Is the poor performance of the Anaheim Angels of Anaheim robbing Mike Trout of his rightful American League Most Valuable Player awards like the center fielder robs homers from sluggers?
Fansided's Ryan Davis thinks so.
His argument: Trout has been the best player in the league for the last several years.
But what does the phenom from Vineland, New Jersey, have to show for it?
One stinkin' MVP award (in 2014).
Ah, 2014, when Trout became the sixth player in MLB history to win both the regular season MVP and the All-Star Game MVP in the same season, the fifth-youngest MVP ever, the 17th to win unanimously and the fifth in Angels' franchise history, following Vladdy Guerrero in 2004.
Fast forward two short seasons. Well, two long short seasons.
“This season, despite being the best player yet again, everyone wants to talk about all the other AL players that are deserving of the award,” Davis writes in “Mike Trout, Your 2016 American League MVP.” “But what about Trout? Is 'Trout fatigue' a real thing?”
If it is, Big Pharm should come up with a remedy in pill form, and hopefully one that won't leave baseball writers deaf, blind and dealing with a raging four-hour boner.
Because here is the deal: Since being picked first by the Halos in the 2009 draft and starting his first full year in the Bigs in 2012, Trout has won the AL Rookie of the Year award, been a five-time All-Star and a two-time All-Star Game MVP.
This season, with 12 games left going into Tuesday night's face-off with the Texas Rangers, Trout had hit 27 home runs, 91 RBI and had been a monster in center and on the base paths. His .318 batting average and .435 on base percentage exceed his overall career averages, while his .556 slugging percentage is only slightly off his career average.
Of course, also this season, the Angels were in last place heading into last night's Texas game, with 65 wins, 85 loses and 23.5 games behind them and the first-place Rangers.
During that 2014 campaign when Trout won the MVP, the Angels were 98-64—before they went on to be swept in three games by those Royal wild cards in Kansas City.
Maybe ol' Ryan Davis is onto something.
