SAN DIEGO – When Albert Pujols signed with the Angels last winter, it displaced Mark Trumbo from his status as the Angels’ every-day first baseman.

With Pujols starting this season in the worst slump of his career, Trumbo has returned the favor – it is Trumbo, not Pujols, who went into Friday’s game leading the Angels in batting average (.370), hits (37), home runs (six, tied with Vernon Wells), total bases (64), on-base percentage (.427), slugging percentage (.640) and, naturally, OPS (1.067).

But it’s another number that Trumbo feels best about.

“Batting average doesn’t really factor into it for me,” he said. “What I’m most proud of to this point is the fact that I have eight or nine walks.”

He actually drew his 10th walk of the season in his first plate appearance Friday night (part of a streak in which he reached base in eight consecutive plate appearances). That ranks first among active Angels (Chris Iannetta also has 10 walks and Torii Hunter 12).

A year ago, Trumbo’s low on-base percentage (.291) – and batting average (.254) – might have cost him the American League Rookie of the Year award. That OBP would have matched the lowest for a ROY winner since the award’s inception in 1947.

“I don’t know. That’s a tough question,” Trumbo said when asked if that might have been the reason he finished second to Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson in the rookie voting. “I think it may have been a factor for some people.”

Trumbo had another reason to gain greater appreciation for OBP this past winter. New Angels GM Jerry Dipoto values on-base skills and hitters with the ability to control counts.

“I never put that much thought into on-base percentage, to be honest with you,” Trumbo said. “The things I always looked at were my power numbers, production numbers – home runs, doubles, RBIs. I figured that was my job.

“But I thought about it (on-base percentage) a lot this offseason. I think I have a better understanding of the value of getting on base. … It’s hard not to (think about it) when it’s mentioned in connection with your name all the time.”

Trumbo was determined to improve his skills in that area. During drills in spring training, he asked batting-practice pitchers to throw pitches out of the strike zone (even in soft toss) so he could work on tracking them – and not swinging.

“My concentration shifted from before where it was basically, ‘See it and hit it,’ ” he said. “I’ve transitioned more into ‘boxing’ a guy up – looking for a pitch in a specific zone and if it’s not there, check it off.”

The result has been a significant drop in the percentage of pitches outside the strike zone that Trumbo has been swinging at this season – from a dreadful 42.7 percent last season to a more manageable 33.2 percent this season – and a lot more success when he does put a ball in play. His average on balls in play has jumped from .274 last season to .443 through Thursday.

“I really think experience is the best teacher in this game,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Trumbo’s improvement. “Mark is a really intelligent guy and he understands some things that happened last year. His plate discipline has grown through that experience and it’s led to more walks (he had just 25 in 573 plate appearances last year).

“But you’re also seeing him getting more pitches to hit because he’s stayed inside the zone rather than last year when he expanded it at times.”

SATURDAY

Angels right-hander Dan Haren (1-4, 4.41) is scheduled to start against Padres left-hander Eric Stults (0-0, 2.70). Game time is 7:05 p.m. and it will be broadcast on FSW, KLAA/830 AM and KWKW/1330 AM in Spanish.

More Angels coverage: