Mike Trout, a Legend in the Making

Since Mike Trout burst onto the scene one month into the 2012 Major League Baseball season, he has given every baseball fan the chance to see greatness day in and day out. The Los Angeles Angels were floundering in April. Their prize star, Albert Pujols, was mired in one of his worst slumps of his career, the bullpen was awful, and they found themselves in the cellar of the American League West. Enter rookie outfielder Mike Trout. Immediately his hustle, intensity, and love for playing the game started to become contagious in the Angels dugout.

In just 79 games this season, Trout has a .350 batting average, 16 home runs, 49 runs batted in, 75 runs scored, 20 doubles, 5 triples, 31 walks, and 31 stolen bases. Trout also has an on base percentage of .407 and slugging percentage of .594. Oh, and by the way, can play some mean defense, as well. As a rookie, his 75 runs and 31 stolen bases leads all of baseball, while his .350 batting average trails only Andrew McCutcheon and Melky Cabrera.

The Angels put Trout in the leadoff spot on April 28th and he has exceeded all expectations, which were very high to begin with. Subsequently, the Angels have gone from last with a 6-14 record to 55-46 record and just 4 games behind division leading Texas Rangers. Trout has given the entire team the spark they needed and is a shoe in for American League rookie of the year, but also is making a strong run at the AL Most Valuable Player.

Mike Trout is putting up some incredible numbers in just his first season in the big leagues. And remember, he missed the first month. So how do his numbers compare to some of the best five-tool players of all-time? The numbers might surprise you. Most lists of top five-tool players of all-time include the likes of Willie Mays, Ken Griffey, Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, and Hank Aaron. A comparison of the numbers of Trout's rookie season to the aforementioned rookie seasons give credence to Mike Trout could be the best of all-time.

If we were to project Mike Trouts stats over a full season, he would end up with a .350 avg, 224 hits, 32 home runs, 40 doubles, 10 triples, 98 runs batted in, 150 runs scored, 62 walks, and 62 stolen bases. Amongst the players mentioned in their rookie seasons, Trout's runs scored, hits, and stolen bases rank him number one all-time. Trout's 40 doubles ranks second only to Alex Rodriguez, while his 10 triples puts him third behind Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. His 32 home runs is once again second to Alex Rodriguez, who had 36.

To further illustrate Mike Trout's dominance, Babe Ruth had 101 walks, while Mickey Mantle totaled 75, ranking Trout third on that list with 62. Mike Trout's 98 runs batted in ranks him fourth in that category behind Ty Cobb, Alex Rodriguez, and Babe Ruth. Keep in mind Trout as a leadoff hitter does not see as many opportunities. The .350 batting average is tied with Ty Cobb for second all-time, trailing only Alex Rodriguez and his stout .358 average.

It is worth mentioning that Alex Rodriguez's 1995 rookie season he only played in 48 games. The statistics being compared are from the 1996 season. The statistics for Babe Ruth are from his 1919 season in which he played in 130 games. In 1915, the Babe played in 42 games followed by 67, 52, and 95 the next three seasons that followed. For Ty Cobb, the 1907 season was used for comparison since 1905 and 1906 he only played in 41 and 98 games, respectively. This further makes the case for Trout in his initial campaign as the best of all-time.

Barring any injuries or a rapid decline at some point during his career, Mike Trout will most certainly have the numbers to make the argument of the best of all-time and certainly will be mentioned amongst the best. One thing for sure is that he will continue for this season to amaze and thrill us with his bat, glove, and speed. So for now let us sit back and watch as a legend is born in Los Angeles and someday we will all remember the summer of 2012 when Mike Trout began his run at history.