Mike Trout Already Among Baseball Legends At Age 24
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Mike Trout turned 24 on Friday, and is already on pace to become one of the greatest baseball players of all-time.
Trout came up as a 19-year old with the Los Angeles Angels in 2011, but didn't play his first full season with the club until the following year in 2012.
Since becoming a full-time player in 2012, Trout has made four consecutive All-Star teams, won three Silver Slugger Awards, won one MVP Award, and finished second in the MVP voting on two separate occasions as well.
He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2012 as well, by hitting .326 in 139 games, while also leading the American League in runs (129) and stolen bases (49).
Trout also won the AL's MVP Award in 2014, as well as the All-Star Game MVP for both the 2014 and 2015 Midsummer Classic.
But perhaps the most eye-opening statistic that displays Trout's greatness is the fact that he is only the second player in the history of the MLB to compile 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases before turning 24.
When Trout turned 24 on Thursday, he had already amassed 130 home runs and 112 stolen bases.
Trout also is the first player ever to record three top-two MVP finished before turning 24.
Trout is also the fifth player in MLB history to record 125+ doubles, 25+ triples, and 100+ home runs before turning 24, joining Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Aaron.
His 130 home runs before the age of 24 tie him with Frank Robinson for 4th, behind Ken Griffey Jr. (132), Mel Ott (153) and Eddie Matthews (153).
To fully understand Trout's greatness so far in his young career, we must look at his statistics in his first four full seasons as a professional. (Bolded stats indicate AL leader)
Trout is also just one of five players in the history of the MLB to have three 30-HR seasons before the age of 24, joining Jimmie Foxx, Eddie Matthews, Frank Robinson and his teammate, Albert Pujols.
The Angels selected Trout with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2009 draft, but he wasn't even the team's first selection that year. The club selected Randall Grichuk with the pick before Trout at 24th overall.
22 teams could have drafted Trout before the Angels did, as Stephen Strasburg, Dustin Ackley, Zach Wheeler, Mike Leake, Shelby Miller, A.J Pollock and Drew Storen all heard their names called before Trout did in 2009.
The Angels received the draft pick used on Trout as compensation for the New York Yankees signing for Angels first basemen Mark Teixeira.
The Angels begin a series with the Orioles on Friday as Trout looks to celebrate his birthday with a win. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM PST, as Andrew Heaney (5-1) of the Angels will face Kevin Gausman (2-2) of the Orioles.
