Category: TroutClub

A club dedicated to Angels’ center fielder Mike Trout! (Originally a TBC Exclusive, but was canceled and archived due to unsuccessful reviews)

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mike Trout

Mike Trout is one of the best baseball players today. He can hit home runs, steal bases, make diving catches, and sometimes hit over .300. He can do all that and he isn’t even thirty! One thing that stands out is how he is the youngest player to hit for the cycle. The cycle is when you hit a single, double, triple, and home run in a single game!

In his first full season in 2012, Mike’s talent was really there. He was so good that season that he won the Rookie of the Year award. In his award winning season, Trout hit 30 home runs, drove in 83 RBIs and hit .326. He even led the league in runs (129), stolen bases (49), and WAR (10.7). WAR stands for Wins above Replacement. In 2012 Mike Trout would also win a Louisville Silver Slugger award and would finish runner up in votes for the MVP award behind Miguel Cabrera.

Since then, Trout hasn’t slowed down. In the 2013 season prior to the great breakout one, Trout would put up similar numbers which would once again put him behind Miguel Cabrera for the MVP award. He hit 27 home runs and stole 33 bases in addition to driving in 97 RBIs and a .323 average. He would lead the American League in walks (110), WAR (9.2), and runs (109). He would win the Louisville Silver Slugger again.

Mike Trout’s 2014 season is arguably his best. That year he won the American League MVP award with yet another Silver Slugger! That season, he hit 36 home runs, 16 stolen bases, a .287 batting average, and 39 doubles. He would lead the league in runs (115), RBIs (111), and WAR (7.9).

Although he is so good, he needs to cut down on his strikeouts. In 2014, he led all of baseball with 184 strikeouts. Each of his full seasons, he has more than 125 strikeouts. Even though he strikes out a lot, he is still one of the best offensive players in MLB.

Mike Trout is also one of the best defenders in MLB, too. He is known for making spectacular diving catches and robbing home runs. One time, he jumped up and robbed Prince Fielder of a home run. In his career (as of 2014), Mike Trout has thrown out 7 runners. That is really good for a center fielder. Also, in his rookie year in 2012, he had a 6.6 DWAR.

Since Mike Trout is so good, he is a regular at the all-star game. In the 2014, Mike drove in Derek Jeter and scored on a Miguel Cabrera home run. He would finish the night with a .667 batting average, 2 RBIs, 2 hits, a double, a triple, and a run scored. He was named the all-star game MVP.

As you can see, Mike Trout is arguably one of the best all-around players in Major League Baseball. This MVP might be on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Birth: August 7, 1991     Birthplace: Vineland, New Jersey     Height: 6-2     Weight: 230 lbs.

        ********************** 

                                    Stats*

                              Games: 503

                              Home Runs: 101

                              RBIs: 316

                              Runs: 382

                              Stolen Bases: 104

                              Batting Average: .308

                              Doubles: 113

                              Triples: 26

                              Walks: 274

                              Strikeouts: 496

                                  *Stats as of April 17, 2015.*

                                Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Superior Sluggers

During the 2015 baseball season many players hit 20 or more home runs. There was new players hitting 20 home runs or players hitting them in their 5th consecutive year. In this article you will learn who these superior sluggers are.

Chris Davis

Chris Davis led all of Major League Baseball with 47 home runs. He is the only Oriole to lead the league in home runs twice. With those 47 home runs, he also drove in 117 RBIs and scored 100 times.

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado had a breakout season. He went from just being a Gold Glove third baseman to a home run hitter. He tied the National League lead with 42 home runs. He also doubled 43 times and drove in a league leading 130 RBIs and scored 97 times.

Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper had his best season yet. He hit 42 home runs witch tied the National League lead. He led the league with runs scored and drove in 99 RBIs. In addition to that he walked 124 times and doubled 38 times.

Josh Donaldson

Josh Donaldson totally blossomed with the Toronto Blue Jays making them the most feared line up. He was the star of the pack. He hit 41 home runs, drove in 123 RBIs, scored 122 times, and hit .297.

Mike Trout

In 2014, Mike Trout won the American League Most Valuable Player award. In 2015, He didn’t slow down. Mike Trout hit 41 home runs, drove in 90 RBIs, doubled 32 times, and had a slugging percentage of .590. He did all this while walking 92 times and posting a .299 batting average.

