Call to the pen
Fansided

AL West: Greatest Individual Season In Each Team’s History

By Benno Martens

Jun 24, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) and designated hitter Albert Pujols (back) run back to the dugout after Pujols hits a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) and designated hitter Albert Pujols (back) run back to the dugout after Pujols hits a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Mike Trout (2012)

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Mike Trout is pretty good at baseball. In just his fifth season in the big leagues, the product of New Jersey is one of the preeminent stars in the game. Already with an American League Most Valuable Player award under his belt and three runner-up finishes, a Rookie of the Year, four Silver Sluggers and four All-Star nods, Trout is off to an all-time great start to his career.

It should come as little surprise, then, that among every player to put on an Angels uniform, Trout has put together the top three and four of the top six best individual seasons in franchise history. What’s more, he doesn’t turn 25 until August, so he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do between the lines.

2012 was Trout’s first full season with the Angels, and at just 20 years old, he had the finest season the team has ever seen. Slashing .326/.399/.564 with 27 doubles, eight triples, 30 home runs and 83 runs batted in, it took Miguel Cabrera winning the first AL triple crown since 1967 to prevent him from bringing the MVP trophy to Anaheim.

Trout set the Angels franchise record for a position player with a 10.8 bWAR in 2012, leading the league for the first of what has now been four consecutive seasons. He also led the AL in 168 OPS+, offensive win percentage, win probability added, runs scored and stolen bases, putting together a season for the ages.

All Trout has done since 2012 is continue to dominate the WAR leaderboards in the same way he dominates his opposition. No other player in the game today is as valuable by the statistical metrics, and given that he leads the category again in 2016, it seems no other player is a threat to take that title away from him anytime soon.

Next: One of the Killer B’s.

Home/MLB News