Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

for the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). Trout is a ten-time

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

, three-time

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

(AL)

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

(MVP) (winning the award in 2014, 2016, and 2019, while finishing second in the 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018 votes), and is a nine-time winner of the

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters cons ...

. The Angels selected Trout in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft. He made a brief major league appearance in 2011 before becoming a regular player for the Angels the subsequent season, and won the 2012 AL

Rookie of the Year Award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

unanimously. Trout's athleticism on the field has received praise from both the mainstream media and

sabermetricians Sabermetrics, or originally SABRmetrics, is the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. Sabermetricians collect and summarize the relevant data from this in-game activity to answer specific ques ...

. He is regarded as one of the most outstanding young players in the history of baseball, as well as one of the best current players in all of MLB. Trout led the American League in

wins above replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...

(WAR) in each of his first five full seasons. Trout has led the American League in

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

s (2012–14, 2016) and

times on base In baseball statistics, the term times on base (TOB), is the cumulative total number of times a batter has reached base as a result of a hit, base on balls, or hit by pitch. This statistic does not include times reaching base by way of an error, ...

(2013, 2015–16, 2018) four times. As of February 2021, he leads all active major league ballplayers in career slugging percentage (.582) and on base plus slugging (1.000), and was second in career on base percentage (.418) and stolen base percentage (84.45%). In 2019, he signed a 12-year, $426 million contract with the Angels, the second-richest contract in the history of North American sports and third in professional sports in general (and the second-biggest contract at the time of signing).

Early life

Trout was born to Jeff and Debbie (Busonick) Trout in

Vineland, New Jersey Vineland is a city in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 60,780. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 61,156 ...

on August 7, 1991. He grew up in nearby

Millville, New Jersey Millville is a city in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 28,400,University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

and was a fifth-round draft pick as a second baseman by the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

in 1983. Jeff played four years of minor league baseball before a torn

plantar fascia The plantar fascia is the thick connective tissue (aponeurosis) which supports the arch on the bottom (plantar side) of the foot. It runs from the tuberosity of the calcaneus (heel bone) forward to the heads of the metatarsal bones (the bone betw ...

and knee injuries ended his career. Trout grew up a die-hard

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

fan, and attended their

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

parade in 2008. Trout began playing baseball in Cal Ripken Baseball, a division of

Babe Ruth League The Babe Ruth League is an international youth baseball and softball league based in Hamilton, New Jersey, US named after George Herman "Babe" Ruth. The parent program, Babe Ruth League, Incorporated, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. ...

. His main position as a youth baseball player was

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

. He wore #2 in honor of his childhood hero,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

shortstop

Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...

. He would switch to #1 in high school. Mike attended Lakeside Middle School and is a 2009 graduate of

Millville Senior High School Millville Senior High School is a comprehensive community public high school located in Millville, in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in eleventh grade and twelfth grade as part of the Millville Public Schools. ...

. Trout attended

Millville, New Jersey Millville is a city in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 28,400, In his junior year, he threw a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

against

Egg Harbor Township High School Egg Harbor Township High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school ...

. The Thunderbolts made it to the state playoffs and were defeated by

Cherry Hill High School East Cherry Hill High School East (also known as Cherry Hill East or CHE) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Cherry Hill, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating as p ...

. He started as a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

and

, and was shifted to the

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball and ...

during his senior year. That year, he hit 18

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s, a

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

high school record. Trout had committed to play baseball at

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

prior to the 2009 MLB Draft. Millville initially planned to retire Trout's jersey number, but instead began awarding it to the team captain, starting in 2012. Trout played travel ball with Tri-State Arsenal, one of the premier travel programs in the Northeast. He began working with the coaches at Arsenal at age 14. Trout played in various tournaments with Tri-State Arsenal, including the Perfect Game WWBA Championships in

Jupiter, Florida Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the town had a population of 61,047 as of April 1, 2020. It is 84 miles north of Miami, and the northernmost community in the Miami met ...

in 2007 and 2008. In the summer before his senior year, Trout attended the Area Code Games in southern California, where he went 6-for-11 against some of the best players in the country. Angels scout Greg Morhardt, who had played in the minor leagues with Trout's father, claimed Mike was the fastest and strongest 17-year-old he had ever seen.

Professional career

Draft and minors

The Angels selected Trout, using their compensation pick from the

for their signing of

Mark Teixeira Mark Charles Teixeira ( ; born April 11, 1980), nicknamed "Tex", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anahei ...

, 25th overall in the 2009 MLB draft. He started his professional career out of high school in 2009 playing for the

Arizona Angels The Arizona Complex League Angels are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Te ...

of the rookie-level

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it f ...

(AZL), hitting .360 with a .418 OBP and .506 SLG with one home run, 25

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(RBIs), and 13

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

s in 187 plate appearances over 39 games. He was beaten out in being named AZL Most Valuable Player by

Cody Decker Cody Marshall Decker (born January 17, 1987) is an American former professional baseball player who played for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed power hitter, he played first base, third base, left field, and coul ...

. He finished the season playing for the

Cedar Rapids Kernels The Cedar Rapids Kernels are Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and play their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels are owned ...

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

, hitting .267 over 20 plate appearances in five games. Before the 2010 season, Trout was considered the Angels' third-best

prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (mining ...

and the 85th-best in all of baseball by ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

''. He started the season playing for Cedar Rapids, where he hit .362 with a .454

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

(OBP) and a .526

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

(SLG) with six home runs, 39 RBIs, and 45 stolen bases in 82 games. He was selected to play in the

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League ...

