The biggest star of the 2010s in the MLB was Mike Trout. Sure, some players received more media attention thanks to their personalities and how marketable they were. However, despite the lack of eyes on him, everyone agreed that Trout was the best player in the majors. In his 14-year career, he’s won the Rookie of the Year, nine Silver Sluggers, been selected to 11 All-Star teams, and won three MVP awards. If he were to retire today, he would be a no-doubt first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
However, the discussion around Trout has gotten away from his play on the field. Instead, the conversation has become when he will be on the field next. Over the past few seasons, it has felt like Trout has been on the IL and we’re waiting for him to return. So, why are injuries so prevalent in his career and how will this impact his legacy?
The Injury Bug Has Cursed Trout
The injury problems started back in 2021. On May 17th, 2021, Trout was diagnosed with a right calf strain. He was placed on the 10-day IL and was expected to miss around six to eight weeks. This was a huge blow to the Angels lineup as Trout was putting up some of his best numbers. In the early season, he was slashing .333/.466/.624 good for a 1.090 OPS with 8 home runs. However, after a little over a month on the IL, it was revealed that Trout’s injury was worse than expected. He had torn muscle in his calf and would miss the rest of the season.
In 2022, Trout battled back spasms throughout the season. He was even placed on the injured list from July 12-August 18th. But despite these injuries, he was still able to put together a solid season. However, that can’t be said about the 2023 season. After fouling a pitch off his hand, he would go on the IL with a broken left hamate bone. This injury would cost Trout the rest of the season.
Finally, we have the 2024 season. Like usual, he was putting up good numbers. However, on April 30th, it was found that Trout had a torn meniscus in his left leg, putting him on the injured list for an indefinite period of time. Trout was able to rehab and get back to a rehab assignment. However, after only one game Trout tore his meniscus again, costing him the rest of the 2024 season.
What Will His Legacy Be?
So now that there is an understanding of what Trout has been dealing with, how does this affect his legacy? Before all these injuries, Trout was without question a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Not just that, but based on the numbers, he was putting up statistics that would’ve ranked him high on several all-time lists. It’s clear the path he was on would’ve made him one of the greatest players in MLB history.
However, all the injuries are making him more of what could’ve been. How many records could he have broken? Where would he rank among the all-time greats? Would he be the best player of the 21st century? Instead, his career is following the career of Ken Griffey Jr. With the beginning looking like he’ll be one of the greatest players of all time. However, injuries derailed the end of his career staining his legacy.
Now, the only thing Trout’s career won’t be remembered for injuries. That is, if he goes to a new team and helps them get to the playoffs. The one thing missing from Trout’s impressive resume is playoff success. If Trout is finally able to get postseason success, everyone will quickly forget about the injuries and remember the success.
Thanks for reading! Credit for my feature image to Ed Zurga. You can find more MLB content at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter/X.
