Mike Trout didn’t play like a rookie this season, and he’s not acting like a humble youngster now, either.
The phenomenally gifted Angels rookie center fielder said he believes he, and not Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera — the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years — should be the American League MVP, which will be announced Thursday.
Historical records be damned.
“If I had to vote, I’d vote for myself,” he told The Post at the Legends for Youth Dinner at the Marriott Hotel in Midtown Manhattan Tuesday night. “I wouldn’t vote for anybody else. … You got to be confident. It’s going to be tough. I’m anxious, nervous, all the feelings you can feel about that. It’s going to be fun to watch.”
The unanimous American League Rookie of the Year, Trout said he believes he has the “edge” on Cabrera — though the Tigers third baseman became the first player to lead the league in home runs (44), RBIs (139) and batting average (.330) since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 —because of his versatility, as a power hitter, base stealer and fielder.
“You look at the best all-around player or the best hitter,” Trout said. “I have the edge as the best all-around player.”
He would be the first rookie to win the award since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, though Suzuki was an experienced ballplayer coming from Japan.
The 21-year-old Trout, a Vineland, N.J. product, came from relative anonymity to enjoy one of the best rookie campaigns of all time, after hardly making an impact in a brief cameo last year.
A defensive maestro in the outfield, Trout hit a robust .326 with 30 home runs, 83 RBIs and a Major League-leading 49 stolen bases and 129 runs scored, carrying the Angels early in the year when big free agent acquisition struggled in his new digs.
“Coming into the year, for me personally I want to be the best player in the league, that’s one of my goals,” he said. “To be in the discussion [for MVP] at the end of the year, is pretty cool.”
Trout was surprisingly bypassed for the Golden Glove, a slight he shrugged off.
“Maybe next year,” Trout said, flashing a grin.
Trout comes from a humble background, growing up in the Northeast, thought of my many as a barren area for baseball. He remains close friends with Reds outfielder Todd Frazier, a fellow New Jersey native and good friend who has defied the odds like Trout.
“We’re trying to put the East Coast on the map,” he said. “A lot of people say we can’t play here. We’re trying to prove them wrong.”
The days of people doubting Trout are long gone. Now the question is will his remarkable rookie year include an unprecedented MVP trophy.
“It would mean the world,” he said. “Like I said, it’s a dream come true as a kid to get to the big leagues, to be the MVP would mean a lot to me and my family.”