. In July, ''Baseball America'' named Trout the second-best overall baseball prospect. After the Futures game, he was promoted to the

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field. The franc ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...

. After the 2010 season, Trout received the

Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award The Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award was presented by The Topps Company in conjunction with Minor League Baseball to a minor-league player deemed to have had the most outstanding season. It was awarded annually beginning in 1960, but ...

; at just 19 years and two months, he became the youngest player to win the award. He was also named a ''Baseball America'' All-Star as well as a Topps Class A All-Star. Prior to the 2011 season, Trout was ranked number one by

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

's Keith Law in his 2011 top 100 prospects list and by MLB's Jonathan Mayo. Trout started the 2011 season with the

Arkansas Travelers The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are affiliated with the Seattle Mariners as members of the Texas League. History The team succeeded ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. He hit .324 with nine home runs, 27 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases in his first 75 games.

Los Angeles Angels (2011–present)

2011

The

promoted Trout on July 8, 2011, to replace the injured

Peter Bourjos Peter Christopher Bourjos (born March 31, 1987) is an American former professional baseball center fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phi ...

in center field. He made his major league debut that night, going 0-for-3. In his next game, Trout recorded his first career major league hit, an infield single against

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

pitcher

Michael Pineda Michael Francisco Pineda Paulino (born January 18, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. ...

in the bottom of the third inning. He hit his first major league home run against

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

pitcher

Mark Worrell Mark Robert Worrell (born March 8, 1983) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Orioles between 2008 and 2011. Amateur career A native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Worrell ...

on July 24. Trout was sent back to Double-A Arkansas on August 1, 2011, after hitting .163 with one home run and six runs batted in 12 starts for the Angels. After spending time back in Double-A Arkansas, Trout was recalled by the Angels on August 19, 2011. That night, he went 1-for-4 with a home run, his first at

Angel Stadium Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a baseball stadium located in Anaheim, California. Since its opening in 1966, it has served as the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), and was also the home stadium to the Los Ange ...

. On August 30, Trout became the youngest Angel to hit two home runs in one game, homering off Mariners pitcher Anthony Vasquez in the top of the second inning and again in the top of the fourth inning. In his 40-game rookie big league stint in 2011, Trout's batting average was .220, while his on-base percentage was .281 and his slugging percentage .390. For the 2011 season, of the 13 votes cast for the ''USA Today'' Minor League Player of the Year Award, Trout received the two votes allocated to the fan poll. He was named ''Baseball America'' Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .326/.414/.544 with 11 home runs, 38 RBIs, 82 runs scored, and 33 stolen bases in 91 games. He was again named an outfielder on ''Baseball America''s 2011 Minor League All Star team.

American League Rookie of the Year (2012)

Trout began the 2012 season with the

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...

of the Triple-A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

. On April 28, he was again brought up from the minors, this time to replace

Bobby Abreu Bob Kelly Abreu (; ; born March 11, 1974), nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Leche", is a Venezuelans, Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies ...

(who was batting .208 in 24 at-bats). At that time, Trout had a .403 batting average, a .467 on-base percentage, and a .623 slugging percentage in 20 games with Salt Lake. Trout recorded his first career four-hit game on June 4 (and his second 15 days later). In the process, he scored all four times and two of his four hits went for doubles. Trout, along with Angels right fielder

Torii Hunter Torii Kedar Hunter (; born July 18, 1975) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Detroit Tigers from 1997 ...

, was named American League co-Player of the Week from June 4–10. During that stretch, Trout went 13-for-25 for a .520

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

to go along with 10 runs scored and four stolen bases. On June 27 against the

, Trout had his third career four-hit game in the same month. In the same game, he showed off his defensive skills when he robbed Orioles shortstop J. J. Hardy of a home run as he leaped up in the center-field wall to make a spectacular catch in the bottom of the first inning. Trout broke both an Angels' franchise and American League rookie record when he crossed home plate in 14 consecutive games after scoring a run in a game on July 22. Trout's 26 stolen bases tied

Jerry Remy Gerald Peter Remy (November 8, 1952 – October 30, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and sports broadcaster. Remy played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for ten seasons—three with the California Angels (197 ...

for the team's rookie record for most stolen bases by the All-Star Break. Playing in his first

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

, Trout singled off of

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

pitcher

R. A. Dickey Robert Allen Dickey (born October 29, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Bra ...

in the bottom of the 6th inning and drew a base on balls against

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

pitcher

Aroldis Chapman Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz (; born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball relief pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Chica ...

in the bottom of the 7th. In the month of June, Trout batted .372 with three home runs and 16 RBI and was named AL Player of the Month and AL Rookie of the Month. Angels manager

Mike Scioscia Michael Lorri Scioscia (, ; born November 27, 1958), nicknamed "Sosh" and "El Jefe", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Ange ...

explained Trout's impact by saying, "It's a pleasant surprise only with the fact that you see very few guys come up and do this much. Is it surprising that Mike Trout's talent is able to produce what's happening on the field? No, that's not a surprise. He's an extraordinary talent." Trout's 34 runs scored in July tied the Major League rookie record with

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

first baseman

Hal Trosky Harold Arthur Trosky Sr. (born Harold Arthur Trojovsky; November 11, 1912 – June 18, 1979) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Cleveland Indians (1933–1941) and the Chica ...

in 1934. He had a .392 batting average, 10 home runs, and 23

. In addition, Trout continued to show his speed by stealing nine bases and scoring 32 runs in July. Trout also became the first rookie to drive in at least 55 runs and score 80 runs in 81 games since

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...

in 1936." Against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

on August 4, Trout made another highlight catch, robbing second baseman

Gordon Beckham James Gordon Beckham III (born September 16, 1986) is an American former professional baseball infielder who serves as a fill-in sportscaster for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chi ...

of a home run in the second inning.

White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

catcher

A. J. Pierzynski Anthony John Pierzynski (; born December 30, 1976) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Minnesota Twins (1998–2003), San Francisco Giants (2004), Chicago White Sox (2005–2012) ...

told reporters after the game that Trout "makes those catches in the outfield look so good.". On August 21, Trout went 2-for-4 in a victory over the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, raising his batting average to .344. With the .344 average, Trout set the rookie record for batting average through 100 games. Trout finished the month of August with a .284 batting average, seven home runs, 19 runs batted in, 11 stolen bases, and an .866 OPS. Trout was again named AL Rookie of the Month for August, his fourth time winning the honor. In winning the award for the fourth time, Trout became the first

rookie since

Ichiro Suzuki , also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...

in 2001 to win Rookie of the Month four times during a single season. Trout became the youngest player ever to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 40 bases in a season.

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

center fielder

César Cedeño César Cedeño Encarnación (born February 25, 1951) is a Dominican former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1970 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where ...

had been the youngest player to accomplish the feat, doing so in 1972. He also became the youngest hitter ever to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 30 bases in a season. Trout scored his 100th run of the season on August 26, becoming the second Angels rookie to score at least 100 runs in a season after Devon White. Trout set a new Angels record for runs scored in a rookie season, passing White. Trout scored three runs that day, the tenth time in the 2012 season where he scored three or more runs in one game, the most since

Sammy Sosa Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and C ...

's 11 games in 2001. On September 9, in a game against the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

, Trout became the first player in baseball history under the age of 22 to hit a leadoff home run in back-to-back games. On September 21, Trout became the first rookie to score 120 or more runs since

and the fourth rookie to accomplish that feat since 1964. On September 30, Trout became the youngest player in Major League Baseball history to join the

30–30 club In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 30–30 club is the group of batters who have collected thirty home runs and thirty stolen bases in a single season. Ken Williams was the first to achieve this, doing so in 1922. He remained the sole member ...

when he belted a 7th-inning home run off of Texas Rangers pitcher

Yu Darvish , more commonly known as Yu Darvish (ダルビッシュ有), is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and ...

, helping the Angels win the game by a score of 5–4. Trout became the first player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs, steal 45 bases, and score 125 runs in one season. Trout set the Angels' club record for most runs scored in a season, surpassing

Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero Sr. (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed "Vlad the Impaler", is a Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder and designated hitter. He played for ...

. He also set the Angels rookie record for most hits in a season with 173, passing

Wally Joyner Wallace Keith Joyner (born June 16, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels, for whom he was an All-Star. He was a member of ...

. Trout became the first rookie ever to hit 30 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. In addition, Trout finished second in the AL in

(.326), third in

(.564), third in

(.399), second in OPS (.963), 9th in hits (182), and first in OPS+ (171). He became the first Angels player to lead the league in stolen bases since

Chone Figgins Desmond DeChone Figgins (; ; born January 22, 1978) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Dodgers ...

did so in 2005 with 49 stolen bases. He led the American League in power-speed number (37.2). According to

Baseball-Reference.com Baseball-Reference is a website providing baseball statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history. The site is often used by major media organizations and baseball broadcasters as a source for statistics. It offers a variety of advan ...

, Trout finished with a

(WAR) value of 10.9, 2.4 better than second-place finisher

Robinson Canó Robinson José Canó Mercedes (; born October 22, 1982) is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Dieg ...

of the Yankees. Trout was the first position player to have a WAR above 10.0 since

Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants f ...

for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

in 2004. Trout led the Angels in batting average, runs scored, hits (182), triples, stolen bases,

total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, while ...

(315), base on balls, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging despite playing in just 139 games. He was tied with

Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara () (); born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman, designated hitter and third baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "The Machine", ...

for second place on the team in

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

behind

Mark Trumbo Mark Trumbo (born January 16, 1986) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2010 through 2013, for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2 ...

and was fourth in runs batted in. On November 12, 2012, Trout won the BBWAA Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award, receiving 28 of 28 first-place votes, becoming the first Angels player to win the award since

Tim Salmon Timothy James Salmon (born August 24, 1968), nicknamed "King Fish", is an American former professional baseball player and current sportcaster. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to with the Anaheim Angels as an o ...

won it in 1993 and the youngest player to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award. Trout became just the 18th Rookie of the Year winner to win the award unanimously. On November 13, Trout won the

Heart and Hustle Award The Heart & Hustle Award is given out annually by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) to a current player who not only excels on the field, but also "best embodies the values, spirits and traditions of baseball." Nomina ...

, given to the player who "demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.” Trout was one of three outfielders in the American League to win the

Silver Slugger The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters cons ...

for being the best offensive players at their position; the others were then-Ranger

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...

and

Josh Willingham Joshua David Willingham (born February 17, 1979) is a former American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City ...

of the

. He also won a

Fielding Bible Award A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...

as the best fielding center fielder in MLB. Trout's high WAR value led many to support his candidacy for

American League Most Valuable Player The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' ...

. Trout's main competition for the award was

Miguel Cabrera José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since his debut in 2003 he has been a two-t ...

, who became the first player since

Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski ( ; nicknamed "Yaz"; born August 22, 1939) is an American former Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year Major League career with the Bost ...

in 1967 to win the

triple crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

by leading the AL in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. The race between Trout and Cabrera created controversy amongst baseball fans and writers, and was described by many as a clash between new-age

sabermetrics Sabermetrics, or originally SABRmetrics, is the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. Sabermetricians collect and summarize the relevant data from this in-game activity to answer specific ques ...

and supporters of more "traditional" statistics. In supporting Trout's case,

Jayson Stark Jayson Stark (born July 19, 1951) is an American sportswriter and author who covers baseball for ''The Athletic''. He is most known for his time with ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' and ESPN. Biography Stark grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and ...

wrote, "We just understand that Trout's insane 10.5 WAR are one more clear indication that he's a better baseball player than even one of the greatest hitters of our lifetimes. ... If you want to toss in his slash line, his 62 extra-base hits, his 92.3 percent stolen-base success rate or any other item on his stat sheet, you'll find that no player in the history of baseball has combined this much excellence in so many areas in the same season." Meanwhile, Scott Miller of

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...

wrote, "Nobody combined overall statistics, badass lineup presence and value to his team more than Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera." On November 15, Cabrera won the MVP decisively, winning twenty-two of twenty-eight first place votes to Trout's six.

2013

Trout began the 2013 season as a left fielder, in order to accommodate for

in center field. Trout started the 2013 season slowly, hitting .261 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in April. During a game on April 20 against the

, Trout hit his first career grand slam off pitcher

Rick Porcello Frederick Alfred Porcello III (born December 27, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. Selected by the Tigers in the 2007 MLB ...

, capping a 10-run inning for the Angels, their highest-scoring inning in almost 18 years. On April 30, Bourjos injured his hamstring, and Trout was moved back to center field. In May, Trout regained his rookie-year form, batting .327 with 8 home runs, 21 RBIs, and 27 runs scored. Trout stated that he had struggled early in the season because he was chasing pitches out of the strike zone and pressing too much on himself. On May 21, 2013, Trout became the youngest player to

hit for the cycle In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League Ba ...

in American League history and sixth youngest in Major League history, doing so at home against the

. On May 30, Angels manager

announced that Trout would return to left field after Bourjos returned from the disabled list. This decision caused some controversy, as some believed that Trout's successful May was a direct result of his move back to center field. Scioscia, however, believed that Trout's numbers as a center fielder had to do with his batting-order position and hype subsiding. On June 8, with shortstop

Erick Aybar Erick Johan Aybar (born January 14, 1984) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres. ...

struggling at the leadoff spot, Trout began batting leadoff, marking his first time hitting in the leadoff spot since April 14. In his first game batting leadoff since mid-April, Trout went 3-for-5, with two doubles, a run batted in, scored two runs, had a

base on balls A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...

, and stole a base, helping the Angels win the game over the

in the first game of a double-header. Trout indeed moved back to left field after Bourjos returned to the Angels' lineup on June 10. In his 249th career game, he scored his 200th career run, becoming the fastest player to accomplish this since

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 ...

(225 games) and

Barney McCosky William Barney McCosky (April 11, 1917 – September 6, 1996) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1939 through 1953, he played for the Detroit Tigers (1939–42, 1946), Philadelphia Athletics (1946–1948, 1950–1951), Cincinnati Re ...

(236 games) did it in 1940. Trout represented the Angels in the

2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 84th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It was held on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at Citi Field in Queens, New York City, the home of the New York Mets. This was the first time tha ...

. He was the leading vote-getter among all AL outfielders and the first Angels position player to start in the All-Star Game since Vladimir Guerrero in 2007. In the month of July, Trout led all of baseball with an on-base percentage of .475 and OPS of 1.108. In addition, he was the only player in the American League to reach base in every game of the month and became the first Angels player to have two consecutive streaks of reaching base in at least 33 games. Trout continued his strong play in August, batting .337 with 6 home runs and an on-base percentage of .500. As in 2012, Trout's play declined somewhat in September, as he batted .281 with 4 home runs and 4 stolen bases. According to

Baseball-Reference Baseball-Reference is a website providing baseball statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history. The site is often used by major media organizations and baseball broadcasters as a source for statistics. It offers a variety of advan ...

, Trout finished the 2013 season with 9.2 WAR, again the highest in baseball. Notably, Trout's walk rate increased from 10.5% in 2012 to 15.4% in 2013. Trout's 110 bases on balls led the American League. He again led the American League in power-speed number (29.7). Echoing the 2012 season, Miguel Cabrera won the 2013 AL MVP with 23 first-place votes, while Trout finished second with five.

First American League Most Valuable Player Award (2014)

Rumors of a contract extension surfaced in February 2014, as news outlets reported that the Angels were considering offering Trout a six-year, $150 million contract. Instead, he signed a one-year, $1 million contract. That figure is the highest ever for a player not yet eligible for

salary arbitration Free agency in Major League Baseball (MLB) concerns players whose contracts with a team have expired and who are therefore eligible to sign with another team. Free agents may be eligible for pendulum arbitration, also called "salary arbitration" or ...

. On March 28, 2014, the Angels announced they had signed Trout to a six-year, $144.5 million extension. On April 19, 2014, Trout went 0–4 with four consecutive strikeouts against

Max Scherzer Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and L ...

