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Mike Trout homers, gets hurt, stays in game, homers again, remains the best

Get a load of this guy: A 23-year-old Angels outfielder named Mike Trout went 4-for-4 with a walk and five RBI in his team’s 13-7 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Trout, whom fans might remember for being the best player in the Majors since the day he became a full-time big-leaguer in 2012, put Los Angeles ahead early with his first home run, a solo shot in the bottom of the first.

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In the fourth inning, Trout made a diving effort on a blooper to short center and appeared to injure his left wrist on the play. But physical pain is no match for Mike Trout, who stayed in the game so he could give his team a massive lead with a grand slam to deep right-center in the sixth.

Mike Trout

Mike Trout feigns humanity after landing hard on his left wrist. (PHOTO: Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

The homers put Trout alone at the top of the Major League leaderboard with 31, on pace to shatter his previous career high of 36. They were the 128th and 129th big-league big flies for Trout, moving him past Ted Williams and into sixth-place all-time in homers before the end of a player’s age-23 season — behind only three Hall of Famers, Ken Griffey Jr., and A-Rod. Trout leads all Major League position players in Wins Above Replacement in 2015, as he did in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

There are not enough ways to express how good Mike Trout has been in practically every facet of the game. For now, it’s probably easiest to settle on a simple description: Best baseball player in the whole damn world.

Trout, arguably the best 23-year-old ballplayer in baseball history, will become arguably the best 24-year-old ballplayer in baseball history on Aug. 7.

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