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The Los Angeles Angels' most important player, outfielder Mike Trout, lost a major chunk of the 2024 season to a knee injury. The Angels' performances suffered accordingly, as the 2002 World Series champions had another woeful season, finishing at the foot of the AL West standings with a 63-99 record.
Hoping for a possible comeback this season, most fans believed that Mike Trout's long-awaited return was the solution to getting the team back on track. Nevertheless, the veteran has had a slightly mixed season so far.
Trout has a WAR (wins above replacement value) of -0.2, along with a dWAR (defensive wins above replacement) of a -0.6. The WAR statistic measures how good a player is, compared to the estimated level of an average big leaguer. As of now, it appears Trout's performances are negatively impacting his team, especially from a defensive standpoint.
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Things are also looking slightly concerning on the offensive side of things. Trout has a 29.6% strikeout percentage and a 10.4% base on balls percentage, the worst those numbers have ever been in his career.
Though it may appear so, things are not all doom and gloom. Trout has enjoyed his fair share of big moments this season, racking up nine homers already, putting him joint third on the MLB home run charts.
All in all, being slightly rusty after coming back from such a long layoff was probably expected and fortunes can change pretty quickly in baseball. With the glimpses of quality he has shown, though, it would not be a huge surprise to see Trout go on to enjoy a good season in the months to come, as he continues to fully get back into his groove.
Mike Trout's presence in the lineup has been 'huge', says Angels GM
Shortly after the new season began, Los Angeles Angels GM Perry Minasian talked about the boost that the team gets from Mike Trout's veteran presence.
"There's a calming presence watching him (Mike Trout) play. He's played outstanding in right field so far. ... He's extremely motivated. Love watching him play, even when he has an off day, even having his presence on the lineup and on the field has been huge for us." Perry Minasian said, via MLB Network Radio on April 13.
As the Halos look to finally get back into the postseason for the first time since 2014, fans will be hoping Mike Trout can lead his young teammates by example.