Jose Bautista

Jose Bautista was part of the Toronto Blue Jays lineup that led all of Major League Baseball in home runs as a team. He it 40 home runs, drove in 114 RBIs, scored 108 runs, and walked 110 times.

Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz had to transfer from Camden Yards to the spacious Safeco field. People thought he would be good there. Well, he proved them wrong. Nelson Cruz hit a career high 44 home runs, drove in 93 RBIs, and scored 90 times. He also doubled 22 times and posted a .302 batting average.

Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin Encarnacion was part of the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays lineup. He hit 39 home runs, drove in 111 RBIs, scored 94 runs, and doubled 31 times. Alongside Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion helped lead the Toronto Blue Jays to the playoffs.

Joey Votto

Joey Votto had a great season after returning from an injured 2014 season. In 2015, Joey Votto hit 29 home runs, drove in 80 RBIs, and scored 95 times. He also doubled 33 times and posted a batting average of .314. The most impressive stat of Joey Votto was that he walked 143 times. He showed that power hitters can be patient.

Paul Goldschmidt

Paul Goldschmidt is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ superstar. An All-Star, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove winner does something great every night. In 2015, Paul hit 33 home runs, drove in 110 RBIs, stole 21 bases, walked 118 times, and posted a .321 batting average. He also slugged .570.

Manny Machado

Manny Machado had a career year in 2015. He sure did it all for the Baltimore Orioles. He hit 35 home runs and stole 20 bases. He also drove in 86 RBIs and scored 102 times. The 23 year old was selected to the Esurance Home Run Derby.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Young Superstars

Every player in MLB history has once been a rookie at some time.  We will now look at the greatest youngsters of all time.

             Mike Trout

Mike Trout is obviously the best youngster of all-time.  Some people even say that he is the next Mickey Mantle.  In his rookie campaign, he hit thirty home runs and stole 49 bases.  He is one of the only people of all time to be in the 30-30 club in his rookie season.  Don’t forget his impossible plays.  It was then no surprise when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed him to a contract that would last until the end of 2020.

           Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw is the Mike Trout of pitching.  He does everything right.  He has multiple Cy Young Awards.  He also pitched a no-hitter.  The Dodgers signed him to a ten year deal for a record $215 million dollars!!!  That is a really big deal.  Most announcers say that ”Kershaw does it all!”  That is true.  He made a diving stop, hits multiple doubles, and let’s not forget to mention his super human pitching performances.  Whenever Kershaw is pitching, you expect him to win. 90% of the time you’re right.

Giancarlo Stanton

Giancarlo Stanton is a super slugger for the Miami Marlins.  He slugs home runs whenever he can.  He is still really young.  2014 would be a breakout season for Stanton until it was cut short due to getting a ball to the face.

            Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper is the youngest baseball player.  At the age of 19 he hit 22 home runs.    He also attended the 2013 Home Run Derby at Citi Field.  He is also a regular at the all-star game.  Although his 2014 season was short because of injuries, he still has a bright future.

Dee Gordon

Dee Gordon is one of the best speedsters of the game.  He is a younger version of fellow teammates Carl Crawford and Hanley Ramirez.  He steals bases like there is no tomorrow.  The Dodgers are a really lucky team with all their young superstars.

          Billy Hamilton

Billy Hamilton is the Dee Gordon of the Reds.  He also is a stealing machine.  He is the only player of all time to steal 4 bases in his first major league start.  He is also one of the best outfielders of the game today.  He always   makes a diving stop.  So next time you go to a Reds game, don’t be surprised if you see Billy Hamilton steal!

            Yasiel Puig

Yasiel Puig is the best outfielder at throwing people out.  Whenever he ruins someone’s day, he gives his signature finger wag.   But you can’t forget his skills at the plate.  In his debut month of July, he got  second place in the record books for most  hits in a debut month with 44. He also participated  in the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby at Target Field.  That won’t be the only time he will be in a All-Star game.

               Jose Altuve

Whenever you think of a superstar,  you think of a big and strong frame.  You think a superstar has to be 6’5 or 230 pounds of pure muscle.  If you think that’s true, you would be wrong.  A 5’6 superstar would debut in 2013 like any average player.  He didn’t know that in 2014 he would lead the majors in hits and stolen bases.  He might not have been a superstar because of his small frame.  In the Astros training camp, he got kicked out because of his height.  He was really sad.  His dad told him to go the next day and that is what he did.  The Astros signed him and they didn’t make a mistake doing so. As you can see, you should never judge a book by its cover, or in this case, by a player’s frame.

