By Robert Cunningham, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer --
2013 Outlook: Although he didn't win AL MVP in 2012, Trout will annually contend for that title in the coming years. His skillset is unlike any player currently in the game and it is hard to imagine little, if any, regression from this young star. The fact that he is so young and could even improve is a mind-boggling thought.
2013 Outlook: Although he didn't win AL MVP in 2012, Trout will annually contend for that title in the coming years. His skillset is unlike any player currently in the game and it is hard to imagine little, if any, regression from this young star. The fact that he is so young and could even improve is a mind-boggling thought.
Some baseball analysts believe that Trout will regress based on how he ended the last 2 months of the 2012 season. They point out that the pitchers in the AL were adjusting to Trout. This is a possibility but there are other reasons that make me think otherwise. For one, it was a longer season than he has been used too and I think he tired a bit at the end. Two, there are usually a lot of new faces pitching against him in the last part of the season as September call ups and injuries bring new looks and pitches to the mound that Trout hasn't faced before. Finally, one very impressive thing about Mike is his ability to adjust during consecutive ab's versus the same pitcher, which is unparalleled in most athletes playing baseball today. It is almost as if he is able to recall every pitch in his memory and recognize it and destroy it when he sees it again.
Mike Trout is very capable of becoming one of the greatest players ever to wear an MLB uniform. His plate discipline, pitch recognition, and short compact swing make him a monster at the plate and his incredible sprint speed and defensive prowess is off the charts as well. This makes him the deadliest weapon on the team and possibly in all of MLB and the Angels are so lucky to have him as they make a push for the playoffs.