Summer is Trout Season in Arkansas
Mike Trout continued his torrid June hitting with his eighth HR and 23rd stolen base tonight. He was on base three times, raising his slash line to a triumphant .330/.434/.565. He has a 1.265 OPS in June. He's doing this playing half his games in a pitcher's park.
The Arkansas Travelers have won 8 of their last 10, have the best staff ERA in the Texas League, and suddenly have a functional offense. They are two games up on the divisional competition, and are on the verge of winning the first half outright.
As a reminder, the average player age in the Texas League is 24. Mike Trout is still just 19 years old -- the youngest player in the league by far. In fact, there are only two active players under 21 in the whole league, and six total under 22.
Put that in your prospect pipe and smoke it, George Washington.
12 months ago
Turks Teeth
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If this kid busts for any reason other than a catastrophic and unforeseeable injury
Then I may never watch baseball again.
Angels Player Development to Trout:
“That high OBP just shows you’re being passive at the plate. You need to become more of an action player, lay down more bunts and sacrifice more often. Anyways, you’ll have to fight your way through Reggie Willits to get to the big leagues – he has more veteran experience that he can offer.”
Mire el pollo grande! Mire el pollo grande!
by The_Question on Jun 14, 2011 11:29 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
I'd rec this
if I wasn’t afraid that it would actually happen.
by Caseys Kiss of Death on Jun 15, 2011 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm with you
I’ve been trying to keep expectations down, but Trout is making it really tough to do that. He’s just so damn good.
Defending maligned chants since 2009
One wants to be appropriately skeptical...
…but his trajectory thusfar is so unlike our previous busts (eg, McPherson, Wood) — each of whom had conspicuous flaws (like 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratios) and who arrived 2-3 years later to AA — it’s just difficult not to believe in the guy.
He adjusts so quickly. Each time he’s been promoted (to Rancho, to Arkansas), he has struggled, relatively, where “struggle” means hitting .270 for a bit with an elevated K rate. But what makes this guy’s promise so believable is that the period of struggle lasts all of 4-6 weeks before he just annihilates the competition again.
May the Spinozan god save and preserve our Trout.
by Turks Teeth on Jun 15, 2011 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions
This is why I've become so giddy
Although there was no reason to suspect he would become as bad as he is, I was always skeptical of Wood’s lack of plate discipline. And while I still think McPherson could have been a valuable player if not for the injuries, there were big holes in his game as well. Trout, however, just seems like the perfect player, now that he is developing home-run power. The eternal silence of a Trout-less lineup terrifies me.
Don't worry, if he busts, we'll probably just double down on Vernon Wells.
Pollyanna is dead. But don't get mad at me, I didn't kill her. Tony Reagins did.
He is ridiculous.
AAA by the all-star break?
More good news, it appears that Trevor Reckling is pitching better
He'd slash 440/540/700 in salt lake
Just skip it
Brandon Wood 4 Prez
by miketrout on Jun 15, 2011 6:40 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I like your confidence in yourself.
But speaking about yourself like you are two seerate people is kinda worrisome.
NOT MY QUINNY!!!!
by halofan4life on Jun 15, 2011 7:32 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
There's a minor league equivalency calculator that estimates what Trout might do.
Based on some work Sean Smith (Rally Monkey 5) has done on past MiLB data. Here are the numbers it thinks Trout would put up in Salt Lake if you placed him there today:
.324/.422/.536
Not bad. Here’s what it thinks he would do if he jumped straight to Anaheim:
.259/.339/.415
Not yet star stuff, but better than Hunter, Wells, Bourjos or Willits at this point.
by Turks Teeth on Jun 15, 2011 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions
That would pretty much make him our best outfielder as of now
Considering his glove is, if not quite the equal of Bourjos, at least pretty close.
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
by RallyMonkey5 on Jun 17, 2011 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions
feel like a little kid on Christmas morning....
can’t wait to open the biggest present we have!!! Need more patience.
Ahhh... Yes... Finally back home in SoCal!!!
by stuck in Romania on Jun 14, 2011 11:33 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Awesome.
But does anyone know how the math works once Hatcher grabs a hold of him?
I think it’s like dog years and his physical hitting prowess will age by 10 years without the benefit of an equivalent skill boost.
((makes holy symbol in the air and prays Hatcher is gone bfore Trout surfaces for air))
I might have to start buying some Trout rookie cards like pronto.............
The score dictated they pass
by norcaliangelsfan on Jun 14, 2011 11:47 PM PDT reply actions
I'm still amazed teams passed on him
Their loss is our gain. I can’t wait to see him tear it up at the Big A.
~ these atoms are liars
I hear that will most likely be gone in the new CBA
Also why would that effect him going to AAA. I imagine he will go there after the AAA all star game.
I'd like to DFA Reagins
There are mixed feelings about that
I get the impression that a lot of people – players and front offices alike – want it gone, but they’re not sure how to do it without messing something else up. Inertia might keep it around.
But yeah, there’s no reason to keep him out of AAA unless you think the launching pad in Salt Lake will screw him up. There’s a lot of precedent for kids this good to go straight from AA to the majors.
