*This content was translated by AI.
Three years ago, he faced his then teammate Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) in the final at-bat of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final. The scene that made Japan a dramatic victory by striking out is being talked about again ahead of 2026 WBC. Ohtani has been on a roll since then, but Mike Trout (35, Los Angeles Angels) has not.
Trout, who had been held back by painful injuries, hit 26 home runs last year to signal a rebound and is now determined to make a 100% perfect body and face the season.
MLB.COM, the official website of the Major League Baseball (MLB), said on the 2nd (Korea time), "Mike Trout is aiming to return to the elite level, saying, 'There is enough fuel.'
Trout had an infield hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 1st, boasting a speed of 29.9 feet per second. He is also expressing satisfaction with the fastest record since April 2024 when he suffered a ruptured meniscus in his left knee.
"I'm in great shape," Trout said, losing 5 pounds (about 2.3 kilograms) from last year, adding, "I'll shoot it up to 29.9 feet? 30 feet. I still have more energy to pour into my body. In fact, I was surprised by the figure of 29.9 feet."
A healthy Trout has nothing to worry about. He made his big league debut in 2011 after wearing the Angels uniform as the 25th overall pick in the first round in 2009, and has been one of the best hitters in the U.S. with a batting average of 0.294 404 home runs, 1018 RBIs, 1196 runs, 1067 walks, 214 steals, an on-base percentage of 0.406, a slugging percentage of 0.570 and an on-base percentage of 0.976 (OPS). He was a big star who was selected as the MVP of the American League three times and signed a long-term contract for 12 years and $426.5 million (619.2 billion won) in 2019.
The problem was injury. Long-term absences began for the first time in his career in 2021, and he has since been injured in various areas. In particular, in 2024, he went to the operating table last year due to a rupture of the meniscus in his left knee. He has not played an average of 80 games a year in the last five years.
He hit 40 home runs in 2022 when he was healthy, and he also showed signs of rebound with 26 home runs last year, but he rarely helped the team due to injuries.
Therefore, Trout, who is preparing for the season in good health, has high expectations for himself and as a team. Coach Kurt Suzuki said, "It's a very good sign, and we all talked happily together in the clubhouse," adding, "Trout's physical condition and movement are good and mentally stable, so everything is going in the right direction."
He even gave up the center fielder position, which was his main position last year, due to problems such as deterioration of his flagship, and was pushed to the right, but he is showing a strong will to regain his position.
Trout expressed his intention to return to center field, saying that his left knee is in very good condition. In an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs on the 27th of last month, he played left field for the first time since 2013, but Trout said, "The left-handed defense is not very unfamiliar, but the sunlight was too strong. Tomorrow I'll be back in center field. I just gained experience in case you don't know," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
