After a dominant 10-0 victory on Saturday, for the first time this season, the Los Angeles Angels bats and pitching came together for their most complete win of the season, bringing them to 6-10.
Not that their bats haven’t been hitting well (with the exception of a horrifically slow start for newly acquired Josh Hamilton), but it’s been the Angels pitching that has faltered in this early part of the season.
Saturday, however, they looked great as a team. And two players, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, hit the ball like the players everyone expects them to be.
So who will have the better season of the two this year?
Reigning National League Rookie of the Year Mike Trout went 2-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored. Though he got off to a relatively slow start this season, he now has a slash line of .304/.347/.522 with two home runs, a triple, seven doubles, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored and a stolen base. Starting to look pretty good, isn’t he?
Pujols, on the other hand, went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored. Though he’s been notorious for getting off to slow starts in his career, he currently has a slash line of .322/.431/.508 with two home runs, five doubles, 11 RBI and seven runs scored.
Both players are dominant forces in any lineup and are arguably already considered candidates for the American League’s Most Valuable Player award. And while he may not put up the power numbers that Pujols will, Trout will surely see plenty more triples and is always a huge threat on the basepaths.
I’ve always thought that after Pujols’ first year in Los Angeles, he would settle down and regain his power stroke after hitting only .285 last season with 30 home runs. Weird thinking that those numbers would be underachieving for most players, but let’s be honest now, this is Prince Albert we’re talking about here.
Trout, on the other hand, had a season for the history books last year, but unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anyway he can replicate the numbers that he put up in 2012, especially after missing almost the first whole month of the season.
Sure, there’s always the argument that many players suffer from the “sophomore slump,” but I don’t think that will be the case for Trout in his second full season with the Angels.
Whatever happens, both players should put up monster numbers in 2013. Especially with this lineup surrounding them and with Josh Hamilton’s bat inevitably coming back to life in the near future.
So who will it be: Pujols or Trout?
My guess is Pujols will have the more impressive numbers this season, especially hitting behind Trout and in front of Hamilton and Mark Trumbo. He’s just too good of a player and will not have a third season in a row hitting under .300.
Will he have 40 or 50 home runs this season? My guess is he’ll be somewhere in the high 30s, but his batting average should be around his lifetime average of .324, if not higher.
Now I’m not saying that Trout will have an off-year by any means, but I just don’t think he’ll achieve the same numbers he put up last season, though he should certainly have a tremendous season as well.
What do you think? Am I wrong? Who’s going to have the better season of the two: Pujols or Trout?
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