What do Mike Trout and Mookie Betts have in common—besides being elite MLB stars hailing from Southern California? They’ve both had foul balls snatched out of their gloves by overzealous fans!

Trout’s moment came Saturday against the Astros, eerily echoing Betts’ unforgettable foul-ball snag attempt in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series. That time, two Yankees fans infamously yanked the ball right out of Betts’ glove, making for a viral highlight and a hotly debated call. Fast forward to Trout’s moment—same kind of drama, different stadium.

The fan involved in yesterday’s Angels-Astros game has now shared his perspective on the incident.

It all unfolded in the second inning of the Angels’ 4–1 win over the Astros. Yainer Diaz hit a fly ball down the right-field line, and Trout sprinted into the corner, leaped, and reached into the crowd with his left hand. He appeared to make the catch cleanly—his glove closed around the ball near the wall in foul territory down the first-base line. But just a heartbeat later, an Astros fan reached in and pulled the ball away from Trout’s glove.

First-base umpire Alan Porter quickly stepped in and ruled no fan interference, allowing the play to stand.

“I just didn’t know what was going on,” the Astros fan, Jared Whalen, told the Athletic. “I didn’t realize it was a play, it was coming at my son’s face. So just reached out.”

While Whalen was cleared of any charge of interference, it didn’t stop him from getting ejected from his seat. It seems like the umpires are on the same page with Whalen, concluding it was unintentional.

In Mookie Betts’ case, the Yankees fans made physical contact and ripped the ball from his glove. This led to a league-wide ban. In contrast, Mike Trout ruled it a simple foul ball instead of interference. That was a rough break, especially when you consider that Trout completed the catch. Quite frustrating that must’ve been. From Trout’s perspective, it’s like deja vu but with none of the justice Betts got.

Nevertheless, the bright side—Trout let his bat do the talking. Two RBIs in the first, tied for the MLB lead in homers. This guy just keeps producing, even when the calls don’t go his way. Moreover, with the way the Angels are driving this year, maybe they’re just not trying to stir up controversy this early in the season.

The Angels are off to a flying start

Honestly, how many of you made a bet on the Angels before this season? The Angels were reeling from trading out their breakthrough stars like Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout’s downhill figures, and Ron Washington’s no-phone policy. Back to the present, the Angels are the only team this year to have not lost a series till now. What’s more, there’s Trout’s uphill performance and the rookie Kyren Paris’ arrival on the scene.

“Let us recall that this season began for the Angels with Nicky Lopez pitching on Opening Day against the White Sox,” MLB insider Jordan Shusterman said. The Angels started their 2025 campaign with a loss to the White Sox. Nevertheless, the Angels stand out for their unexpected accomplishment after two weeks: they have won all four of their series, despite not sweeping any of them. While it is true that the 8-4 Angels are behind the 9-4 Rangers in the AL West, it’s still an optimistic trend for the team.

The unexpected ascent of Kyren Paris, who has so far amassed an outstanding 1.485 OPS, a 1.000 slugging percentage, five home runs, and four steals, is a noteworthy tale for the Angels. Moreover, Trout, in his new right-fielder avatar, is revamping his career. Five homers in the first two weeks of the regular season. Ahh, the Angels fans were long waiting for this moment. Well, let’s not forget that the Angels are yet to face the most formidable group of opponents. Additionally, in the previous few years, the Angels have started well until April but have consistently faltered in the second half.

That said, the true tests are coming. The following weeks will conclude which way the Angels are heading. What do you think about the Angels’ hot form?