Baseball is witnessing a shift in star power to a new generation of younger players. With guys like Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki, Todd Helton, and Paul Konerko in their late 30's and early 40's, younger players are beginning to take over the game. Obviously, we aren't going to the extreme of saying "out with the old and in with the new", but we are definitely watching a transition of power to players like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, and Giancarlo Stanton.
The change of baseball's star power to its youth is cementing itself this season, as two of baseball's youngest guns, Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen, are clear cut favorites for the major league MVP awards.
Before we even look at Trout's incredible numbers and his unique 5-tool ability to be able to hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, field, and throw, it is important to look at Trout's impact on the Angels as a whole. The MVP goes to the player that is Most Valuable to his team, and since Trout was called up from triple-A, the Angels have done a complete 360.
The Halos, who were one of the favorites to win the World Series after they signed both Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson in the off-season, looked out of sorts in their first 20 games. Pujols, a 3-time MVP and 2-time World Series Champion, had a dismal start to the season and looked uncomfortable in Los Angeles with his new team. Before Mike Trout began to play every day on May 8th, Pujols was batting a woeful .197 with a .236 on-base percentage and he had just 1 home run through 29 games.
Since Trout came up to the big leagues, the Angels have looked like a different ball club, and Pujols has finally looked like the guy who signed a 254 million dollar contract with the team this off-season. Although it is rare to see, the 20-year old Trout has taken the pressure off of the 32-year old Pujols. With his .412 on-base percentage, which is the 3rd best in the AL, Trout has allowed Albert to hit with runners in scoring position, and he has relieved a ton of stress off of the 9-time All-Star's back, as Pujols no longer has to be the guy night after night for the Halos. In 67 games since May 8th, Pujols is batting .318 and has 17 home runs and 52 RBI's, to go along with a .391 on-base percentage.
Trout, who is so smooth that it is difficult to find a weakness when he is at the plate, has taken the American League by storm. The center fielder, whose .357 batting average leads the American League by 25 points over Joe Mauer, can hit any pitch against any pitcher during any count. Despite nearly missing the entire first month of baseball, Trout leads the MLB with 71 runs scored and is in the top 5 in both slugging and on-base plus slugging percentage.
People are so impressed with Trout's play because he can truly do it all. His 31 stolen bases lead the major leagues and his glove work has been so impressive, as evidenced by his incredible leaping catch against the Orioles to rob a J.J. Hardy home run earlier this season.
Mike Trout showing off his jumping ability by making one of the best plays of the year.
Prince Fish, as he is also called, is fortunate that no one else in the AL is having a monster season. Josh Hamilton, who began the first two months of the year with 21 home runs, 57 RBI's, and a .368 batting average, has cooled off dramatically since his first 47 games and is batting just .204 since the start of June. Miguel Cabrera, who is having another solid year with a .330 batting average and 23 home runs to go along with 79 RBI's, is the biggest contender to Trout's MVP chances.
Trout is likely going to be a landslide winner for the AL Rookie of the Year Award, so if he is able to walk away with the AL MVP, he would join Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro (2001) as just the third player to ever win the two awards in the same season. He would also be the youngest player to ever win the MVP, and the 3rd ever Angel to win the award joining Vladimir Guerreo (2004) and Don Baylor (1979).
Unlike Trout, who has taken a talented team and revitalized them with his spectacular play, Andrew McCutchen has put the Pirates on his back and brought them into playoff contention.
Although the Pirates are a solid team with a quality pitching staff led by James McDonald, A.J. Burnett, and Joel Hanrahan at the back end of the bullpen, they are no where near a 54-41 team without McCutchen. He was the main reason that the Bucs entered the All-Star break in first place of the NL Central for the first time in 15 years since 1997.
Aside from McCutchen, Neil Walker is the only every day Pirate player that is batting above .265, and the fact that the Pirates don't have a lot of good hitters around McCutchen makes it even more impressive to see what the young outfielder is doing this season. To put in perspective how heavily the Bucs relay on the 2-time All-Star, Andrew leads the team in runs, hits, batting average, triples, home runs, runs batted in, total bases, extra base hits, stolen bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging percentage.
McCutchen leads the league with a .373 batting average, which is on pace to become the best average in a single season since Tony Gwynn hit .394 in 1994 with the San Diego Padres. Clutch, as he is often called, also leads the MLB with a .642 slugging percentage and a 1.071 OPS.
McCutchen has solidified his hold on the MVP award with his ability to keep the Pirates in playoff position. In the Buccos last 31 games since June 16 the team is 22-9, and in this span McCutchen is batting .464 with a 1.330 OPS and he had a 6 games stretch where he hit 6 home runs in the middle of July.
Like Trout, McCutchen doesn't have too much competition for the MVP award. The player that looked like he would pose the biggest threat to McCutchen's chances of becoming the first Pirate to win MVP since Barry Bonds in 1992 was Joey Votto. However, the Reds slugger had to be sidelined earlier this month due to knee surgery and he will be out for at least a month.
Like Trout, McCutchen doesn't have too much competition for the MVP award. The player that looked like he would pose the biggest threat to McCutchen's chances of becoming the first Pirate to win MVP since Barry Bonds in 1992 was Joey Votto. However, the Reds slugger had to be sidelined earlier this month due to knee surgery and he will be out for at least a month.
It would be very historic if McCutchen won the MVP award. He would be the 2nd youngest player to win the NL MVP award in the last 27 years since 1985. Clutch would join Pirate greats Paul Waner, Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente, Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, and Barry Bonds as an NL MVP award winner.
McCutchen has shown he can do anything on a baseball field. Can he give an MVP speech though? At this rate, we will get a chance to see.
McCutchen has shown he can do anything on a baseball field. Can he give an MVP speech though? At this rate, we will get a chance to see.
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