Mike Trout facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Trout
Trout with the Los Angeles Angels in 2022
Los Angeles Angels – No. 27
Center fielder
Born: (1991-08-07) August 7, 1991 (age 33) Vineland, New Jersey, U.S.
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
July 8, 2011, for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
MLB statistics (through 2024 season)
Batting average	.299
Hits	1,648
Home runs	378
Runs batted in	954
Stolen bases	212
Teams
Los Angeles Angels (2011–present)
Career highlights and awards
11× All-Star (2012–2019, 2021–2023) 3× AL MVP (2014, 2016, 2019) 3× All-MLB First Team (2019, 2020, 2022) AL Rookie of the Year (2012) 9× Silver Slugger Award (2012–2016, 2018–2020, 2022) 2× AL Hank Aaron Award (2014, 2019) AL RBI leader (2014) AL stolen base leader (2012)
Medals Men's baseball Representing  United States World Baseball Classic Silver 2023 Miami Team

Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as a center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels in Major League Baseball (MLB). Many people think Trout is the best player of his generation. Some even call him one of the greatest baseball players ever.

Trout has been chosen for the MLB All-Star Game 11 times. He has won the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three times (in 2014, 2016, and 2019). He also won the Silver Slugger Award nine times. In 2023, he was the captain of the United States national baseball team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The Angels picked Trout in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft. He played a few games in the major leagues in 2011. In 2012, he became a regular player for the Angels. He won the AL Rookie of the Year Award that year. Experts praise Trout's amazing skills on the field. He led the American League in wins above replacement (WAR) for his first five full seasons. WAR is a stat that shows how much a player helps their team win compared to a replacement-level player.

Trout has led the American League in runs scored four times. He also led in times on base four times. As of March 2023, he leads all active players in slugging percentage (.587), on-base percentage (.415), and OPS (1.002). Slugging percentage measures a batter's power. On-base percentage shows how often a player gets on base. OPS combines both. In 2019, he signed a huge 12-year contract with the Angels for $426 million. This was one of the biggest sports contracts ever at the time.

Early Life and High School Baseball

Mike Trout was born on August 7, 1991, in Vineland, New Jersey. He grew up in Millville, New Jersey. His father, Jeff, played baseball in college and in the minor leagues. Mike was a big fan of the Philadelphia Phillies growing up. He even went to their 2008 World Series parade.

Trout started playing baseball in the Cal Ripken Baseball league. He played shortstop when he was young. He wore jersey number 2 to honor his hero, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. In high school, he changed his number to 1.

Mike went to Millville Senior High School. He played both baseball and basketball there. In his junior year, he threw a no-hitter in a baseball game. A no-hitter is when a pitcher plays a whole game without letting the other team get any hits. He started as a pitcher and shortstop. In his senior year, he moved to the outfield. That year, he hit 18 home runs, which was a record for New Jersey high schools. Trout had planned to play college baseball at East Carolina University. However, he was drafted into the MLB first.

Starting His Professional Journey

Drafted by the Angels

The Los Angeles Angels picked Mike Trout 25th overall in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He started his professional career in 2009. He played for the Arizona League Angels, a rookie-level team. He hit very well, with a .360 batting average. He also had one home run, 25 runs batted in (RBIs), and 13 stolen bases. He then played a few games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, a Class A team.

Climbing Through the Minor Leagues

Before the 2010 season, Baseball America magazine said Trout was the Angels' third-best young player. He started the 2010 season with Cedar Rapids. He continued to hit well and stole 45 bases in 82 games. He was chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game. After that, he moved up to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, a Class A-Advanced team.

After the 2010 season, Trout won the Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award. He was only 19 years old, making him the youngest player to win this award. In 2011, experts ranked Trout as the number one baseball prospect. He started the 2011 season with the Arkansas Travelers, a Class AA team. He hit .324 with nine home runs and 28 stolen bases in his first 75 games.

Playing for the Los Angeles Angels

2011: First Taste of MLB

Trout with the Angels in 2011

The Los Angeles Angels called Trout up to the major leagues on July 8, 2011. He played his first MLB game that night. In his next game, he got his first major league hit. He hit his first major league home run on July 24. After a short time, Trout was sent back to the Double-A team.

He was called back up to the Angels on August 19, 2011. That night, he hit his first home run at Angel Stadium. On August 30, Trout became the youngest Angels player to hit two home runs in one game. In his 40 games in 2011, Trout's batting average was .220. Even though he played a short time, he was named Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year for his great performance in the minors.

2012: Rookie of the Year Season

Trout robs J. J. Hardy of a home run, June 27, 2012.

Trout started the 2012 season in Triple-A with the Salt Lake Bees. On April 28, he was called up to the Angels again. He had been hitting very well in Triple-A, with a .403 batting average.

Trout had his first game with four hits on June 4. He also showed off his amazing defense. On June 27, he made a spectacular catch against the Baltimore Orioles. He leaped up at the center-field wall to rob J. J. Hardy of a home run.