           Masahiro Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka was the only thing going around the air during the winter season.  A superstar from Japan signed a seven year deal to Tanaka.  They didn’t end up regretting it.  The youngster  instantly fanned 100 batters.  He was also leading all of baseball with 12 wins.  His dominance would continue until before the All-Star break when he would get a slight tear in the UCL.  Although he was injured, he still made the All-Star game. He hopefully looks for a better season in 2015.

Manny Machado

Manny Machado is one of the best third basemen of the game.  He is also amazing with the bat.  He can also make impossible plays like there’s nothing to it.  He also has one problem… he can’t control his temper.  In his backswing he purposely hit the catcher in the head twice.  He got in trouble for that.  What really flared up Machado was when Josh Reddick was mad at him.  Then he purposely flung the bat at Josh Reddick.  Thankfully it missed and stopped being airborne before it hit the umpire.  He would get suspended for a week for doing so.  As you can see,  Manny Machado is one of the most fiery players in all of b   Jose Abreu

Jose Abreu is a Cuban born superstar.  In his first at bat as an American rookie, he would belt a home run.  The White Sox first baseman would take over the position that veteran legendary superstars Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko would call home: first base.               The All-Star Rookie would obviously become the American League Rookie of the Year.

          Dellin Betances

Dellin Betances is the Yankees greatest relief pitcher.  He one time struck out the side twice.  He gives the Yankees the best bullpen.  The Yankees have the most strikeouts in the bullpen courtesy of Dellin.  He was trying to be the fifth starter in Spring Training.  Now he is glad that he didn’t make it because he is the best bullpen pitcher.  This All-Star set up man will hopefully get the closer role if David Roberson doesn’t resign again in 2015.

         Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey is the Mets ace.  He strikes out a lot of batters and wins a lot.  He looks to return in 2015 after recovering from Tommy John Surgery.

          Jose Fernandez

This star studded Rookie of the Year pitcher has been held back due to Tommy John Surgery.  He strikes out a lot of batters.

  Buster Posey

Buster Posey is one of the best catchers in the game.  He has a great amount of power.  He is often lost in the shadows of Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Yadier Molina, and Giancarlo Stanton.  Posey is one of the youngest baseball players.  Not to mention that he has two World Series, caught a no-hitter, won the 2010 rookie of the year award, and was the 2012 National League MVP.

 Craig Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel is the new Mariano Rivera.  Craig is like Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera combined.  At a young age, Kimbrel is the Braves franchise saves leader.  In the picture you see Craig ”Kimbreling”.  This is what he does while looking for the sign from the catcher.

Epilogue

As you can see, all baseball players were once youngsters.  I hope this guide gave you a favorite young player.

             Bibliography

MLB Resources. MLB Superstars. USA:

Major League Baseball Properties Inc., 2014. Print.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Who’s a Better Center Fielder: Mike Trout or Jacoby Ellsbury

Mike Trout and Jacoby Ellsbury are both probably the best defensive center fielders in the game.  They both own a gold glove.  Now let’s look at their ups and downs.

            Mike Trout

Mike Trout is the younger one and maybe the better one.  He won the rookie of the year award.  He really isn’t the fastest, but gets sudden speed surges that can help him steal bases and make impossible catches. He is also the best in the game in robbing hits, especially home runs. But what’s more impressive than Mike Trout’s glove?  His bat. Mike Trout has plenty of power.  That means he hits a lot of home runs.  But one thing is he strikes out a lot.  The speed that he has will probably never lead the league in steals like Jacoby Ellsbury.  Mike Trout is still more likely to make more all star appearances than Jacoby Ellsbury.  Also, Mike Trout has more home runs and definitely at good times.  He has a lot of walk-off hits.  A lot of them are home runs! Trout is also known for his great plays and home runs.  But what about the bad things?  What about his strikeouts?  He always strikes out.  Just like Mickey Mantle, he has an all or nothing swing.   Even his dad admitted that he strikes out way too much and has to work on his swing.  You can’t be a contact hitter if you’re always down on strikes.  The only thing stopping this headliner guy from making the Hall of Fame is his strikeout ratio.  Do you see Jacoby Ellsbury striking out all the time?  He only gets the occasional strikeout.   If I had one thing to change about Mike Trout, it would be his strikeouts. Besides his strikeouts, he is a perfect combination of speed, power, contact, glove, and can steal.  So, he is a five tool player and at a very young age.

