HOUSTON — After swatting a combined 89 home runs this season, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers have been named the recipients of this year’s Hank Aaron Award, MLB announced Wednesday.
Trout, 27, hit a career-high 45 home runs, despite missing most of the last month of the season with a foot injury. He batted .291 with a .438 on-base percentage, drove in 104 runs and scored 110. He’s a leading candidate to win his third AL MVP award.
Yelich, 27, also missed the stretch run for the Brewers after suffering a fractured kneecap on a foul tip. After winning the NL MVP award in 2018, Yelich improved his numbers across the board, hitting a career-best 44 homers and winning his second straight batting title with a .329 average. He also finished with 97 RBIs, scored 100 runs and stole a career-high 30 bases.
The award was established in 1999 to honor the outstanding offensive performers in each league.
Both Trout and Yelich were on hand at Minute Maid Park to receive the award from Aaron and commissioner Rob Manfred prior to Game 2 of the World Series.