The father of them all.
Mr. Halo is an award that should personify not just the best player, but the one whose impact is greatest on the team. Not just a player who plays well, but one who influences his team and makes those around him better. Last year it went to Mike Trout, for his historic rookie season that helped the Angels turn around a depressing first month. Who earns it this year?
In a year where a team goes 78-84, it's hard to really say that the team would've been worse without anyone. The assumption with a team like that is that there was no significant contributor, that most of the players all did a little bit but not enough. With this team, that was hardly the case. We have several valuable players, most of whom, however, either went down with injury, were maligned by uncharacteristic play, or a combination of both. One player rose above that. One player--one whose impact on the team the previous year was undeniable--still played his absolute hardest, and produced another ridiculously valuable season in the process. The Angels truly would've been worse without him, and that is something that cannot be denied.
2013 MR. HALO: MIKE TROUT (.323/.432/.557, .994 FLD%, 27 HR, 97 RBI, 110 BB, 109 R, 179 OPS+, 9.2 WAR)
Would anyone else really have won it? Trouty could've missed half the season and still likely finished 1st or 2nd for the award. His mark on the team is permanent, and in the best way possible. He was the brightest spot on this team, the reason that people even kept coming to the stadium or watching games on TV. He's the best player in baseball. And he's on OUR team! He creates a spark not unlike that which made a nation turn its eyes to Ken Griffey, Jr., Pete Rose, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, in their respective primes. He made the games still worth watching. The only hope is that he stays here to continue doing so. His 2013 was historic just as his 2012 was. His defense went down, mostly due to a slow start in left field, but his statistics in center field were much more darling, although not enough to erase his defense in left field. His offense actually got better, if there was even a way for that to happen. His stolen base totals went down, mostly due to an unwanted change in baserunning philosophy from the coaching staff. All in all, what a heck of a season from the Millville Meteor. The voting totals:
PLAYER | POSITION | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | TOTAL |
Mike Trout | OF | 10 | 1 | - | - | - | 97 |
C.J. Wilson | SP | - | 4 | 2 | 4 | - | 50 |
Jered Weaver | SP | 1 | 5 | - | 1 | 1 | 48 |
Howie Kendrick | 2B | - | - | 6 | 2 | 1 | 37 |
Mark Trumbo | 1B/DH | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
J.B. Shuck | OF | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | 13 |
Erick Aybar | SS | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | 9 |
Chris Iannetta | C | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
Ernesto Frieri | RP | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |