Rant: Trout vs Cabrera for MVP

I am a Trout fan. I am a fanatical fan of Mike Trout. I realize that Cabrera will win the MVP. But I believe without sensationalizing stories that Trout has been the more valuable player. I have been in heated conversations with my father, brother, teacher friends, fantasy sports obsessed statistical individuals and more. My wife simply nods her head and says she believes my point of view but hey this is why you have a blog to talk to no one but feel better that you have explained yourself.
Statistically speaking:

Cabrera 2012 vs Trout 2012 (rankings for all MLB 2012 Cabrera listed 1st Trout 2nd)

• 205 hits vs 182 - (2 vs 15)
• 109 runs scored vs 129 (2 vs 1)
• 44 home runs vs 30 (1 vs outside top 20)
• 139 RBIs vs 83 (1 vs outside top 20)
• 4 stolen bases (4/5 for 80% success) vs 49 (49/54 for 90% success) (outside top 20 vs 1)
• .330 batting average vs .326 (2 vs 4)
• .393 on base percentage (OBP) vs .399 (7 vs 5)
• .606 slugging percentage (SLG) vs .564 (difference of .042) (2 vs 5)
• .999 on base plus slugging percentage (OPS) vs .963 (difference of .036) (1 vs 5)
• 6.7 wins above replacement (WAR by Baseball reference) vs 10.7 (difference of 4 wins) (5 vs 1)
• 7.5 offensive wins above replacement (offense WAR by Baseball Reference) vs 8.6 (2 vs 1)

Cabrera defensively is a sub par third baseman. Trout is an exceptional gold glove winning outfielder. I did not include the base running statistics but Trout is ranked 1 for runs produced on the basepaths and for wins produced on the basepaths.

My argument boiled down - Cabrera is a better hitter than Trout - but only marginally. The biggest gap is in RBIs but this stat is based upon your place in the batting order and your teammates. The biggest true gap is in power - 44 HR vs 30 HRs - however I believe this edge to Cabrera is offset by Trout's much more valuable defense and baserunning.

Finally for those that say Cabrera lead the Tigers into the playoffs - the Angels held a better record and played in a much more difficult division.

For more states visit Baseball Reference

As ESPN baseball insider Keith Law states "Trout actually had a higher OPS+ than Cabrera. Trout led Cabrera by .006 in OBP; Cabrera led by .042 in SLG. Cabrera played in a better hitter's park, and had an easier slate of competition, including a ton of at bats against the two worst pitching staffs (by ERA). They're much closer than you'd think from the OMG TR1PLE CROWN!!!?!"

Trout Article: MLB awards: AL MVP, Cy Young, rookie and manager picks

Check out Sporting News latest ranking and predictions for the MLB awards - spoiler alert Trout should win the AL Rookie of the Year, batting title, and AL MVP.

Great Must Read Article: How much is Mike Trout worth?

Kevin Goldstein examines the potential extension options facing the Angels and Mike Trout. This article is for ESPN Insiders and members of Baseball Prospectus only. But it is about my favorite ballplayer in the majors.

The article is available here. Great Must Read Article but unfortunately you need ESPN Insider or a membership to Baseball Prospectus: "How much is Mike Trout worth? Ten MLB execs help us calculate a contract extension for the phenom." Goldstein outlines the potential approaches. Approach No. 1: The Cautious Route, Approach No. 2: Fair Market Value,  Approach No. 3: All-In. Some executives even hinted at the possibility of a 15 year contract. If I were the owner of the Angles that is what I would do.

Article: Mike Trout's Rookie Campaign Is History in the Making

My favorite ball player is the feature of another article. Jonah Keri's article "Mike Trout's Rookie Campaign Is History in the Making" examines the historic rookie season never before seen in MLB history.

As Keri states Trout "leads the American League in batting average (.346), runs scored (87), and stolen bases (36). He ranks second in slugging average (.602), first in Weighted Runs Created Plus (185), and first in Wins Above Replacement (7.1, per Baseball-Reference.com). He's stolen 27 bases in a row, an Angels franchise record. He's hitting .346/.409/.601, good for an OPS of 1.010 that would be the second-best by a rookie in 55 years, trailing only Albert Pujols's 1.013 in 2001. Only three players in baseball ever stole more bases before their 21st birthday than Trout: Ty Cobb, Claudell Washington, and Sherry Magee. If he holds on to win the batting title, he'd become the third-youngest player, at 21 years and 57 days, ever to accomplish that feat, trailing only Al Kaline and Cobb. Only one other player racked up a .350-plus batting average, 15 or more homers, and 30 or more steals before August 1 of any given season: Rickey Henderson, in 1985. Only three other players this young have ever posted an OPS of 1.000 or higher in a season: Alex Rodriguez, Mel Ott, and Ted Williams...If Trout plays every game the rest of this season and maintains his current pace, he'd hit .346 with 32 homers and 57 steals, something no one else has ever done (even if he cools off a bit, no player has managed .340 with 20 homers and 40 steals either)"

Read the full article here.