After just five full seasons in the Major Leagues Mike Trout has shown himself to be on pace for a Hall of Fame Career. It could be that he reaches stat-benchmarks that put him as shoe-in for Cooperstown 3 years before he even has reached the ten years of playing time eligibility.  Trout is the only player to come in first or second in MVP voting in his first 5 years.  A respectable argument can be made that if you take away stats influenced by his teammates; Trout would could have won the MVP award all five years.  He has been the leader in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in the American League for the past five years in a row. If he can accomplish the feat again this year he will be the first player since Babe Ruth (1926-1931) to do it six years in a row.

At 25 years of age, he has more hits that Pete Rose had at 25, more home runs than Barry Bonds had at 25, and more stolen bases than Rickey Henderson had a 25. Though it’s unlikely for him to beat any of their records (much less all three), Trout has proven himself to be an elite force in baseball.

In addition for seeking his third MVP award keep your eye for him to reach 1,000 hits sometime around mid-July. He should have 500 walks in mid-May. He’ll find 50 career WAR by the end of April (he’s ALREADY the Angels all-time leader).  He’ll reach the 200 doubles mark in August and if things go his way he could hit his 200th home run in the last few weeks of the season.

Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. He needs a nickname that people will use (Millville Meteor hasn’t really caught on). Let’s help him establish himself in our cultural lore. Give Trout a new nickname! These options were based on fan suggestions found here.