Tag: Trout

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Bobbleheads

Bobbleheads are one of the most loved collectibles on the market. You can get them free with you attend a baseball or you can buy them online. Bobbleheads go back as far as the 1960s when Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle had their own ceramic statues. Now, bobbleheads are made of a sturdy plastic. In 2015, after Mike Trout won the MVP award in 2014, the Angels made a lifesize bobblehead of him. It is currently the largest licensed MLB bobblehead to date. In second is the Derek Jeter bobblehead that stands outside Steiner Sports at the New Yankee Stadium. Overall, bobbleheads are a great and fun tradition of baseball.

 

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Big Weekend Around Baseball

The holidays came early for us baseball fans this weekend. Two way Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels, significantly strengthening their pitching and offense. Ohtani’s new teammate, Mike Trout, is getting married to fiancé Jessica Cox. Also, the New York Yankees have been reported as the winners of the Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes, making the Yankees lineup look a lot like the 1927 Murders Row.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

2017 AL MVP Report

As the 2017 regular season came to an end, the American League MVP race has really tightened up. Mike Trout, who was down 48 games with a thumb injury, was still able to put up unbelievable numbers in a short amount of time. Jose Altuve once again impressed us with yet another 200 hit season and 30 stolen base season. Among the surprises include Aaron Judge who broke the rookie record for home runs and walks, and Jose Ramirez, Cleveland’s super utility man. Trout supplied the best percentage numbers by leading the AL in OPS, OBP, and slugging. He was also among Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo as the only men in baseball with more walks than strikeouts (min. 100 games). Despite his final stats, Aaron Judge had a mid season streak that lasted 45 games with a sub .200 batting average and only 7 home runs. This greatly impacted his overall average which went from .329 at the All Star break to .284 at the end of the season. Jose Ramirez’s versatility makes him a valuable asset to the Indians, but his 29 home runs and league leading 56 doubles were only a bonus. His OBP and OPS were down compared to the others. Jose Altuve looks like the best bet for MVP as his hits, stolen bases, and consistency were on point for the entire length of the regular season.

Stats: ESPN and MLB.com

by Jacoby Nolnaho

2017 MVP Race Breakdown: Trout, Judge, Altuve, and Ramirez BREAKDOWN

Stats Mike Trout Aaron Judge Jose Altuve Jose Ramirez
Games 114 155 153 152
At Bats 402 542 590 585
Hits 123 154 204 186
Doubles 25 24 39 56
Triples 3 3 4 6
Home Runs 33 52 24 29
RBIs 72 114 81 83
Runs 92 128 112 107
Stolen Bases 22 9 32 17
OBP .442 .422 .410 0.374
OPS 1.071 1.049 .957 .957
Slugging .629 .627 .547 .583
WAR 6.4 8.8 7.9 6.3
Strikeouts 90 208 84 69
Walks 94 127 58 52
All Star Yes Yes Yes Yes
by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mike Trout 2016 Season

Mike Trout had yet another phenomenal season. He won a Silver Slugger, was voted Best Major League Player in the MLB Awards, and won his second MVP in his career. He brought back stolen bases to his game and it payed off. His swiped bags helped him collect 123 runs, enough to lead the American League. He also lead the league in wins above replacement with 10.6 and walks with 116. He also was a solid fixture in the lineup playing 159 out of the 162 games of the regular season. He hit 29 home runs, drove in 100 RBIs for the second time in his career, collect 32 doubles, and steal 30 bases. Critics were talking about Trout’s decrease in stolen bases. In 2014, he stole 16 bases from 33 and in 2015 he only swiped 11. If it weren’t for his stolen bases, he might not have won the MVP. Overall, Mike Trout had a freakishly good season and we can expect many more to come.

 

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Top Five Off Season Trade Pieces

The 2016 off season has been more hot than ever. Trade rumors have been spreading rapidly with the weak free agent class. The usual’s have been discussed along with some newcomers. Here are the top five possible trade pieces of the 2016 off season. (Please note publication date)

5. Mike Trout

When a MVP is on a losing team, reporters always gossip about whether or not he will be traded. A deal for Trout with have to include most of the prospects and important everyday players. Although he can change a team, it is highly unlikely he will be dealt.