, giving him his first

golden sombrero In baseball, a golden sombrero is a player's inglorious feat of striking out four times in a single game. Etymology The term derives from ''hat trick'', and since four is bigger than three, the rationale was that a four-strikeout performance sh ...

after playing in 353 games. On May 15, Trout hit his first career walk-off home run in a 6–5 victory over the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

. On July 15, Trout appeared in his third

Target Field Target Field is a baseball stadium in the historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. The stadium hosted the 2014 Major Leag ...

in Minnesota. He went 2 for 3, with a double, a triple, and two RBIs. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the game, making him the second-youngest All-Star Game MVP behind

Ken Griffey Jr. George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the Seattle Marin ...

in 1992. On June 27, Trout hit the longest home run of the 2014 season, according to ESPN.com's Home Run Tracker. The ball was hit 489 feet into left-center field at

Kauffman Stadium Kauffman Stadium (), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). It is part of the Truman Sports Complex together with the adjacent Arrowhe ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. Playing in 157 games in 2014, Trout batted .287 with 36 home runs, 39 doubles, nine triples, an AL-leading 111 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and an MLB-leading 115 runs scored. He also struck out a league-high 184 times. In an interview with

Ken Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal (born September 19, 1962) is an American sportswriter and reporter. He serves as a field reporter for ''Fox Major League Baseball'' since 2005, and was an in-studio reporter for MLB Network from 2009 to 2022. Since August 2017, h ...

, Trout attributed his increased strikeouts to a "golf-swing." Nevertheless, Trout added he was working with staff to fix correct the strikeout tendency, and what may have been the only significant flaw of his all-around game. In Game 3 of the

2014 American League Division Series The 2014 American League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2014 American League Championship Series. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers (divisiona ...

against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

, Trout hit his first career postseason home run in the first inning off of James Shields. Later on in the ninth inning, Trout was the final batter of the Angels to strike out as the team lost to the Royals in a three-game sweep of the series. As of 2022, it is his only postseason appearance. On November 13, 2014, the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced that Trout was unanimously selected as the AL MVP, becoming the sixth player in MLB history to win both the regular-season MVP and the All-Star Game MVP in the same season. Further, at the time, he was the fifth-youngest MVP ever, the 17th to win unanimously, and the third in Angels' franchise history, following Vladimir Guerrero in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

2015

On April 17, 2015, Trout became the youngest player in MLB history to reach 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases. He was 23 years and 253 days old when he reached the milestone, passing the previous record-holder,

Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...

, who had achieved it at the age of 23 years and 309 days in 1999. Trout led off the

2015 MLB All-Star Game The 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 86th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday, July 14. It was televised nationally on Fox. The Americ ...

with a home run, becoming the fourth player in All-Star Game history to do so. For the second year in a row, Trout won the All-Star Game MVP Award, becoming the first player ever to win it in consecutive years. On September 22, Trout hit his 40th home run, becoming only the second Angels player to hit 40 home runs in a season. Trout led the AL in

WAR War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

for the fourth straight year. Trout finished the season with 41 home runs and 90 RBIs. He also led all American League players in

, and

OPS In ancient Roman religion, Ops or ''Opis'' (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea. Iconography In Ops' statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as Chthon ...

with a slashline of .299/.402/.590/.991. For his offensive performance, Trout won his fourth

in as many seasons. In doing so, he became only the second player since

Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball tea ...

to win four straight Silver Sluggers to start off a career. He also won the

Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award The Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Best Baseball Player ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1993 to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year, typical ...

. On November 10, it was announced that Trout, along with Royals outfielder

Lorenzo Cain Lorenzo Lamar Cain (born April 13, 1986) is an American professional baseball center fielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals. The Brewers drafted him in the ...

and Blue Jays third baseman

Josh Donaldson Joshua Adam Donaldson (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atla ...

, were finalists for the

AL MVP The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' ...

. Trout became the first player since

to be among the top three in MVP voting in four straight seasons. On November 19, Trout finished second to MVP winner Donaldson, making it the third time he finished second in MVP voting in his four big-league seasons.

Second AL MVP (2016)

Tommy Milone gives up a home run to Mike Trout on May 21, 2017

In June

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, ''Sporting News'' named Trout "baseball's best ctiveplayer". According to Fangraphs, he had accumulated more WAR through his age-24 season (on August 12, 2016) than any other player since 1913, with 45.

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

was second with 41.1, followed by

Mel Ott Melvin Thomas Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Giants, from through . He batted left-handed an ...

Jimmie Foxx James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, ...

, and

. A veteran contemporary of Trout's,

, was seventh. In 159 games of 2016, Trout led the MLB with walks (116), runs scored (123), and on-base percentage (.441). He also had a .315 batting average, 29 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and 100 RBI. He led the American League in power-speed number (29.5). On November 17, Trout was announced as the 2016 AL MVP, winning the award for the second time in his career. Trout also joined

as the only other player in MLB history to finish top 2 for the MVP in five straight seasons. He was the 2016

Esurance Esurance Insurance Services, Inc. is an American insurance company. It sells auto, home, motorcycle, and renters insurance direct to consumers online and by phone. Founded in 1999, the company was acquired by Allstate in 2011. History Esurance ...

MLB/ This Year in Baseball Award winner for Best Major Leaguer. At the conclusion of the 2016 season, Trout was 12th among active position players in Total Wins Above Replacement through just five full seasons.

2017

On May 28,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, Trout left the game after spraining his left thumb. At the time, he was batting .337 and led the Angels with 16 home runs. Two days later, an MRI revealed the injury was a torn

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint * Ulnar collateral ligament of thumb The ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb runs along the ulnar side of the met ...

