Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels center fielder, burst on to the MLB radar two seasons ago during a sublime, sophomore campaign that overshadowed, and downright trumped, the arrival of legendary hitter Albert Pujols. Trout's, at the time, surprising production shifted the media attention toward the young player and gave him the headlining role on the team while heaping all the pressure on the struggling Pujols.

The fourth-year player is the leading MVP candidate in the American League and will enter the 2014 season with far more pressure to produce than in year's past. According to baseball experts, however, Trout is expected to meet or maybe even surpass last year's production, which is a scary prospect for the rest of the American League. Let's take a closer look at the center fielder's 2014 AL MVP odds with picks, predictions and analysis.

Mike Trout Odds to Win 2014 AL MVP Story Lines

Trout began Spring Training in excellent form and simply picked up where he left off last year. The 22 year old is continuing his meteoric rise into superstardom with a fantastic spring where he hit five home runs, produced 16 RBIs, and hit an absurd .426 over the course of the preseason. The Angels, however, are not expected to be serious playoff contenders, and 2014 may be an uphill battle for the young player.

Last season Los Angeles was 14 games behind the final wild card spot and 18 games behind Oakland for the AL West division lead. Another subpar season for the team could continue to affect Trout's MVP chances no matter how astounding his numbers are. In 2013 Trout received only five first-place votes on his way to finishing second to Miguel Cabrera in the MVP race.

Trout, despite the team's lack of respect from baseball experts, is intent on leading the Angels to the postseason for the first time in nearly five years. The MVP candidate has spoken openly about doing whatever it takes to help the team win-in particular stealing more bases and being more aggressive early in counts.

Mike Trout 2014 AL MVP Odds and Key Stats

Trout is the current favorite to win the AL MVP award at +500 odds, according to BetOnline . The Angels' slugger is considered a slight favorite over Detroit's Cabrera, and both are heavy favorites over the Pujols and Jacoby Ellsbury, the next two players in line for the award. Trout is coming off another standout year for Anaheim where he produced 190 hits, 27 home runs and 97 RBIs during 157 games played at 589 at bats.

In 2012, Trout's second year with the team, he managed to hit 30 home runs and produce 83 RBIs on 182 hits during 139 games played at 559 at bats. During his rookie year, Trout only played 40 games with 123 plate appearances and five home runs and 16 RBIs.

Mike Trout 2014 AL MVP Picks and Predictions

The Angels' record could be the biggest detriment to Trout's MVP candidacy. By all accounts the center fielder is expected to produce another stellar year for Los Angeles, but if his team cannot keep up with Cabrera and the potential World-Series-champion Detroit Tigers, it may be difficult to award him the trophy. Trout has value at +500 odds, but he may not be the best person to wager on in a deep AL pool of candidates.

Los Angeles' other star player, Pujols, is also a top MVP candidate, and if the slugger can have a late-career resurgence he could overshadow and take away from Trout's own MVP aspirations. Trout may be the best all-around player in the AL, but that does not necessarily mean he is the best bet for 2014's MVP award.

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