Mike Trout is not a kid anymore.
It’s been 17 years since he played for Millville High School. The current senior players on the Thunderbolts were wearing diapers when Trout smashed 18 home runs – then a state record – as a senior in 2009.
He’s entering his 16th Major League season. In 2011, the year he made his debut with the Angels, SnapChat made its debut the same year. The IPhone 4S was the must-have gadget.
Current top local pro baseball prospects Trevor Cohen and Chase Petty were 11 and playing Little League baseball.
Fifteen seasons, 404 career home runs, and three American League MVP awards later, he’s in the seventh-inning stretch of his career.
At 34, the married father of two young sons is among the elder statesmen on the Angels, along with catcher Travis d’Arnoud (37) and infielder Anthony Rendon (35).
In terms of experience, only seven current players – Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (20), Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (18), Red Sox reliever Aroldis Chapman (17), Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (16), Tigers reliever Kenley Jansen (16), Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana (16) and Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton (16) – have been in the majors longer.
But he’s not ready to retire just yet. For now, the only time he’ll be teeing off on his new golf course – Trout National – The Reserve – will be in the offseason.
He’s still going to be spending more time swinging a baseball bat than a 7-iron.
“I know what I’m capable of doing,” Trout told MLB.com last week. “And I feel great.”
He feels so good, in fact, that he’s planning on returning to center field this season after stints at DH and right field.
His main challenge, however, is to just return to the field after suffering a slew of injuries in recent years.
A calf strain (2021), back inflammation (2022), broken hamate bone (2023), torn meniscus (2024) and bone bruise in his knee (2025) combined to cause him to miss significant chunks of the last six seasons.
At his best, he’s one of the best in the game, one of those rare players who combines talent with passion to create greatness.
He may not be able to regain that level, but if he can stay healthy, it would not surprise anyone to see him put up monster numbers this season.
That is not his primary goal. He still has five years left on the 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension he signed before the 2019 season and wants to justify it.
More than anything, he hopes to help the Angels succeed, something the franchise hasn’t done in decades.
They have made the playoffs just once in the last 15 years – they were swept in three games by the Royals in the 2014 A.L. Divisional Series – and haven’t had a winning record since 2015.
Instead of playing in the postseason, Trout has spent October sitting in his end zone seats at Lincoln Financial Field as an Eagles’ season-ticket holder.
Over the years, there were rumors of trades to send him to a contender, but he quickly rebuffed those inquiries.
He has remained steadfastly loyal to the team that made him the 25th overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft.
The Angels are not expected to be contenders this season, but maybe a healthy Trout can change that outlook.
He deserves it.
After everything he’s given to the game, it’s time for the game to give him something back.
Local baseball update
Trout is among 10 former Cape-Atlantic League standouts with Major League organizations this season, along with Giants outfielder Trevor Cohen (Holy Spirit) and infielder Buddy Kennedy (Millville), Reds pitcher Chase Petty (Mainland Regional), Diamondbacks pitcher David Hagaman (Holy Spirit), Mariners shortstop Josh Hood (St. Augustine Prep), Rays third-baseman Tony Santa Maria (ACIT), Brewers outfielder Josiah Ragsdale (St. Augustine) and Cardinals shortstop Ryan Weingarter (St. Augustine).
Only Trout, however, is starting this season in the majors. Kennedy and Petty are both opening in Triple A with the Sacramento River Cats and Louisville Bats, respectively, after seeing some time in the majors last season.
Petty enjoyed a solid spring with the Reds, including an impressive outing last week in a “Spring Breakout” game against Cohen and the Giants.
Cohen batted leadoff for the Giants and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and lineout to right against Petty. Petty pitched four innings, allowing just one hit and no walks with six strikeouts.
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
