"Mike Trout is like Barry Bonds that way” - When Red Sox manager Alex Cora saw one glaring similarity between Angels superstar and MLB legend

Once upon a time, the Los Angeles Angels had two of the best baseball players on the planet — one of which is Mike Trout. The outfield sensation became the face of MLB during the 2010s and was primary star for the Angels, at least before the persistent injury woes came around.

One of the best and standout traits about the star slugger is plate discipline. From 2011 until 2020, Trout batted an absurd .304/.418/.582 with an OPS of 1.000 while playing one of the most demanding roles on the field. His patience in a duel against the pitcher has garnered him respect from all across the league, including a very special comparison from Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

“He recognizes pitches out of the hand faster than anybody. He’s like [Barry] Bonds that way," said Cora in an interview with Sports Illustrated back in July 2018.

During that season, the Angels superstar led the majors in slugging, OPS, and OPS+ that enabled him to finish as the runner-up in the AL MVP voting — just behind then-Red Sox star Mookie Betts.

Trout's proficiency on the plate had him likened to the those heights that were reached by Bonds, who in the eyes of many (and barring any controversies), is the greatest hitter to ever grace Major League Baseball.

In the same interview former Cy Young winner and Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello also shared his thoughts about facing the multi-time MVP.

“Mike was great from Day One, but now I feel like he gives a pitcher so many fewer options. You can’t get him to chase. The places where you might get him in the strike zone are a lot fewer than they used to be. It used to be that you could go up with a fastball, but he’s really improved there. And if you keep showing him the same pitch, he’s going to get you."

Mike Trout's shift to DH provides dividends

After several injuries that has kept him out of action for the past half decade, the Angels' brass recently made a huge call regarding Mike Trout's role in the team. Upon returning from a bone bruise that kept him out of for a month, Trout's stats since his May 30 return has proven to be productive for the squad.

Playing exclusively as a DH for almost a month now, the Angels superstar has tallied a .286/.413/.405 slash line with three home runs and 10 RBIs. This is a far cry from his batting average in mid-April that saw his stat plunge to an abysmal .171.

It would be interesting to see if Angels skipper Ron Washington keep his most-prized asset as designated hitter after the latter has proven so far that he's batting better in the less-demanding position.