Kirby Lee/Imagn
Audio By Carbonatix
Not all that long ago, Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout was considered, without question, the best player in all of baseball. Between 2014 and 2019, Trout won three AL MVP Awards, he finished second twice, and had an almost unbelievable 180 OPS+ (where 100 represents league average).
Sadly, time comes for us all, and as Trout has aged, the injuries have begun to pile up. Now the 33-year-old has played just 266 (of 648) games over the last four seasons. Trout has still been a superstar in those games, notching a slightly more reasonable 160 OPS+. But as they say, the best ability is availability, and Trout has not been all that available to the Angels organization.
So in response to that, he’s making a change. The former Gold Glove finalist will switch from center field to right field in 2025 in hopes of prolonging his career and preserving his health.
“I knew it was coming,” Trout said on Monday “I just wanna be on the field.”
Trout cedes the position to teammates Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell, both former top propects who are expected to share a platoon at the position.
“It’s gonna be fun,” Trout said of making the switch to right. “I’ll enjoy it. Like I told them, I’m gonna go out there and just be as comfortable as I can. If I need to get early work, just to work on some things, get more comfortable, I’ll do that … I don’t think it’s gonna be a crazy transition. If it can save my legs a little bit, I’ll do it.”
Both back and knee injuries have hindered Trout in recent seasons. He lost weight in the offseason and is hoping that decision, paired with position change, will make life easier on his body.
“My focus was just getting me back,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. The last few years have been tough.”