The Great Player of Year X | Articles | Bill James Online

I have concluded that it is no longer reasonable to say that Mike Trout is the best player in baseball.  That honor now rightfully belongs to Freddie Freeman.

This is merely an opinion, of course, and probably no better than your opinion.  I am not saying that YOU should not continue to regard Mike Trout as the best player on the block; I am just saying that I no longer regard that as a reasonable thing for ME to believe.  This is not an off-the-cuff or unstudied opinion; it is a conclusion arrived at by research and reflection.  Let’s see if I can take you along with me.

Ranking every Rookie of the Year Winner Ever

Not a ranking of best rookie seasons (so Williams, Ott, others don’t make the list).

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout homers in seventh straight game, one shy of MLB record

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout homered in his seventh consecutive game, one shy of the major league record, but the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians posted a 5-4 victory on Monday night….

Pittsburgh’s Dale Long established the MLB record of eight straight games with a home run in 1956. Don Mattingly of the Yankees matched it in 1987, as did Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. in 1993.

Trout can match the mark on Tuesday night when the Angels continue their series with the Guardians.

Trout is the first AL player with a seven-game home run streak since Kendrys Morales of Toronto in 2018. Cincinnati’s Joey Votto homered in seven straight last season from July 24-30.

Trout’s timeline for return unknown as he battles ‘rare condition’ in back | The Athletic

Frostad was asked why the significant optimism earlier this month of a quick return has now led to a condition – costovertebral dysfunction at T5 – where there’s more concern.

“This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back,” Frostad said. “The doctor (Robert Watkins), who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country, if not the world, doesn’t see a lot of these.

“And for it to happen in a baseball player, we just have to take into consideration what he puts himself through with hitting, swinging on a daily basis, just getting prepared. And then also playing in the outfield. … There’s so many things that can aggravate it. But this doctor hasn’t seen a lot of it.”

Burn it down. Burn it all down.

Mike Trout will not play in the MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium

Angels outfielder Mike Trout has decided he will not play in this year’s All-Star Game because of an injury, but he still plans to attend the event.

Trout sat out his fourth consecutive game because of upper back spasms Saturday. This is the third time Trout has withdrawn from the Midsummer Classic, scheduled for Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, because of an injury.

Frustrated Mike Trout Spots His Own Pitcher Tipping Pitches While Standing in Center Field

In the game, with the Angels already trailing, reliever Elvis Peguero was getting blown up by the White Sox in the 7th inning. While it was happening, the camera caught a visibly frustrated Mike Trout out in center field literally showing how his teammate was tipping his pitches:

Trout is demonstrating what Peguero is doing, seemingly frustrated about how obvious it is and/or about how it isn’t stopping. The White Sox were on him so well, perhaps, because they knew exactly what was coming.

Worse, nobody else seems to have figured it out – or even communicated it to Peguero – until well after the game: