The outfielder with the most upside potential is the “Kingfish of Anaheim”, Mike Trout. 2014 will be Trout’s third full season in Major League Baseball and, in all probability, will result in the 1st MVP award of his career. Numbers don’t lie, and if you’ve seen Mike Trout play, you would know that he’s proven himself to be a 5-tool player. His overall potential numerically translates to roughly a 65-70, which would categorize him as a “well above average” major league player. Some of the scouting terminology that has been used to describe Mike Trout is as follows: “very patient approach”, “has fantastic strike zone awareness and pitch recognition for a younger player”, “has plus power to all fields”, “elite level speed, capable of stealing a base off any pitcher at any time”, “has incredible range in all directions”, “gets great reads off bat and has quick first step”, “a fullback body with great athleticism”, “a once in a lifetime talent”. Comments made by scouts in the past include: “Maybe this is what Mickey Mantle looked like at 18!”, “My only prototype for him is Rickey Henderson.”
The traditional, as well as sabermetric statistics of the 22 year old Mike Trout have been outstanding. If you compare “old school” versus “new school” analysis, you’ll discover that he is among the leaders in both styles. For example, Mike Trout’s league leading 40 Win Shares topped Miguel Cabrera for the second straight season according to Bill James. Trout was also awarded a “Fielding Bible” award in 2012. During that season, the Anaheim outfielder robbed four home runs and his current plus/minus three year average for Center Fielders is +31. This average is a measure to evaluate defensive range. Additionally, Trout was among the top five AL leaders for 2013 in the following categories: Avg (.323), OBP (.432), SLG (.557), Hits (190), Triples (9), Runs Scored (109), Walks (110), Total Bases (328), and OPS (.989). Even though Trout ranked 8th in stolen bases with 33, his base running skills were far superior. Bill James lists Mike Trout with a +49 net gain in 2013. This statistic includes such measurements as moving from 1st to 3rd, 2nd to Home and 1st to Home on a hit. His overall percentages were substantially higher than the 12 year MLB average. If that wasn’t enough, Trout had the longest average home run (420 ft.) among all MLB players with at least 10 home runs in 2013.
In terms of park adjusted/rate stat basis, Mike Trout was considered the best hitter in baseball for 2012 by creating 66 percent more runs than the average hitter and increased that rate to 77 percent more runs in 2013. Also, Trout ranks #1 over the last two seasons in Win Above Replacement value. He posted a 10.9 (WAR) in 2012 and a 9.2 (WAR) in 2013. Finally, Mike Trout’s Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) was the highest in Major League Baseball in 2013 at 93.8.
Regardless of the current statistical measures that show Mike Trout’s tremendous value, the player must be judged based upon how he plays the game. This New Jersey native has all the talent and desire to be one of the all-time greats.
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