Legends don’t just walk away. Sometimes, they just need the right trigger to reignite their fire. That might just be the case for the Angels’ franchise face, Mike Trout. His legendary status is unquestionable, but the past few years haven’t exactly been highlight reel-worthy. Trout himself knows it—he’s played only 111 games over the last two seasons and hasn’t hit the 140-game mark since 2016. So, is his prime officially in the rearview mirror?

Think again. A three-time MVP, an 11-time All-Star, and a future Hall of Famer doesn’t just fade into the background. At 33, Trout isn’t done—he just needs the right fuel to fire up his game again. And it seems MLB.com’s recent player rankings provided exactly that. So, what about the rankings got under Trout’s skin? And how does he plan to turn things around this season? Angels fans might just have every reason to be excited.

Rejuvenated Mike Trout

Mike Trout is often regarded as the best player of his generation and one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Remember how in 2013 Mike Trout was considered the game’s best young player since Ted Williams? Yes, that’s how he started his journey with the Angels. It’s surely a journey for Trout considering how averaging 35 homers and 92 RBI a year from 2012-2019 came down to 10 homers and 14 RBIs last year! While it would not be an exaggeration to conclude that age took a toll on his performance, Trout still has enough runs left to offer! 

“I’m not going to limit myself,” Trout said. “I can still play the game hard. That’s the only way I know how to play… the last few years have been tough.” That’s how a legend speaks about making a comeback! But what made Mike Trout go harder this year? It all started when MLB.com announced Trout as the 39th-best player in baseball. According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the ranking offended Trout to the extent that he got fired up and motivated to make things back in place this year. While he is all set to start from the opening day this year without any injury updates, fans just hope to see him pilling up some good runs on the board. 

New Season, New Trout

Mike Trout is reportedly coming back to play in a new position this year. He is shifting from his staple centerfield to rightfield with occasional encounters as a DH! So, Trout needs to cover fewer grounds as a right fielder compared to a centerfielder and more games to play as a DH. “I think trying to limit the crazy plays, and I think moving to right field helps a little bit,” Trout said. This proved the point that while age is not on his side anymore, he can still score runs, and what’s better than to play as a DH then?

So yes, this year Mike Trout is coming back as a right fielder where he needs to run less between gap-to-gap and hence low strain on the body, and as a DH, he can put in more runs. With this plan, fans can expect Trout in more games this year, and once he gets going, a better ranking is just around the corner. The Angels will also start rolling once their key man gets going, and fans are just hoping that the team performs better this year. 

For the Angels, Mike Trout is the face who runs the place, and nothing better than he is making it bigger this year. With all the positional changes and motivation, a classic show of Trout is waiting to happen this year.

What do you think about Trout’s potential this year? Share your views with us below.