Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton win 2014 Hank Aaron Award
Two of the game’s best and brightest were honored in a ceremony prior to Game 4 of the World Series this weekend, as Mike Trout, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Giancarlo Stanton, an outfielder for the Miami Marlins, were named the recipients of the 2014 Hank Aaron Award, an annual honor that goes to the best offensive player in each respective league.
Stanton, 24, missed the final 17 games of the season after he took an 88 mph fastball from Milwaukee Brewers Mike Fiers to the face late in the season, but still led the National League in home runs (37), finished second in runs batted in (105) and still hit .288 to go along with 13 stolen bases. Perhaps more importantly, as he’s previously built a reputation as a dangerous power hitter, he posted his highest on-base percentage of his five-year-long big league career, as well (.395).
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Despite not having young ace Jose Fernandez, Miami was competitive for much of the year, finishing at 77-85, which was good for fourth place in the National League East. Stanton was a big part of that, especially early on. In the month of May, the second overall pick in the 2007 draft slashed .367/.479/.684 with eight home runs and 20 RBIs.
Trout, who led the Angels back to the postseason and a league-best 98 wins, crushed 36 home runs and drove in 111 runs while batting .287/.377/.361 in a season that had many critiquing the young star, given he struck out almost 200 time (184) after never having punched out more than 139 times in a season. This year, especially late in the season, pitchers seemed to focus on a perceived weakness of Trout, pounding him with high fastballs.
Despite the high strikeout total, Trout led the league in runs batted in, total bases and runs batted in – doing it all in his age 22 campaign. He hit his stride in June for the Angels, posting a line of .361/.471/.759 to go along with an impressive seven home runs, 10 doubles and 21 RBIs.