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Mike Trout



Great bat, great glove, speed to burn, and power to spare.



If you glanced at Mike Trout's 2012 stats without knowing whose they were, you'd assume he was a mid-career Willie Mays rather than a rookie who finished the season at age 21.



Calling what Trout possesses "natural" seems unfair to ordinary humans—he looks more natural for football. But once he's on the bases, he's the most effective runner in the game and a disciplined hitter. His secret?



"I just run as hard as I can," he says. "I used to get made fun of in the minor leagues. I'd be 0 for 2, and then in my last at-bat, I'd hit a chopper that wouldn't even reach the shortstop and I'd get a hit out of it. The guys would be all over me, but a hit's a hit. I'll take 3,000 of 'em."