Trout set an Angels record by scoring runs in 14 games in a row. He was chosen for his first All-Star Game. In June, he was named AL Player of the Month and AL Rookie of the Month. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Trout was an "extraordinary talent." Trout continued his great play in July, scoring 34 runs. He also became the first rookie since Joe DiMaggio in 1936 to have at least 55 RBIs and 80 runs in 81 games.

On August 4, Trout made another highlight catch, robbing a home run from Gordon Beckham. On August 21, he set a rookie record for batting average through 100 games. He won AL Rookie of the Month for August, his fourth time winning it.

Trout became the youngest player ever to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 40 bases in a season. He was also the youngest to hit 20 home runs and steal 30 bases. On September 30, Trout became the youngest player in MLB history to join the 30–30 club. This means he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in the same season.

He finished the 2012 season with a .326 batting average, 30 home runs, 83 RBIs, and 49 stolen bases. He led the American League in stolen bases. Trout also led the Angels in many stats, even though he only played 139 games. On November 12, 2012, Trout won the AL Rookie of the Year Award unanimously. This means all voters picked him. He also won the Heart and Hustle Award and a Silver Slugger Award.

2013: Another Amazing Season

Trout in 2013

Trout started the 2013 season playing left field. He had a slow start in April. But on April 20, he hit his first career grand slam. A grand slam is a home run with the bases loaded, scoring four runs.

When another player got hurt, Trout moved back to center field. In May, he started playing like his rookie year again. He hit .327 with 8 home runs. On May 21, 2013, Trout became the youngest player in American League history to hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game.

Trout was chosen to start in the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He led all AL outfielders in votes. He continued to play strongly in July and August. He finished the 2013 season with a 9.2 WAR, which was the highest in baseball. He also led the American League with 110 bases on balls (walks). For the second year in a row, Trout finished second in the AL MVP voting.

2014: First AL MVP Award

Trout in 2014

In March 2014, the Angels signed Trout to a big six-year, $144.5 million contract. On April 19, 2014, Trout had his first "golden sombrero." This means he struck out four times in one game. On May 15, he hit his first career walk-off home run. This is a home run that wins the game in the final inning.

On July 15, Trout played in his third All-Star Game. He hit a double and a triple and had two RBIs. He was named the MVP of the game. This made him the second-youngest All-Star Game MVP ever. On June 27, Trout hit the longest home run of the 2014 season, traveling 489 feet.

In 2014, Trout batted .287 with 36 home runs, 111 RBIs (leading the AL), and 115 runs scored (leading MLB). He also had 16 stolen bases. On November 13, 2014, Trout was unanimously chosen as the AL MVP. He was the sixth player in MLB history to win both the regular-season MVP and the All-Star Game MVP in the same season.

2015: More Milestones

On April 17, 2015, Trout became the youngest player in MLB history to reach 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases. He was only 23 years old. He also led off the 2015 MLB All-Star Game with a home run. For the second year in a row, Trout won the All-Star Game MVP Award. He was the first player ever to win it two years in a row.

Trout finished the season with 41 home runs and 90 RBIs. He led all American League players in slugging percentage and OPS. He won his fourth Silver Slugger Award. He also won the Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award. Trout finished second in the AL MVP voting for the third time in his career.

2016: Second AL MVP Award

Trout hitting a home run off the Mets' Tommy Milone in an interleague game in 2017

In 2016, Sporting News called Trout "baseball's best player." He had more WAR (Wins Above Replacement) by age 24 than almost any other player since 1913. In 159 games in 2016, Trout led MLB in 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 RBIs.

On November 17, Trout won his second AL MVP award. He joined Barry Bonds as the only players in MLB history to finish in the top two for MVP in five straight seasons.

2017: Dealing with Injuries

Trout in 2017

On May 28, 2017, Trout hurt his left thumb. He had to leave the game. An MRI showed he had a torn ligament, which needed surgery. This was the first time he was on the disabled list in his major league career. He missed 39 games.

On August 7, his 26th birthday, Trout got his 1,000th career hit. In his next turn at bat, he hit a home run for his 1,001st hit. This was the fourth time he had hit a home run on his birthday. On September 29, 2017, he hit his 200th career home run. Trout played in a career-low 114 games due to his injury. However, he still led the team in runs (92), home runs (33), and stolen bases (22).

2018: Another Strong Season

Trout at Nationals Park before the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Before the 2018 season, Sports Illustrated ranked Trout as the number one player in baseball. On May 26, he had his first game with five hits. He hit three doubles and a home run. He also hit two home runs in back-to-back games in June.

Trout was named a starting outfielder for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. He hit a home run in the game. On August 10, 2018, Trout was placed on the disabled list because of wrist pain.

For the season, he batted .312 with 39 home runs and 79 RBIs. He led the league in on-base percentage (.460) and walks (122). He also stole 24 bases. He had the highest ISO (a measure of raw power) of all MLB players.

