Angels’ Mike Trout is having another big season, but he again won’t be AL MVP

Since his first full season in 2012, statistics show that the Angels’ Mike Trout has been significantly more valuable than any other major league player. Yet, Trout has won only one American League most valuable player award.

Neither of those facts seems poised to change in 2016. According to one advanced metric, Fangraphs.com’s wins above replacement measurement, Trout has been more than 47% more valuable than the next-best position player, Toronto’s Josh Donaldson.

So why has Trout not won more often? Commonly cited response: the Angels. They’ve qualified for the playoffs only once with Trout.

Another factor may be his performance down the stretch, when voters are paying more attention.

In his first four full seasons, Trout averaged a 1.003 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in the season’s first four months, and a .917 OPS thereafter. This season, that number represents a drop-off from baseball’s No. 2 hitter to its 15th-best.

“Honestly, coming into the year, I wanted to eliminate August,” Trout said this week. “The last couple years, it’s been bad for me. You go through stretches, and you try to limit them.”

How he has planned to limit them remains unclear.

“Obviously, when you struggle, you try to do too much,” Trout said. “Now, I’m going up there trying to get good pitches to hit, not trying to go deep.”

And he is succeeding. Since Aug. 1, Trout has hit .360 with a .500 on-base percentage and .690 slugging mark, after recording .313, .425, and .543 in those categories before.

If he maintains that level of production for the 23 days that remain in the season, he will without a doubt finish, again, as the top player statistically in the sport. But he is still not expected to win this year’s MVP award.

Donaldson, Boston’s Mookie Betts and Houston’s Jose Altuve are all considered more likely choices.

Richards’ plan

Right-hander Garrett Richards, Trout’s housemate, stretched his throwing sessions out to 135 feet and plans to throw off a mound for the first time since May within 10 days.

That would enable him to pitch in the Arizona Instructional League before play concludes in mid-October. If he cannot be ready by then, he probably would play winter ball in Latin America.

Richards was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow four months ago. Rather than undergo Tommy John surgery, he received a stem-cell injection to help repair the ligament. Tests have demonstrated healing.

“My shoulder feels really good,” Richards said this week. “The last couple years, it’s been hit or miss. Tight one day, loose another day. So far, it’s been loose every time. I’ve really stayed up on my flexibility stuff and it’s helped everything.”

Short hop

Right-hander Cory Rasmus (core muscle surgery) threw an inning for rookie-league Orem, Utah. He will pitch once more during Orem’s playoff run before he is expected to be activated by the Angels to pitch in relief. Rasmus has not pitched in the majors since June 12.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura