Angels' Mike Trout named AL rookie of the year There was no doubt Angels center fielder Mike Trout would win the American League rookie of the year award; the only question was by how much. The answer came Monday when Trout was a unanimous choice by the Baseball Writers Assn. of America for the award, garnering all 28 first-place votes to win in a landslide over Oakland outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and Texas pitcher Yu Darvish. Trout is the youngest player to win the award. And he is the second player in franchise history to win rookie of the year, joining former Angels outfielder Tim Salmon, who won in 1993. Trout is also a leading candidate, with Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, for the AL most valuable player award, which will be announced Thursday. Though Trout, 21, opened the season at triple-A and didn't join the Angels until April 28, he had a tremendous impact, batting .326 with a .399 on-base percentage, .564 slugging percentage, 30 homers, 129 runs, 83 runs batted in, 49 stolen bases and making the AL All-Star team. Trout led major league outfielders by robbing hitters of four homers, including a spectacular June 27 catch in Baltimore's Camden Yards in which he raced to the fence and leaped several feet over the wall to pull back a J.J. Hardy drive. According to Fangraphs, Trout saved 22 runs on defense, fifth-most in baseball. Trout became the first major leaguer to hit 30 homers, score 125 runs and steal 45 bases in a season and to hit .320 or above with 30 homers and 45 stolen bases. Only Joe DiMaggio (132 in 1936) and Ted Williams (131 in 1939) scored more runs as rookies. He fell one stolen base shy of joining Eric Davis (1987) and Barry Bonds (1990) as the only players to hit 30 homers and steal 50 bases in a season. Trout ranked first in the league in runs and stolen bases, second in average and third in OBP and slugging. The Angels were 6-14 when he was called up from triple-A on April 28 and 83-59 afterward but fell short of a playoff spot by four games. "We wouldn't have been in the position to even try to get a wild-card spot without him," former Angels right fielder Torii Hunter said. It's hard to find guys who can run, play defense, hit for average and power, create havoc on the bases and change the mind set of a pitcher like Trout can. If he can put up the same numbers and do this every year, he'll probably be the greatest player who ever lived. He can't do much more.