2019: Third AL MVP Award

On March 20, 2019, Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million contract with the Angels. At the time, it was the richest contract in North American sports history. Trout made his eighth straight All-Star Game. During the game, he wore his late teammate Tyler Skaggs's number 45 to honor him.

On August 31, Trout stole his 200th career base. This made him the youngest player to have 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases. On September 15, it was announced that Trout would have surgery on his right foot, ending his 2019 season. He finished the season with a career-high 45 home runs. He also led the American League in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

On October 24, 2019, he won the AL Hank Aaron Award. Trout also won his third AL MVP award. He joined his teammate Albert Pujols as the only active MLB players with three MVP awards.

2020-2024: Recent Seasons and Injuries

On September 5, 2020, Trout hit his 300th career home run. This broke the Angels' all-time home run record. He finished the shortened 2020 season with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in 53 games.

In 2021, Trout was hitting .333 with 8 home runs. However, on May 17, he strained his right calf while running the bases. He was placed on the injured list and missed the rest of the season. He had torn his calf muscle.

In 2022, there was talk about moving Trout from center field to a corner outfield spot to prevent injuries. But Trout preferred to stay in center field, and the team agreed. On May 21, Trout scored his 1,000th career run. He became the second player in Angels history to score 1,000 runs for the team. In June, he hit four game-winning home runs in one series against the Seattle Mariners. This was a first in MLB history. On July 12, Trout left a game due to back spasms. He was diagnosed with a rare back condition. He returned on August 19. He finished the 2022 season batting .283 with 40 home runs and 80 RBIs in 119 games.

On April 15, 2023, Trout hit his 300th career double. He became the fourth player in MLB history to have at least 300 doubles, 300 home runs, and 200 stolen bases by age 31. On July 4, Trout fractured his left hand. He was placed on the injured list. He returned briefly in August but was placed back on the injured list due to pain. His 2023 season ended early.

On April 9, 2024, Trout hit a home run, becoming the fastest Angels player to reach six home runs in a season. On April 30, Trout was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his knee. He had surgery on May 3, which will keep him out of the game for some time.

Playing for Team USA

On July 19, 2022, Mike Trout announced he would be the captain of the United States national baseball team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He led the team to the final game. However, they lost 3–2 to Japan. In the final moment, Trout struck out against his Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani, who won the title for Japan.

Awards and Achievements

Mike Trout has won many awards throughout his career.

Awards and Team Selections

Statistical Achievements

Mike Trout has led the American League in several important baseball statistics.

How Mike Trout Plays

Mike Trout's amazing performance at a young age has led to comparisons with baseball legends. People compare his power and speed to Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle.

From 2012 to 2019, Trout was the best batter in MLB. He had a high batting average (.308), lots of power (high isolated power), and walked often (15.5% of his plate appearances). He is very good at hitting pitches that are low in the strike zone. He has also improved his hitting against high pitches.

Trout has worked to reduce his strikeout rate. He has gotten better at making contact with the ball. Trout is also a valuable baserunner. He stole 142 bases between 2012 and 2016. He was successful on 83 percent of his stolen base attempts.

Mike Trout's Life Outside Baseball

Mike Trout married his longtime girlfriend, Jessica Cox, in 2017. Their son was born in July 2020. During the baseball season, they live in Newport Beach, California.

Trout has several nicknames, including "Prince Fish" and "Millville Meteor." The "Millville Meteor" nickname became popular after someone edited his Wikipedia page.

In 2014, President Barack Obama even used Mike Trout as an example. He said a new bill was "like Mike Trout...somebody who's got a lot of tools."

Trout is a big fan of Philadelphia sports teams. He supports the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), and Philadelphia 76ers (NBA). He is friends with former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

In August 2020, a Mike Trout trading card sold for $3.93 million. This broke the record for the most expensive sports card ever sold at the time. However, this record was later broken by a Mickey Mantle card.

Outside of baseball, Trout keeps his personal life private. He enjoys fishing, hunting, and meteorology (the study of weather).

Endorsement Deals

Trout has many endorsement deals with different companies. Since 2012, he has been a partner and investor in Bodyarmor SuperDrink, a sports drink. He also signed a deal with J & J Snack Foods to promote SuperPretzel.

In 2014, Nike started selling Mike Trout-branded shoes. In 2014, Trout signed a deal with Topps. This gave Topps the exclusive right to sell his autographed baseball cards. He also became the face of their digital card collection app. This deal was renewed in 2016. In March 2021, he signed the largest and longest contract Topps ever made with an athlete.

Trout has also had sponsorship agreements with Subway, Rawlings, and Land Rover. As of March 2019, his endorsement deals were worth an estimated $2.5 million.

Images for kids

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  Trout with the Angels in 2022

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  Trout with the Angels in 2011

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  Trout robs J. J. Hardy of a home run, June 27, 2012.

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  Trout in 2013

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  Trout in 2014

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  Trout hitting a home run off the Mets' Tommy Milone in an interleague game in 2017

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  Trout in 2017

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  Trout at Nationals Park before the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

See also

In Spanish: Mike Trout para niños