aNewDomain — On Friday Los Angeles Angels centerfielder Mike Trout set a new MLB record by becoming the youngest player in the sport’s history to achieve the 100/100 mark — that’s 100 career home runs plus at least 100 career stolen bases.
Trout’s record-setting 100th home run was a two-run hit off of Astros starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez on a full count in the sixth inning. It gave the Angels a 3-1 lead at the time. Trout would hit his 101st career home run two innings later when he hit a 3-run blast against relief pitcher Chad Quolls to seal up the Angels’ 6-3 win against Houston. Check out the box score here.
On the very same night, the man whose 100/100 record got broken by Trout, Alex Rodriguez, blasted two home runs and hit a game-winning RBI single for his New York Yankees.
After not having a major league at-bat in 19 months — that was due to a performance enhancement substance suspension before he stepped up to the plate on April 6 — A-Rod now has moved to within two home runs of tying Willie Mays for fourth all-time.
Trout had 104 career steals when he hit his 100th home run at age 23 years, 257 days. A-Rod achieved 100/100 at age 23 years, 309 days.
Trout’s salient stats at the end of play on April 17th:
Batting Average is: .444 (3rd in the American League)
On-Base Percentage is: .500 (tied for 3rd, American League)
HRs: 3 (tied for 3rd, American League)
Slugging Pct is: .750 (4th, American League)
Hits: 16 (5th, American League)
RBIs: 9 (tied for 6th, American League)
Runs Scored: 9 (tied for 7th, American League)
As of this writing, Trout has also collected a pair of stolen bases and ripped two doubles while carrying a 10-game hitting streak (hitting safely in all 10 of the Angels’ games to start the season). His defensive play in centerfield continues to be gold-glove caliber, as well.
Mike Trout was the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2014 American Leage MVP, and he has won three Silver Slugger awards in his three full MLB seasons. No other player at just 23-and-a-half years old has ever achieved all that Trout has. It’s going to be exciting to see what he has done to the record books and in the playoffs by the time he’s A-Rod’s age…especially given that Trout will, most likely, never be tainted by PED controversies.
For aNewDomain, I’m Brant David.
Brant David McLaughlin — aka Brant David — is a Milford, NJ-based senior writer for us here at aNewDomain. Follow him at his +BrantDavid Google+ page. Email him at Brant@aNewDomain.net.