, and he was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his major league career. The injury required surgery, and he was ruled out for six to eight weeks. On May 31, he underwent successful thumb surgery. He was voted to be a starting outfielder for the American League in the

, but did not participate due to his thumb injury. Trout was activated from the disabled list on July 14 after missing 39 games. On August 7, the date of his 26th birthday, he doubled down the third-base line for his 1,000th career hit. In his next at-bat, he hit a home run for his 1,001st hit. It marked the fourth time in six seasons that Trout had homered on his birthday. On September 6, 2017, versus the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

, Trout drew a walk in his 14th consecutive contest to pass

Albie Pearson Albert Gregory ("Albie") Pearson (born September 12, 1934) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a centerfielder for the Washington Senators (1958–59), Baltimore Orioles (1959–60), a ...

for the franchise record of 13 set in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

. He hit his 200th career home run off of

Marco Gonzales Marco Elias Gonzales (born February 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals. He attended Gonzaga University, whe ...

of the

on September 29, 2017. Trout became the seventh player in history to reach 200 or more home runs before the end of his age-25 season, following Foxx,

Eddie Mathews Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman. He played 17 seasons for Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1952–1966); Houston Astros (1967) and Detroit Tigers (1967–68 ...

, Mantle,

Frank Robinson Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams, from to . The only player to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of bot ...

, Rodriguez, and Pujols. Trout played in a career low 114 games due to injury but led the team in runs (92), home runs (33), stolen bases (22), walks (94), and in batting average (.306). End of season awards for Trout included selection as center fielder on ''Baseball Americas All-MLB Team.

2018

Homerunderby08 43450271712 o (50120911558)

Prior to the 2018 season, ''Sports Illustrated'' rated Trout the #1 player in baseball. He achieved his first career five-hit game on May 26 at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...

, going 5-for-5 with three doubles and a home run. He also set single-game career highs in doubles, extra base hits (four), and total bases (11). Previously, he had collected four hits in a game 13 times. The Angels defeated

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

11–4. He homered twice in each of consecutive games versus

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

on June 11 and 12, doing so for the first time in his career, while totaling a then MLB leading 23 home runs. In a span of eight games through June 19, he reached base in 29 of 37 plate appearances to bat .696/.778/1.261 with a 2.039 OPS. Batting .312 with 25 home runs and 50 RBIs, Trout was named a starting outfielder for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. He went 1–2 with a home run and a walk. On August 10, 2018, Trout was placed on the disabled list due to right wrist inflammation. For the season, he batted .312 (4th in the league)/.460 (leading the league)/.628 (3rd), with 101 runs scored (9th), 39 home runs (4th), 79 RBIs, 24 stolen bases (9th), a 92.31 stolen base percentage (2nd), 12.1 at bats per home run (2nd), and a 29.7 power-speed number (4th). He walked in 20.1% of his at bats, tops in the major leagues, led the American League with 122 walks, and led the majors with 25

intentional walk In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by ''IBB'', is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the ...

s. He had the highest

ISO ISO is the most common abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization. ISO or Iso may also refer to: Business and finance * Iso (supermarket), a chain of Danish supermarkets incorporated into the SuperBest chain in 2007 * Iso ...

(Isolated Power) of all MLB players in 2018, at .316. On defense, he led AL outfielders with a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Third AL MVP (2019)

On March 20, 2019, Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million contract with the Angels, at the time, the richest contract in the history of North American sports but was later surpassed by

Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The son of former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Pat Mahomes, he initially played co ...

' 10 year $503 million contract with the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

on July 6, 2020. Following the April home series against the Texas Rangers, Trout was named AL Player of the Week for the fourth time in his career. Trout went on to make his eighth straight All-Star Game. During the game, he honored his late teammate and friend

Tyler Skaggs Tyler Wayne Skaggs (July 13, 1991July 1, 2019) was an American left-handed professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels from 2012 until his death in 2019. ...

by wearing his number 45. Trout surpassed

to become the youngest player to join the 200 home run, 200 stolen base club when he stole his 200th career base on August 31. On September 9, Trout underwent a

cryoablation Cryoablation is a process that uses extreme cold to destroy tissue. Cryoablation is performed using hollow needles (cryoprobes) through which cooled, thermally conductive, fluids are circulated. Cryoprobes are positioned adjacent to the target in ...

procedure to address a

neuroma A neuroma (; plural: neuromata or neuromas) is a growth or tumor of nerve tissue. Neuromas tend to be benign (i.e. not cancerous); many nerve tumors, including those that are commonly malignant, are nowadays referred to by other terms. Neuroma ...

in his right foot. On September 15, it was announced that Trout would undergo full-fledged surgery to remove the neuroma, ending his 2019 season. He finished the season with a career-high 45 home runs and led the American League in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. On October 24, 2019, he won the AL

Hank Aaron Award The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank ...

. Trout was also named the AL MVP for his third time in his career. With his latest win, Trout joined teammate

as the only active MLB players to have three MVP awards.

2020

On September 5, Trout hit his 300th career home run off of

Brandon Bielak Brandon Michael Bielak (born April 2, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at the University of Notre Dame. He was selected by the Astros in the 11th r ...

of the

, breaking the Angels' all-time home run record held by

. He finished the pandemic-shortened season hitting .281/.390/.603 with 17 home runs (tied for 4th in the AL) and 46 RBIs (6th) in 53 games.

2021

For the season, Trout was hitting .333/.466/.624 with 8 home runs. On May 17, during a game against the

, he appeared to strain his right calf while jogging the bases. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the following day and was expected to miss six to eight weeks. On June 28, Trout was transferred to the 60-day injured list. It was revealed in an interview with Trout in August that he had torn his calf muscle. On September 25, Trout confirmed that he would be shut down for the rest of the season.

