Angels center fielder Mike Trout is enjoying his time in the Bronx. He homered against the Yankees, again, Wednesday night. Here’s the video proof:
Trout homered twice on Monday and then hit another on Tuesday, so this gives him four homers in the series and at least one in each of the three games so far. If that seems rare to you, you’re correct.
This is the first time an opposing player has homered in three consecutive games in Yankee Stadium since Miguel Cabrera did it for the 2013 Tigers (via MLB Stats). Of course it was Miggy and then Trout, right? Those two are destined to be tied together forever in baseball lore.
Remember, in 2012, there was a massive debate between old- and new-school baseball people regarding whether Trout or Cabrera should win the MVP. Cabrera won the Triple Crown in the AL, but Trout had 10.5 WAR to Cabrera’s 7.1. Cabrera prevailed. The next season, we were treated to a similar argument and Cabrera again won the MVP after slashing .348/.442/.636 (all three marks led the majors) while Trout led in WAR over Cabrera, 8.9 to 7.5. Trout had two full seasons and two MVP runner-up finishes behind Cabrera. In 2013, Trout was his first of three MVPs.
Trout now has 410 home runs in his career. This means he’s passed Mark Teixeira on the all-time list and sits 57th all-time, two shy of Alfonso Soriano. He’s signed through 2030, so the hallowed mark of 500 is on the table, health permitting.
Trout is likely done winning MVPs. He’s 34 and has had trouble staying on the field the last several years. He last won MVP in 2019 and last finished in the top 10 in 2022, when he finished eighth despite appearing in only 119 games.
We still see plenty of flickers of his all-time great prowess, though. Through the first 17 games this season, Trout had already racked up 1.1 WAR and led the AL with 17 runs scored. He’s now up to six homers and 15 RBI in 18 games — and he can still do things that very few other players can.
This series in Yankee Stadium has been a nice reminder of that.