  Jacoby Ellsbury

Jacoby Ellsbury is one of the best defensive center fielders in the game.  He uses his speed to his own advantage.  Besides stealing all those bases, he also uses his speed to make impossible catches that match Mike Trout’s.  But one thing holds Jacoby Ellsbury back, injuries.  They basically come every season to him from making diving catches or from stealing bases.  He also isn’t the youngest.  He was amazing with the Red Sox and now he is the star center fielder for the Yankees.

Jacoby definitely has more speed than Mike Trout.  He has led the league in stolen bases three times with the Red Sox. Jacoby has 241 stolen bases with Boston.  He also knows the Green Monster center field territory better than anybody else in baseball.  That can be explained by his seven years as a Boston center fielder.

He also owns a gold glove from Boston.  Jacoby Ellsbury is already used to the Yankee Stadium features of the field.  He continues to use his magic glove.  But Jacoby is a different story when you talk about his bat.  Jacoby Ellsbury has had recent power surges in hitting home runs.  In 2011, Jacoby got a career high 32 home runs.  But then again,  in 2013, playing 134 games, only got nine homers. Maybe it’s because of the Little Monster in right field. But Jacoby Ellsbury does make good contact with the ball.  He has 885 hits in his career with Boston.  So pretty much, Jacoby Ellsbury has a good bat and even better speed.  He is probably the best speedster and base thief in baseball right now.  But Jacoby Ellsbury doesn’t strike out that much.  He only gets an occasional strikeout.  Also, Jacoby has a lot of pressure on him in the Red Sox/Yankee rivalry.   It is hard for Ellsbury going up against his former team.  But all in all, he is a good player.

Who’s better?

It all comes down to this.  Who is the best center fielder in the game today?  Is it Ellsbury with his super human speed and his unbelievable glove?  Or is it Trout with his slugger bat and his nearly impossible putouts?  Is it Mike Trout who strikes out a lot, or the speedster Jacoby Ellsbury?  Or is it Jacoby Ellsbury with his over powering speed which Trout lacks?  The answer is Mike Trout.

                  Celebrate!

Why?  He is a five tool, gold glove slugging center fielder.  Making impossible catches every day, he is obviously the best in baseball.  He is still very young, and has a bright future ahead of him, like making a stop and staying at Cooperstown.  Mike Trout is just the best in baseball right now.  Even though he strikes out a lot, he doesn’t have to  worry about joining Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson on the all time strikeout list.  But, he might join them on the Hall of Fame list.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Top Ten Best Speedsters

There are the power hitters and power pitchers in baseball. There are also the contact hitters and defenders who make diving plays every day. One thing nobody really breaks down is the speedsters. Whether they are speedy outfielders or players that are just on the base paths, they are still some of the best speedsters. In this article we break down the top ten speedsters.

         Top Ten Speedsters

  1. Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki played the 2014 season with the New York Yankees. Primarily used as a utility outfielder, Ichiro got quite a few chances to play right and center field when Jacoby Ellsbury or Carlos Beltran got injured. In 143 games, Ichiro stole 15 bases. Earlier in his career Ichiro won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves thanks to his amazing fielding.

  1. Lorenzo Cain

Lorenzo Cain is the speedy center fielder of the Kansas City Royals. In the 2014 postseason, Lorenzo robbed many batters of hits with his diving plays. Along with that, he stole a base every now and then. During the regular season in 2014, he stole 28 bases. His speedy skills would earn him the 2014 ALDS MVP award.

  1. Carl Crawford

Not having the speed he used to have, Carl can still light up the base paths. He used to be able to steal 50-60 stolen bases a season. This left fielder used to have some power in him, too. Back in 2010, Crawford hit a career high 19 home runs. In 2014, Carl Crawford stole 23 bases in 105 games.

  1. Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner is the star studded left fielder of the New York Yankees. In 2014, Brett had a breakout year in power numbers. In 148 games, Brett socked a career high 17 home runs. Those power numbers didn’t stop him for stealing. He also stole 21 bases that year. In 2011 he tied the league lead in stolen bases with 49.