4. Miguel Cabrera

Cabrera fits into the same category as Trout. Miguel has been great since anybody can remember and he can carry a team on his shoulders. He brings team leadership and a superb bat. He is also unlikely to be seasonably dealt.

3. Chris Sale

After having the incident with cutting up the jerseys, the White Sox would probably be happy to part ways with Sale. He is incredibly nasty and draws comparisons to Randy Johnson. In 2016, Sale took off a few miles off his fastball and started using his other pitches. This went well for Sale as he collected 17 wins. To get Sale, the marketing team would have to give a variety of pitching prospects. The Sox would deeply benefit from a trade as their pitching staff is struggling.

2. Chris Archer

Ah, another Chris. Archer has a nasty slider/fastball combo. Despite this nasty duo, Chris still managed to get 19 losses. He is only 28 and still has room for molding. A team with good pitching coaches would be a good fit for him.

1. Brett Gardner

Coming fresh off a Gold Glove season, Gardner would be great for any team. His veteran status would be great for mentoring prospects and rookies. Also, his mix of speed, defense, and power would boost the quality of a lineup. The Angels would be a good fit for Brett. He has shown exceptional defense at their ballpark and he would be a good fit along Mike Trout. He would be a good lead off hitter in front of Trout and help the Angels score more runs. This trade would benefit the Yankees’ farm system as they are in the middle of a rebuilding mode.

 

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mike Trout 2016

Mike Trout isn’t even 30 but is receiving comparisons to Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, and Hank Aaron. We now breakdown Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Michael Nelson Trout was born August 7, 1991 in Vineland, New Jersey. He has played baseball from a young age. Now, he is known as the best player in baseball. Trout was drafted 25th overall in the 2009 draft. He would have a short stint with the Angels in 2011 before having his official rookie campaign in 2012. In 2012, he would be named the AL Rookie of the Year for hitting 30 home runs, posting a .326 batting average, and tying the league lead in stolen bases with 49. 2013 saw similar numbers for Mike.  He hit 27 homers, drove in 97 RBIs, stole 33 bases, and led the league with 110 walks. But 2014 was what brought Mike Trout into the lime light.

2014 was Mike Trout’s first MVP season. It was also the Angels best season. They won 98 games and advanced to the playoffs. Trout was a big reason of this. He hit 36 home runs, drove in an AL best 111 RBIs, scored a league leading 115 runs, doubling 39 times, and stealing 16 bases. He became the youngest player to be a unanimous MVP.  In 2015, Mike would set career highs. He hit a career best 41 home runs and drove in 90 RBIs. Although Trout’s power numbers were increasing, he base running was decreasing. From 2012 to 2015, his stolen bases decreased drastically. He went from stealing 49 bases in 2012 to stealing 11 bases in 2015. This all changed in 2016. 2016 was a great all around season for Mike Trout. His stolen bases and average were back up. In 159 games, he batted .315, hit 29 home runs, drove in 100 RBIs, scored 123 runs, collected 173 hits, and stole 30 bases. He even set an Angels franchise record by walking 116 times.

All of these great numbers have put Trout on record watch. On the day he turned 25, he had more hits than Pete Rose, more runs than Rickey Henderson, and more home runs than Barry Bonds. In his first six seasons, Trout has 175 doubles, 168 home runs, 37 triples, 143 stolen bases, 600 runs, 497 RBIs, and 477 walks. He is only 25 and has been awarded the AL MVP in 2014, the All Star game MVP in 2014 and 2015, a Silver Slugger from 2012-2015, and finished runner up to the MVP in 2012, 2013, and 2015.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mike Trout vs. Jose Altuve

Mike Trout and Jose Altuve have put themselves in a elite class since 2011. Jose Altuve is this little hit man and Mike Trout is a superb five tool player. Since 2011, Trout is better than Altuve in triples, home runs, RBIs, runs walks, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS+. Trout also has twice as much WAR as Altuve. Despite this, Altuve has dominated in the hits category collecting 200+ hits in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Altuve also has more stolen bases and more Gold Gloves than Trout. Trout has been named to more All Star Games and has won the All Star Game MVP in 2015 and 2016. He also won the MVP award in 2014, the Rookie of the Year award in 2012, and has four Silver Sluggers from 2012-2015. Altuve has only a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove from his 2015 season.