Angel in the outfield: Mike Trout primed for big year, but L.A. is not

With one swing on Opening Day on Thursday, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout reminded people of his greatness. 

In his first at-bat against the Baltimore Orioles, Trout connected on a solo home run, a good sign for a player who homered only 18 times during an injury-plagued 2023. And while the blast didn't come in a win — the Angels lost 11-3 — it served as an important reminder of who Trout is as a player. 

The 32-year-old is accustomed to individual success but not team success in the big leagues.

In 2012, his first full season in the majors, Trout made the All-Star team and won American League Rookie of the Year. He hit .326 that season, scored 129 runs, hit 30 home runs, drove in 83 and stole 49 bases. 

Trout checked every box imaginable and was quickly recognized as baseball's best overall player. After placing second in 2013, Trout captured his first MVP in 2014, an award he would win two more times.

But for all his greatness, that season still stands as the only year baseball fans watched Trout in the postseason. The Royals swept Trout's Angels in three games, so he has never even experienced winning a playoff game.

While it's impossible to blame Trout for the struggles of his team, some point out that he decided to remain an Angel and sign a 12-year, $426.5 million deal before the 2019 season. Not only has Trout not played for a winner — the Angels have only four plus .500 seasons during his tenure — but his stature in the game has taken a hit recently.  

In 82 games last season, Trout put up pedestrian numbers for his standards, hitting .263 and stealing only two bases. He was an All-Star, but that was mostly in name only. Trout's disappointing 2023 came after blasting 40 home runs in 2022, a season in which he sacrificed average for power.

He's also had to deal with the Angels forever in the shadow of the Dodgers, who now include his former sidekick, Shohei Ohtani. Making matters worse for Trout's legacy, he hasn't delivered eye-popping stats recently.  

Fully healthy at the outset of the 2024 season, however, Trout seems ready to remind people why he's one of the greatest players in baseball history.

"I think a lot of people are writing me off," Trout told The Athletic's Sam Blum, adding, "I just use it as motivation."  

Those close to Trout still believe in him, too. 

General manager Perry Minasian expressed confidence in Trout while talking with reporters at the end of spring training. 

"The work he's done before he got to camp," he said, per The Athletic. "The work he did in camp. The amount of games he's played. The amount of at-bats he's gotten, how strong he is. I think he's due for a big year."  

Trout may be due for a big season, but the sportsbooks have no faith in the Angels. Per BetGM, Los Angeles — which finished fourth in the AL West last season with a 73-89 record — has almost no shot to win the division.

So even though Trout may be primed for individual success, fans will unlikely see him play deep into October.