  1. Jarrod Dyson

Jarrod Dyson was a big part of the Kansas City Royals run in 2014. He helped them win the Wild Card Game with his speed. During the regular season, Dyson stole 36 bags. That one stolen base would be the only one during the 2014 Postseason.

5. Jacoby Ellsbury

Jacoby Ellsbury used to be a Red Sox but in the offseason of 2013, he signed a huge contract with the New York Yankees. In his first year with the Bronx Bombers, Jacoby stole 39 bases in 44 attempts. In back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009, Jacoby really proved to be the speedster he really is. In 2008 he stole 50 bases in 61 attempts and in ’09 he stole 70 bases in 82 attempts. He also has one World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2007.

  1. Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve is the second baseman for the Houston Astros. He broke the Astros’ all time record for hits in a single season with 225. He also stole 56 bases that year, too. On top of that, he was one of the defensive second basemen in the game and had a .341 batting average.

3. Mike Trout

Maybe the best in baseball ranks number 3 on the top ten speedster list. Although his stolen base numbers have dramatically declined over the years, he still shows off his speed in the outfield. Mike Trout robs home runs on a daily basis making it look it easy. It takes speed to get to the wall. He also makes diving catches courtesy of his speed. He also has his skills at the plate which gets him on base for stolen base opportunities. The past three years Mike Trout has lead the American League in runs. In his brief 4 year career (as of 2014), Trout scored 373 times, has 26 triples, and has 102 stolen bases. He won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 2014 after finishing up behind Miguel Cabrera for the previous couple of years. He also led the American League in stolen bases in 2012 with 49.

2. Billy Hamilton

Billy Hamilton is the speedy young center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds. Billy made his debut in the Majors in 2013 as a 23 year old rookie. He even stole four bases in one game! In the 13 games he played in, he averaged a stolen base per night. In 2014, it was his time to shine. He was an official rookie. In his first full season, Billy stole 56 bases! The bad thing is he got caught stealing 23 times. Besides that, Billy got driven in 72 times thanks to the rest of the Reds lineup. He would be a candidate for the rookie of the year award.

All of these players are fast but aren’t speedy enough to catch the number one speedster on this list. He is very aggressive on the base paths and most of the time slides in safe. He helped his team in lots of ways. Without further ado, the number one speedster in all of baseball is…

1. Dee Gordon

Dee Gordon has proven to be the best speedster in baseball the past couple of years. This young superstar was with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014 but was traded to the Miami Marlins in the offseason of that year. In 2014, Dee Gordon led all of MLB in stolen bases in 2014. His total stolen base number was an outstanding 64. He was caught stealing 19 times in search for 83 stolen bags on the year. The young second baseman was great at turning two with the shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Dee Gordon was in 84 double plays at 144 games at second base. He only got 12 errors on the year. He all did this in 148 games. Gordon also scored 92 times in 2014, too. The 2014 season brought Dee’s career stolen base total to 130. As you can see, Dee Gordon is the best speedster in the game we call baseball.

         Acknowledgments

All the statistical numbers are courtesy of ESPN’s wide selection of stats. I found both fielding and batting stats off of this wonderful website.

ESPN.COM

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mike Trout: 2012

Mike Trout is one of the best all-around players in baseball. We now look at this young center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Mike Trout I one of the best all-around players in baseball. He has done many things in his short 4 year span as a big leaguer. One thing that stands out is how is his first full season he hit 30 home runs and also stole 30 bases. That made him in the 30-30 club which few people do. That season in 2012, he hit exactly 30 home runs and swiped a league leading 49 stolen bases. It was no surprise when he won the Rookie of  the Year.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mike Trout

Mike Trout is one of the best baseball players in the game.  I will now break down his current career.

Mike Trout is one of the best and only all-around players.  He makes amazing plays on a daily basis.  He once robbed a home run from Prince Fielder.  He jumped up and climbed the wall while using his over-stretched arm. He robs home runs and hits them, too.  He also won the 2014 all-star game MVP award.  He is one of the best when on base.  He is a stealing machine. He also was one of the candidates for the 2014 MVP Award. Mike Trout is also a regular at the all-star game.  It is no surprise that he made the 2014 all-star game since he would lead the American league in runs and RBIs.   One thing that is bad about the Trout is that he strikes out way too much.  In 2014, he struck out over 180 times.  Hopefully, he can shorten up his swing.  As you can see, Mike Trout is the best player in the game today.  The Angels are lucky to have Mike Trout.