Defending maligned chants since 2009
Hell the FO is taking really stupid risks....why not take a more reasonable risk
and sign the kid to a long term contract. I believe him to be a better investment than some of the other crap that Arte is flushing his money on (HGH, Kaz, Vern, Speier, ect.)
by mustard_man on Jun 15, 2011 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions
I've been thinking the same
Offer him Evan Longoria’s contract during the offseason: $18 million guaranteed over six years, plus another $27 million in one-year options for three additional seasons. That’s less financial risk than the Angels assumed on Vernon Wells this year alone, and what just-turned-twenty-year-old fresh out of AA turns it down? Unfortunately, I’m afraid Tony’s ten-cent head would explode with the sheer logic of it all.
Wouldn't that take away TR's opportunity to beat Trout in arbitration?
TR has to keep down the cost of our own young players so he can feed his hankerin’ to bailout some other team’s obligation to an overpriced has-been.
Pollyanna is dead. But don't get mad at me, I didn't kill her. Tony Reagins did.
It's obviously Barry Zito.
Who’s going to replace Weaver, otherwise?
Pollyanna is dead. But don't get mad at me, I didn't kill her. Tony Reagins did.
There's a lot to choose from....unfortunately for us
Freddy Sanchez, Jeff Samardzija, Brad Hawpe, Brad Lidge, Brett Myers, Kei Igawa, Raul Ibanez, Aubrey Huff, Francisco Cordero, Jake Peavy, Jason Bay, Rafeal Soriano, AJ Burnett, Travis Hafner, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Aaron Rowand, Kosuke Fukudome, John Lackey, Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano, Barry Zito
Zito Seems Most Likely
A lot of those contracts aren’t particularly toxic. Sanchez has just one more year; Samardzija has team options; ditto Hawpe, Lidge, Cordero; Igawa will be a free agent (LOL); ditto Ibanez, Matsuzaka (also TJ surgery).
Yes, it’s a slow day and I looked up the contract status for just about everyone on that list.
The ones that leap out as particularly bad, given the remaining money and expected performance, are Bay, Lackey, Peavy, A. Soriano, Zambrano and Zito.
I'm curious
is Peavy’s contract bad based on his injuries, or the way he ’s been pitching?
"You realize that Ive been posting on AN since 07 on this name and I am one of the most rec'ed posters there right?" - Some douche named DFA from AN
by 2pintsofbooze on Jun 15, 2011 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
thats what I was thinking
he’s out with a groin injury right now, but he was doing pretty alright before he went down. he could still come back and give them a few months of solid pitching.
and yes, he is on my fantasy team
"You realize that Ive been posting on AN since 07 on this name and I am one of the most rec'ed posters there right?" - Some douche named DFA from AN
by 2pintsofbooze on Jun 15, 2011 8:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Adding to the argument for Zito:
TR likes to do trades where he outsmarts rival GMs. He tricked Toronto into giving us an All-Star outfielder in exchange for our garbage, a malcontent backup catcher and an old, broken outfielder.
I’m sure TR is looking forward to outsmarting SF to give us its highest paid starter, a Cy Young winner, for our lowest paid starter, a guy with a mullet, and maybe handful of prospects, codeword for minor leaguers.
Pollyanna is dead. But don't get mad at me, I didn't kill her. Tony Reagins did.
Trout season will last
from April to November starting in 2012 until 2030
I take it you don't have the DOV Secret Decoder Ring
You need to drink more ovaltine
-Quad Fin Rider
I noticed that too
He was just okay at base stealing earlier in the year, but now he’s picking up. I know that the OC Register piece that came out about him mentioned that his base stealing prowess was no better than fair, despite his speed. He’s certainly trying to change THAT impression.
Defending maligned chants since 2009
in the article/video from Saxon
Trout himself said he was working on his base stealing… that it was just a matter of getting comfortable, and he just wasn’t comfortable with it yet.
apparently, he’s getting comfortable
Thank you, Nick Adenhart. You will always be remembered. #34
by howiestheman on Jun 15, 2011 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u14T5wzicqw
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Jun 15, 2011 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Remember, he has yet to hit 100 games played in a season
Much less 162. He needs to build his body up to the grind that is an MLB season. His stint through the minor leagues is about adjusting to the daily grind as much as the competition. Can’t wait to see him in late 2012 and all 2013.
More like early 2012, my friend.
And by early I mean Opening Day.
by moralesforpresident on Jun 15, 2011 10:07 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Or late 2011
If he keeps playing this way, we could see a cup of coffee this September (possibly sooner). 19 year olds rarely tear up AA the way he is. I’d look to promote him to Salt Lake and if it looks like he’ll be in the majors next year, then I’d look to bring him up this summer. I haven’t been on the bandwagon for getting him to the majors too soon, but at some point the halos will need to call him up.
While it shouldn’t, the Wells situation will make this more complicated as we will need to find a spot in the lineup for him.
(He did play 131 games last year).
Pitcher's park
At home he’s only hitting 319/399/526 and on the road, 346/480/615.
Damn. Angels better not screw this one up.
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
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