Trout hopes to battle MVP runner-up Betts for '10-to-15 years'

The Baseball Writers' Association of American named Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout the 2016 American League MVP on Thursday, besting runner-up Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox in the process.

After winning the award for the second time, Trout spoke about potentially starting up a friendly rivalry with Betts for the foreseeable future, reports The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham.

"What an unbelievable player (and) person," Trout said of Betts. "I got to know him a little bit. He's great for the game. People ask me about the young guys coming up. For him to have a year like that, it was just unbelievable.

"I talked to a bunch of the guys on the Red Sox that play with him. (They) said he's one of the best they've been around. He's a special talent. It's going to be a fun battle hopefully the next 10-to-15 years," Trout added.

The race between the two outfielders for baseball's most prestigious individual prize was close, but Trout and his ridiculous .441 on-base percentage and 9.4 WAR were good enough to best his counterpart.

The 25-year-old Trout also posted better marks than the 24-year-old Betts in several other categories including runs, stolen bases, walks, and OPS.