star, no doubt that will be eight this season.
 
This year, as the Angels have gone through another difficult injury-plagued season, Trout’s numbers are slightly down.
 
After Monday’s loss to the Oakland A’s, he was hitting .281 with 13 doubles, no triples, 12 home runs, 30 RBI, and a healthy 1.025 OPS in 50 games.
 
He also had drawn 47 walks, which has accounted for a high .450 on base percentage. Trout’s OPS+, which is OPS adjusted to the players’ ballpark, was 180 and led all of MLB prior to Monday’s games.
 
Trout signed a 12-year deal in March, which broken down, was a 10-year $360 extension added to a two-year $66.5 million deal. That means that Trout is tied up for 12 seasons at $426.5 million according to spotrac.com.
 
The average salary over that time is more than $35.5 million and many baseball pundits suggested Trout could have earned more.
 
Before signing, he would have been a free agent after the 2020 season. Many were connecting the dots to Trout possibly coming to Philadelphia, since he loves the area, but now he has a chance to play his entire career with one organization.
 
The Angles haven’t been afraid to spend money, but they have been haunted by so many injuries.
 
Trout no doubt would love to be on the postseason stage and that is what drives him.
 
He no longer will have to worry about answering questions about his free agency and by signing he showed he believes in the Angles ability to eventually become a playoff team.
 
Monday’s loss to Oakland put the Angels 4.5 games out of the second wild card spot. They can only hope not to be buried by the all-star break.
 
What is scary is that Trout, who will be 28 in August is just in his prime. Besides being a generational offensive player, he is among the top defensive center fielders around.
 
This season the Angels aren’t in the area (within a few hours drive) that much. They were in Baltimore May 10-12 and will be In New York to face the Yankees from Tuesday Sept. 17 through Thursday Sept. 19.
 
Trout can only hope that the Angels are still in the playoff hunt by then. Whether that happens or not, Trout should be winding down another MVP type season if history goes according to form.

© SouthJersey.com 2019. All rights reserved. This article or parts thereof may not be reprinted or reproduced by any other party without the express written consent of SouthJersey.com. For more information, please call 856-797-9910.

For more Local Sports features, visit our South Jersey Sports page.


Author: Marc Narducci

Archives

Who’s Who in Health Care

Ahead of the Curve

Money Matters

Going Greener and Cleaner

Self-Made Man

Building Toward the Future

On The Move

Firing Up

Drinking it All In

Caring for One Another

What’s the Big Idea?

Making Connections

Up to the Challenge

Today’s Pupils, Tomorrow’s Professionals

Best of Home & Garden 2024


More...