Mike Trout, a Millville, New Jersey High School graduate, just happens to be the undeniably, greatest Major League Baseball player for the past decade.

Trout is the total package, both on and off the field. His play on the field is stellar and there has not been one instance under the blaring spotlight that Trout’s personal/public conduct has ever been brought into question.

Trout, though still at the peak of his career, has also become a statesman for the game. During the protracted collective bargaining process, Trout spoke out at just the right time in an effective manner.

It was a pivotal moment of truth and Trout saw the gravity of the situation. This season was very much in doubt until Trout went public and it was no coincidence that labor peace and a new deal were reached shortly after Trout made his pronouncement.

Unfortunately, many on the East Coast have missed much of Trout’s storied major league career because he plays for the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim.

Trout worked very hard this past off-season to recover from a right calf injury he received while running the bases on May 17, 2021. Trout was in the process of producing MVP numbers prior to the injury shutting him down for most of last season.

It’s hard to look at it this way because we are currently living history.

Trout is this era’s Mickey Mantle, without the bad behavior.

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In his first 11 years, Trout has produced some of the most prolific statistics ever recorded in the history of the game.

Despite time missed in 2020 and 2021, Trout is a lock for first-ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Trout has amassed a 9-year stretch of brilliance that places him in the pantheon of the sport’s entire recorded history.

Cooperstown Credibility - The Case for Mike Trout (CF)
• Los Angeles Angels (2011-21)
• Career: .305 BA, .419 OBP, .583 SLG
• Career: 310 HR, 816 RBI, 1,419 Hits
• Career: 175 OPS+, 75.9 WAR (Wins Above Replacement)
• Has led the American League in OPS+ 6 times (led all MLB 4 times)
• Leads all active MLB players in OBP and SLG (minimum 3,000 PA)
• Career WAR (75.9) is 6th best all-time for MLB position players prior to his 30th birthday
• Career OPS+ (175) is tied for 5th best all-time in MLB history (min. 5,000 PA)
• 3-time A.L. MVP (2014, 2016, 2019), A.L. Rookie of the Year in 2012
• A.L. MVP runner-up 4 times (2012, 2013, 2015, 2018)
• 9-time All-Star, 8-time Silver Slugger Award Winner

Trout is a 3 time American League Most Valuable Player and a 4-time runner-up.

Because of injuries the past two seasons, some mistakenly believe that Trout has had an injury-prone career. Trout has only been on the injured reserve list 3 times during his entire career.

Here are some more Trout fun facts:

Only once in eight seasons did Trout fail to finish either 1st or 2nd in the MVP balloting. It’s unprecedented in the history of the game.

In a so-called “down” year (2017), Trout played in only 114 games due to injury and still finished 4th in the MVP voting.

In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Trout finished 5th in the MVP voting.

With Trout, we’re currently living history and many don’t even realize it.

A local boy, who is now 30 years old, Trout is an international caliber superstar and the face of Major League Baseball.

Just as important, Trout never says or does the wrong thing.

We are living in very troubling times. Our country is bitterly divided. There are very few role models left in society.

Mike Trout is a true role model.

In Mike Trout’s case, good guys finish first.

Enjoy this ride while it lasts. It’s special and something like this never comes along more than once in a generation.

SOURCE: Baseball-Reference.com

Millville High Alum Mike Trout Through the Year's

55 baseball players from NJ (that Joe V could find stock photos of)

 

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