Angels outfielder Mike Trout has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for July, the first such honor of his career and the first for the Angels since Kendrys Morales in August 2009. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor of 23 of 30 clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the National League Player of the Month Award.
Along with being named the league’s top player in July, Trout was named American League Rookie of the Month Award for a third consecutive month. His three rookie honors this season mark the most in a single campaign since Pittsburgh’s Jason Bay (three in 2004) and it is the most in the A.L. since Ichiro Suzuki (five in 2001). Trout becomes the first A.L. player to earn both awards in a single month, and joins Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (July 2007) and San Francisco’s Buster Posey (July 2010), who each accomplished the feat in the National League. In addition, Florida’s Dontrelle Willis (June 2003) and Tampa Bay’s Jeremy Hellickson (May 2011) have claimed Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month honors in the same month.
Trout batted .392 (38-for-97) with six doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, 32 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 25 games. Among A.L. qualifiers, the Vineland, New Jersey native finished first in batting average, runs scored and slugging percentage (.804), tied for first in hits, was second in homers and on-base percentage (.455), was tied for second in triples and finished tied for third in RBI. According to Elias, Trout tied an all-time Major League rookie record for runs scored in July with Cleveland’s Hal Trosky (1934) and he also tied Roy Hartsfield’s 1950 rookie mark with at least one run scored in 15 straight games (July 5th-23rd). His 10 homers established a new A.L. rookie high for July and it tied the Angels’ club mark for the most homers by a rookie in any month (Wally Joyner in May 1986). After closing July with a .353 batting average with 18 homers, 55 RBI and 80 runs scored in 81 games, Elias notes that the speedy outfielder joined Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (1985) as the only players in Major League history to reach minimums of .350, 15 homers and 30 steals before August 1st, and he is the first rookie to reach at least 80 runs scored and 55 RBI in 81 games since Joe DiMaggio (87, 83) in 1936. With his All-Star Game debut in Kansas City, Trout, at 20 years and 11 months old, became the seventh youngest A.L. position player in history, and he went 1-for-1 with a walk and a stolen base to become the youngest player since Al Kaline in 1955 to collect a hit in the Midsummer Classic. On the season, the Angels’ first round selection (25th overall) in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft is batting a league-best .348 with 20 doubles, five triples, 18 homers, 55 RBI, 81 runs scored and 31 stolen bases in 82 games.
Others receiving Budweiser A.L. Player of the Month votes included Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera (.344, 9 HR, 23 RBI) and Prince Fielder (.315, 4 HR, 20 RBI); Minnesota’s Josh Willingham (.283, 11 HR, 27 RBI); and Kansas City’s Alex Gordon (.342, 12 2B, 24 RBI). Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes (.344, 5 HR, 19 RBI) also received voting consideration for A.L. Rookie of the Month.
In recognition of his Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month Award and his American League Rookie of the Month Award, Mike Trout will receive two specially designed trophies, suitably engraved, for his accomplishments.
