There are several different adjectives that one could use to describe the season so far for the Los Angeles Angels, almost none of which are appropriate for anyone under the age of 16. It's been a rough start to the 2013 campaign for the Halos, with almost no exceptions.
Even Mike Trout, who went from rookie to legend in the span of only a few months in 2012, has had his struggles this season. Under the microscope after winning American League Rookie of the Year, and nearly (probably should have) taking home the Most Valuable Player award, Trout got off to the sophomore slump that many feared he would.
Good thing it's a 162-game season. It's almost impossible to judge anything off of what happens in April. In Major League Baseball, what happens in April, tends to stay in April. Just ask Chris Shelton. In recent weeks, the Angels have started to look like a real life baseball team. And it's no coincidence that Mike Trout is beginning to round into form over that same span as well.
Trout's April was certainly not what he was hoping for, nor was it anywhere near what the Angels were expecting, having come into the season as heavy favorites in the American League West. The Angels won just eight games in April, while Trout's numbers were largely unimpressive.
He hit just .261 during the month, including an on-base percentage of just .333. He also struck out 25 times in 26 games. Since the calendar has turned over to May, however, we've seen the Angels show signs of coming out of their early season funk. And we've seen Trout begin to round into form.
Just 12 days into the month, Trout has already knocked in nine runs. That brings his total on the season up to 25, second on the team, as he trails Mark Trumbo by only one. He's looked much better at the dish, hitting .341 during the month so far, with a .400 OBP. He's already doubled his home run total from last month, with four big flies in 45 plate appearances. He has hits in nine of eleven games this month, six of which were multi-hit games. He was the only one to manage a hit off of Chris Sale in Chicago on Sunday evening.
The fact that Mike Trout is starting to catch fire doesn't require an explanation as to how important it is to the Angels. As bad as they've been in the first month of the season, there is still plenty of time to turn it around. With Trout now providing the spark, look for this club to find their groove heading into the dog days of summer.
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