Mike Trout is great! You know this already, but really, we don’t, as a baseball-loving society, spend enough time appreciating him. We mostly bemoan that this weather-loving generational talent isn’t more interesting at the times he isn’t holding a bat, but that’s a missing the forest for the trees issue we all need to get over.
Mike Trout is killing it, even for Mike Trout
Wednesday’s Say Hey, Baseball takes a moment to look at Trout.
Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images
Trout rules. Here are some recent ways he has ruled:
- In his last 37 plate appearances, Trout is batting .696 with a .778 on-base percentage
- Combine all of Trout’s June together instead of just his most recent stretch, and he’s batting .448/.554/.776 for the month.
- Even with this absurd month, his OPS for the season has risen just 50 points because he was already hitting .302/.444/.663 through May.
- If you can believe it, Trout is outpacing Mark McGwire’s 1998 season in OPS+ (219 to 216), in which McGwire hit 70 homers.
- Steals: Trout isn’t lauded for them much, but he has 13 against one caught stealing this year, on top of everything else.
- Failure hasn’t been a thing for Trout this year: he didn’t get on base Opening Day, and it’s only happened eight other times out of 74 all season.
- As in the past, Trout hasn’t failed to get on base for more than two games in a row: a feat he’s managed his entire career.
- Speaking of getting on base, Trout is leading in walks (60) and on-base percentage (.469).
- Can you imagine what his slugging would be if he didn’t play his home games in a pitcher’s park? Even with that, it’s still a career-high .689 this summer.
- In case the McGwire note above didn’t excite you, just know that Trout is also on pace for the greatest OPS+ season, non-Bonds division, of the Expansion Era.
- Strikeouts aren’t a problem anymore, not that they really ever hindered him before: Trout has more walks (64) than strikeouts (60) in 2018.
- Trout? He’s good. OK, that one isn’t a fun fact so much as just straight truth, but still, it’s important that we all know this.
Twelve facts seems like exactly enough facts to get across the point I was hoping to this morning, so let’s move on to the rest of the newsletter.
- Juan Soto might be a future all-star, maybe one of the most valuable players in baseball, or maybe he’s just some guy on a tear to begin his career who will never play like this again. Regardless of his future, the teenager’s current season is a baseball anomaly, and we should appreciate it.
- Mississippi State is having a hell of a College World Series.
- And here’s what you need to know to keep up with day five of the CWS.
- Whitney McIntosh thinks the Mets should sign Jennifer Lopez, and, you know what, why not?
- Talking Chop looked at how the Braves have done against top-tier pitching.
- The Mariners might not have stars all over the roster, but they’re full of depth, and it’s working for them.
- Chris Davis is having a bad season. Like, a really bad season. His existence on the roster is proving difficult for the Orioles.
- Bucs Dugout is wondering if Austin Meadows should be playing every day.
- This article is titled “Some Physics of Ballpark Demolition” so, yeah, click it, obviously.
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