Mike Trout in Person – Better than Advertised
By Aaron Somers
Selfishly I had been hoping that rumors of Mike Trout being promoted after the Texas League All-Star game weren’t true. Luckily for me they were not, and I was able to see Trout in person in Frisco, Texas. The center-fielder is currently playing for the Arkansas Travelers, the Double-A arm of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Last night he was opposed by the number one pitching prospect in the Texas Rangers organization, Martin Perez. This was about as ideal of a situation as I could have seen Trout in, two all-but-certain future major leaguers squaring off.
We’ll start with his line against the Frisco RoughRiders –
Mike Trout was only 1-for-6 on the night, but had an RBI and two runs scored. What the line does not tell you is that he reached on an error, eventually scoring. He was focused and determined, and truly looked like the special talent that he is.
The one thing that you will read about Mike Trout is about his speed. Baseball America gave him a grade of 80 for speed, meaning he will be one of the fastest runners to play the game. It’s a pretty high mark for any player to be an 80 at any skill. This is entirely accurate. I brought my stopwatch to the park, and timed him to first base. This was in the ultimate ideal condition for timing a runner to first. It was a potential double-play situation, and the runner is trying to beat out the double play. For reference, a fast runner should be somewhere around 4.1 seconds.
From the crack of the bat – to his foot on the bag, Mike Trout clocked in at 3.70 seconds. He was safe to say the least.
Later in the game, in a less ideal situation, there was only a runner on second base, no double-play potential. Despite that Trout clocked in at 3.88 seconds, still – a very remarkable time.
Oh…and he stole two bases, without much effort.
I’m completely blown away by what I have seen from this prospect. I went to the park just hoping to see a sample of what others have reported, and I walked away more than satisfied. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see much from his bat, he made solid contact but no real fireworks.
A player who can make things happen, even without much offense is impressive. When he found his way on base, he took advantage of the opportunities given to him. I know I am not the first to say it, but Mike Trout is ready for the big leagues. He is the fastest player I have ever been fortunate enough to see in person. Angels’ fans should be excited; they have a true All-Star talent on the way.
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