Biggest Fish, Biggest Pond

SI August 27, 2012

We first remarked about Angels rookie Mike Trout on August 4th. Since then he's turned 21, been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and is the favorite to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award (Rookie of the Year is a stone-cold lock).

A few snippets from the Sports Illustrated feature:

The Angels' centerfielder is already the consensus pick for the player you would take first if you could pick anyone in the game.

There never has been a position player this good this young.

His OPS+ (182), a measurement of on-base and slugging percentages adjusted for ballpark factors and league norms, blows away the previous best by anyone so young, a record set 105 years ago by Ty Cobb (167).

He is a slam dunk to win the AL's Rookie of the Year, the favorite to become the youngest MVP.

Trout is having an alltime great season for any age. He leads his league in batting average, stolen bases and runs—a triple crown of productivity that has been achieved by only three men: George Sisler in 1922, Cobb in 1909, 1911 and 1915 and Snuffy Stirnweiss in 1945 (when the big league talent pool was depleted by military service).

Mike Trout reminds old-timers of Yankee Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. A fair comparison, since a player like Mantle (1 Triple Crown, 3 MVP's, 7 World Series titles) comes around once in a generation.