Major League Baseball already has plenty of talent. In 2012, we saw a new wave of young talent that blew people away. It seemed like the rookies were getting more attention than the veterans who paved the way for them. Two in particular being teenager Bryce Harper and twenty year-old Mike Trout.
Bryce Harper debuted in April for the Washington Nationals. It seems like ever since he stepped onto the baseball diamond, he has been the talk of the National League. He spent most of the time making unbelievable catches, but Harper was also a threat with the bat. He hit 22 home runs and drove in 59 runs. Not too bad for a 19 year old playing in the National League with Matt Cain, RA Dickey, and Roy Halladay in it. Harper helped take his team to the playoffs, but unfortunately they fell short to the Cardinals in one of the craziest series in postseason history. Harper did win the NL Rookie of the Year.
Mike Trout came into a team that had huge expectations. The Los Angeles Angels had acquired both CJ Wilson and Albert Pujols in the offseason. Somehow, Trout managed to garner more attention than Albert Pujols, pretty impressive in your first year. Trout has an incredibly impressive first season batting .326, hitting 30 home runs, and driving in 83 runs. He was even in the running for MVP and was only beaten out by Miguel Cabrera who got the triple crown for hitting. Unfortunately, the Angels did not make it to the postseason, but Trout’s individual performance was recognized by MLB when he was awarded the AL Rookie of the Year.
