MLB Rewind: Mike Trout took over the league to win his first MVP in 2014
2014 was a big year for Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels, at least in the regular season. The team not only won the AL West, but finished with the best record in all of Major League Baseball. Although the team would be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the Angels and Trout really showed their best.
With a record of 98-64, the Angels were far and beyond the best team in baseball. The 23-year-old Mike Trout was a major reason for the Angels' success Here is a brief look back on Trout's 2014 season.
A reflection on Mike Trout in the 2014 Los Angeles Angels season
Coming into the 2014 MLB season, everyone knew how good Trout was. He had been drafted five years prior and made his debut for the Angels in 2011. In 2012, he easily won rookie of the year with 30 home runs and 83 RBIs. In 2014, the stage was set for Trout to lead his team deep into the postseason.
Mike Trout, 30, a 2009 Millville High School graduate, is a center fielder with the Los Angeles Angels and was the 2014, 2016 and 2019 American League MVP. pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/d…
"Mike Trout, 30, a 2009 Millville High School graduate, is a center fielder with the Los Angeles Angels and was the 2014, 2016 and 2019 American League MVP." - @ Press of AC
Trout had finished second in MVP voting twice in a row—in both 2012 and 2013. In 2014, Trout really turned it on. He finished the season with 36 home runs and a league-leading 111 RBIs. He also led the league in runs with 115. It was his third straight year leading the league in that category.
Unfortunately, the Angels were bested by the KC Royals in the first round of the 2014 playoffs.
Give Mike Trout a Gold Glove https://t.co/GRmf1yyQaF
"Give Mike Trout a Gold Glove" - @ Baseball Bros
His stats were good enough to win him his first career AL MVP award. Trout led his team to their first playoff berth in five years. Trout would go on to win the AL MVP award again in 2016 and 2019. Angels fans are now keenly looking for Mike Trout to bring them to a World Series.
With Shohei Ohtani's arrival, experts are saying that Trout and the Angels are as primed as ever to win their first World Series since 2002. They are looking more and more like a championship team.