If Mike Trout didn't have the explosive athleticism or the breakneck speed or even the prodigious power, he'd still be an elite baseball player, because Mike Trout, at his very core, is simply a genius hitter.
From the start of the 2012 regular season through the first five months of this one, Trout sported a .308 batting average, tied for the fifth highest in the Major Leagues, and a .401 on-base percentage, which ranked fourth. He's drawn 161 walks in this span, fourth most in baseball.
But what sets him apart is his approach.
Players often venture away from their mechanics amid the inevitable slumps.