Baltimore Orioles vs Los Angeles Angels: 5 players to watch

Mike Trout, CF

Did you really think we would get through an entire list of players to keep an eye on without mentioning Trout? The 26-year-old center fielder is the best player in baseball, and he’s also the biggest thing standing in the way of another series win for Baltimore.

The man known as the Millville Meteor needs no introduction, but we’ll give him one anyway. In six full seasons, Trout has won two MVP Awards and five Silver Sluggers. He owns a career slash line of .306/.410/.568. With 56.5 Wins Above Replacement, he has passed dozens of all-time greats on the career leaderboard, including Luis Aparicio, David Ortiz, Vada Pinson and Ducky Medwick.

The idea that Trout may still be improving, then, is a truly terrifying one. But just look at the numbers — since striking out in 26% of his plate appearances in 2014 (the year he won his first MVP, by the way), he has lowered his K rate every season, bottoming out with 17.8% in 2017. His walk rate is on an opposite trajectory, jumping from 12% in 2014 to 18.5% last year. Modern baseball is based on the three true outcomes, and no one has epitomized this shift better than Trout.

Of course, those changes didn’t happen overnight. In this ESPN piece, Buster Olney portrays Trout as a master tactician, constantly analyzing his game to find room for improvement. If he plays at anything close to his regular level, the Orioles pitchers will have their work cut out for them.

Next: Mark Trumbo set to return on Tuesday

Who are you going to keep an eye on in the upcoming series? Let us know on social media, and keep it here at Birds Watcher for more updates on the Baltimore Orioles.