Mike Trout was not the hugely spectacular phenom that Bryce Harper was coming out of high school. A solid player, but nothing entirely out of the ordinary. He blazed through minor league ball to make his first Major League season one for the history books. Rookie of the Year, second in the AL MVP voting and countless other awards and statistics that I could roll out. His rookie season was so spectacular that his sophomore season has been a slight disappointment so far.
Trout is hitting .293 with 8 homers and 29 RBI. All solid numbers through the first 40 games of the season. But, I know that I and just about every other Angel fan is expecting much more from the young kid. Expectations that are completely unnecessary. Trout is 21 years old. Which unless you are playing Tennis or doing Gymnastics is a rather young age to be doing the things that he is doing. Trout's biggest problem comes from across the country and from a different league. Bryce Harper is hitting .300 with 10 homers and 21 RBI and I don't know about anyone else, but nobody has mentioned that Harper is in any kind of slump.
After 30 Angel games, I heard grumblings from friends and fans alike that thought that Trout was majorly struggling at the plate. Many believed it to be caused by Trouts weight entering Spring Training. Trout is not a small kid. Let me rephrase that, because he is a short kid. He is not a skinny kid. Trout has some solid mass to him and that is likely to be where he gets the bulk of his power from. I don't think that Trout entered Spring Training too heavy I just think that he is now having to adjust to pitchers getting used to his sweet spots and avoiding pitching him there.
If there is one issue with Trouts game right now it is that he is striking out way too often. I don't think he is swinging at that many bad pitches, he is taking too many good pitches and then having to fight back when behind in the count. Trout is most dangerous, like all hitters, when he has the count in his favor. He can relax at the plate a little and wait for his pitch to drive to any part of the park.
Another issue is that the Angels are just as terrible as they were last year. I didn't think it would be possible to have a repeat of last season with this team, but I was so wrong. Pitching, pitching and more pitching is killing the Angels. Something Trout can not help with. Although, I bet he could probably pitch too if he was given the chance.
Trout and Harper, two young phenoms destined for greatness and putting up very similar numbers. Yet, Trout has been said to be in a mini-slump. Does that tell you how good this kid could be? If it doesn't you better start watching more baseball. Harper is going to be a star, as will Trout, but I still see more SuperStar in Trout than I do in Harper. I think Harper has a bigger ego and that could hurt him in the long run.
Well, I almost made it through an entire article without talking about how disappointing the Angels have been. However, I think they can still turn it around. It starts with Trout, Trumbo, Pujols and Hamilton and that could be the problem. It should be starting with the rotation pitchers. I can't remember the last time a great hitting, horrible pitching team won the World Series. And at this moment the Angels aren't even a GOOD hitting team. Is there a trade to be sought or is this a wait it out situation. We will know soon enough. Go Angels!
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