2022

On March 13, Angels manager

Joe Maddon Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. Maddon began his coaching career in ML ...

said that the team was considering moving Trout out of center field in an effort to prevent injuries. In the hypothetical move, Trout would go to a corner outfield spot while former top prospect Brandon Marsh would patrol center field as he did during Trout's injured list stint in 2021. Trout said that he was surprised when he learned of the potential change via Twitter. After Trout talked with the team and stated that he preferred to play in center field, Maddon decided the following day that there would be no positional switch. Trout batted second on

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

, taking the field for the first time since May 17, 2021. He went 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk. On May 21, Trout scored the 1,000th run of his career, becoming the second player in Angels history to score 1,000 or more runs for the franchise. During a five-game series against the Seattle Mariners in June, Trout became the first player in the history of either the American or National League to hit four game-winning home runs during a series, while becoming the fifth Angels player (and his second time) to hit 5 home runs in a series. Trout came out of a game on July 12 due to back spasms and went on the injured list after a few days. He was diagnosed with a rare back disorder called costovertebral dysfunction. Trout returned from the injured list on August 19. He finished the 2022 season batting .283 with 40 home runs and 80 RBIs in 119 games.

International career

On July 19, 2022, Trout announced that he would

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

the

United States national baseball team The United States national baseball team represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Team USA won the Olympic baseball to ...

in the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), an international professional baseball tournament, is set to be the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It was originally set for 2021 (as per tradition to hold the event every four years), but wa ...

Awards and achievements

Awards and exhibition team selections

selection (2010) * 3×

(2014, 2016, 2019) * 5×

American League Player of the Month In Major League Baseball (MLB), the Player of the Month Award is given monthly during the regular season to two outstanding players, one each in the National League (NL) and American League (AL). The NL first awarded the honor during the season, ...

(July 2012, June 2014, July 2015, April 2017, September 2018) * 5× American League Player of the Week (June 11, 2012; July 13, 2014; July 12, 2015; April 7, 2019) * 4×

American League Rookie of the Month Major League Baseball (MLB) honors its best rookies with a Rookie of the Month Award for one player in the American League (AL) and one in the National League (NL) during each month of the regular season. These awards have been issued since 2001, ...

(May–August 2012) *

American League Rookie of the Year In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...

(2012) * 9× Los Angeles Angels Player of the Year (2012-2020) * 2× ''

'' Major League Player of the Year (2012, 2013) * 2× ''Baseball America'' Minor League Baseball All-Star Team selection (2010, 2011) * ''Baseball America'' Minor League Player of the Year (2011) * ''Baseball America''

(2012) * 3× ''Baseball America'' Top 100 prospect (2010–12) * 2× ''

Baseball Digest ''Baseball Digest'' is a baseball magazine resource, published in Orlando, Florida by Grandstand Publishing, LLC. It is the longest-running baseball magazine in the United States. History and profile It was created by Herbert F. Simons, a spor ...

Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is he ...

(2014, 2019) *

ESPY Award An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...

for Best Major League Baseball Player (2015) *

at center field (2012) * 2×

(2014, 2019) *

Heart & Hustle Award The Heart & Hustle Award is given out annually by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) to a current player who not only excels on the field, but also "best embodies the values, spirits and traditions of baseball." Nomina ...

(2012) *

Topps All-Star Rookie Team The Topps All-Star Rookie Team, also known as the Topps ASRT, is a set of baseball cards issued by Topps Company, Inc., every year to commemorate notable Major League Baseball rookie players. History Since the 1960s, Topps' regular-issue basebal ...

(2012) *

(2010) * 9×

Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

selection (

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

−

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

) * 2× Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

) *

MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...

Top 100 prospect (2012) *

Players Choice Award The Players Choice Awards are annual Major League Baseball awards, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). The Players Choice Awards are given following a secret ballot by players. Four awards go to a player in each league, ...

for

(2019) * 2x

for American League Outstanding Player (2014, 2019) *

for American League Outstanding Rookie (2012) * 8×

(2012–16, 2018-20) * ''

Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

Player of the Year Award Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is he ...

(2019) * ''

'' Rookie of the Year (2012) * This Year in Baseball Award for Best Major Leaguer (2016) * This Year in Baseball Hitter of the Year (2014) * This Year in Baseball Award for Rookie of the Year (2012) *

Topps The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company that manufactures chewing gum, candy, and collectibles. Formerly based in New York City, Topps is best known as a leading producer of American Football Card, American football, Baseball card, baseb ...

Minor League Baseball All-Star (2010) * ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' Minor League Player of the Year (2011) *

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People * Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...

American League Defensive Player of the Year (2012)

Statistical achievements

Player profile

Trout's exceptional performance at an early age has drawn comparisons with Hall of Famer

, and his combination of

power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

and speed to the skillset of Hall of Fame center fielder

. Between 2012 and 2019, Trout was first in

on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...

, and was MLB's most productive batter per plate appearance when adjusted for park factors (among all batters who had 1,000 or more plate appearances). During this period Trout combined a high average (.308, third among 464 players), high isolated power (.279, fifth) and high walk rate (15.5%, fourth). Trout is particularly adept at hitting pitches that are low in the

strike zone In baseball, the strike zone is the volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike even if the batter does not swing. The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter's kn ...

