“I Loved It”: $426 Million Phenom Mike Trout Unveils How Idol Derek Jeter Sparked His Passion for Shortstop in His Formative Years

Captain Clutch Derek Jeter’s legend enchanted even the LA Angels phenom, Mike Trout. A native of Vineland, New Jersey, Trout spent his formative years watching the 5-time World Champion Jeter play shortstop for the New York Yankees. Like countless others, Jeter’s illustrious 20-year career inspired Trout to pursue professional baseball and play as a shortstop.

Significantly, playing shortstop in his early years helped Trout secure the largest contract in MLB history. The 11-time All-Star frequently speaks of his idol Jeter’s influence on his baseball career. On one such occasion, Trout shared how he emulated Jeter by playing as a shortstop for several years.

Mike Trout followed in the footsteps of his idol Derek Jeter

Meeting one’s idol is a dream come true, especially when you get to play the sport with them. The Angels’ phenom, Mike Trout, witnessed this extraordinary experience. He shared the field with his idol for not just one but four thrilling years. Recently, Trout sat down with another top player in the league, the LA Dodgers’ Mookie Betts. Betts skillfully hosted The Bleacher Report’s show, ‘On Base with Mookie Betts,’ where the two discussed various topics. One of those things was Trout playing shortstop as his idol and how he felt about it.

Read More: Angels Star Mike Trout Gets Candid About His Recent Slump Amidst Struggles Against Fastballs: “You Gotta Be Honest With Yourself”

 Talking about the same, Mike said, “I loved it (playing shortstop). I was a big Jeter fan, so I played shortstop my whole life. Shortstop and pitched are running through my early days. So, I was shortstop and pitched all the way to about my junior year in high school, and I would throw like five, six innings, and then go to shortstop.”

Trout’s admiration for Jeter has been apparent since the beginning of his career. Whether intentional or not, Jeter has influenced Mike Trout profoundly, paving the way for the three-time AL MVP to chart his path toward greatness.

Trout is already beating Jeter’s stats

While comparing Jeter and Trout’s achievements, the Angels star still has much to conquer. There is one thing in which he left Jeter behind. It is the number of home runs that Derek hit in his twenty years career in the league. In two decades, Jeter hit 260 home runs while winning multiple Fall Classics and other accolades as well. However, Trout, on the other hand, in almost thirteen years of MLB career, has hit 367 home runs, over 100 more than his idol. And from the looks of it, this number will only increase in the coming time. Moreover, throughout his career, Jeter became an All-Star 14 times, while Trout has already achieved this honor 11 times.

Watch this Story: Inside the majestic $426 million mansion of baseball superstar Mike Trout. 

How soon do you think Trout will leave Jeter behind on this? Also, would you want to see Trout playing shortstop or at the mound? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!