, but in 2015 acknowledged a vulnerability against high pitches. However, Trout later greatly improved his contact rate and slugging percentage against high fastballs. In 2014, Trout recorded the most strikeouts ever during an MVP season, and later expressed a wish to reduce his strikeout rate. After having MLB's 14th highest strikeout rate in 2014, Trout improved to 26th in 2015, and 59th in 2016. Trout has been graded as a roughly average defender across the outfield positions (according to

ultimate zone rating Ultimate zone rating (UZR) is a sabermetric statistic used to measure fielding. It compares the event that actually happened (hit/out/error) to data on similarly hit balls in the past to determine how much better or worse the fielder did than the "a ...

) and he is also a valuable

baserunner In baseball, base running is the act of running from base to base, performed by members of the team at bat. Base running is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home base (home plate) to score a run. Batters strive to ...

, stealing 142 bases between 2012 and 2016, at a success rate of 83 percent.

Personal life

Trout married longtime girlfriend Jessica Cox on December 9, 2017. Their son was born on July 30, 2020. During the season, the family resides in

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...

. Trout's nicknames include "Prince Fish", "God's Gift", "Millville Miracle" and "King Fish 2.0", in reference to retired Angel

. He adopted the nickname "Millville Meteor" after a

vandal The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The Vandals migrated to the area betw ...

edited his

Wikipedia Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read refer ...

article and the name caught on. In February 2014, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

used Trout as an analogy for the

2014 U.S. Farm Bill Fourteen or 14 may refer to: * 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15 * one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014 Music * 14th (band), a British electronic music duo * ''14'' (David Garrett album), 2013 *''14'', an unrele ...

. To emphasize the versatility and utility of the bill, Obama remarked that it was "like Mike Trout, for those of you who know baseball...somebody who's got a lot of tools." Trout holds season tickets for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

and is friends with their former quarterback,

Carson Wentz Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Wentz played college football at North Dakota State, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS nat ...

. He is also an avid supporter of the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

and the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

. On August 23, 2020, a Trout

trading card A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other ...

sold for $3.93 million at auction, breaking the record for the most expensive sale price for a sports card previously held by the 1909–1911

T206 Honus Wagner The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card depicts the Pittsburgh Pirates' Honus Wagner, known as "The Flying Dutchman,” a dead-ball era baseball player who is widely considered to be one of the best players of all time. The card was designed and issue ...

. However, his record did not last long, as a signed

trading card in mint condition from 1952 was sold for $5.2 million in November 2020.

Endorsements

Trout has been a partner and investor in

Bodyarmor SuperDrink BODYARMOR is an American sports drink brand fully owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Products launched under brand include: Sports, Lyte Sports, Edge Sports, and SportWater. Mike Repole created the drink in 2011. In the summer of 2018, The Coca- ...

, a

sports drink Sports drinks, also known as electrolyte drinks, are functional beverages whose stated purpose is to help Sportsperson, athletes replace water, electrolytes, and energy before, during and especially after training or competition. There are many ...

, since 2012. In October 2012, he signed a multi-year contract with

J & J Snack Foods J&J Snack Foods Corporation (JJSFC) is an American manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of name brand snack foods and frozen beverages. Headquartered in Pennsauken, NJ, JJSF uses over 175 facilities for manufacturing, warehousing, and distrib ...

to endorse SuperPretzel. In 2014,

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

began selling Mike Trout-branded shoes. In October 2014, Trout signed a deal with

giving them the exclusive right to sell his autographed

baseball card A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on cardboard, silk, or plastic. In the 1950s they came with a stick of gum and a limited number of cards. These cards feature one or more baseball players, teams, sta ...

s and making him the face of their digital card collection app. That deal was renewed in 2016 and, in March 2021, he was signed to the largest and longest contract the company ever signed with an individual athlete. In 2015, Trout appeared in promotional materials for a campaign to

spay and neuter Neutering, from the Latin ''neuter'' ('of neither sex'), is the removal of an animal's reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration, while spaying is usually reserved for female animals. C ...

pit bull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

s conducted by the local chapter of the

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals A Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is a common name for non-profit animal welfare organizations around the world. The oldest SPCA organization is the RSPCA, which was founded in England in 1824. SPCA organizations operate i ...

Cumberland County, New Jersey Cumberland County is a coastal county located on the Delaware Bay in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 154,152, making it the 16th-largest of the state's 21 counties. Its county seat is Bridg ...

. He has had sponsorship agreements with Subway,

Rawlings Rawlings may refer to: *Rawlings (company), a U.S. sports equipment company *Rawlings, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland *Rawlings (surname) Rawlings is an English-language surname. Notable people with the name in ...

, and

Land Rover Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...

. , he had an estimated $2.5 million in endorsement deals.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Trout, Mike 1991 births Living people American League All-Stars Major League Baseball center fielders Los Angeles Angels players Arizona League Angels players Arkansas Travelers players Cedar Rapids Kernels players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Scottsdale Scorpions players Salt Lake Bees players Millville Senior High School alumni People from Millville, New Jersey People from Vineland, New Jersey Sportspeople from Cumberland County, New Jersey Baseball players from New Jersey Silver Slugger Award winners American League Most Valuable Player Award winners American League RBI champions American League stolen base champions Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners

Early life

Professional career

Draft and minors

Los Angeles Angels (2011–present)

2011

American League Rookie of the Year (2012)

2013

First American League Most Valuable Player Award (2014)

2015

Second AL MVP (2016)

2017

2018

Third AL MVP (2019)

2020

2021

2022

International career

Awards and achievements

Awards and exhibition team selections

Statistical achievements

Player profile

Personal life

Endorsements

See also

References

External links