Trout keeps tearing it up

Mike Trout opened the Angels’ game at Yankee Stadium with another home run on April 14, his third straight at-bat ending in a homer. (mlb.com) The shot came one night after Trout and Aaron Judge each homered twice in the Yankees’ 11-10 win on April 13, the first game in 70 years in which two three-time Most Valuable Players each hit two home runs. (espn.com) On April 14, Trout drove a 2-1 fastball from Ryan Weathers 432 feet to center field at 110.1 miles per hour. Jo Adell and Jorge Soler followed with solo homers, giving the Angels back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first inning. (mlb.com) That blast was Trout’s fifth home run of the 2026 season and career No. 409, tying Mark Teixeira for 57th on the all-time list. Trout turned 34 in August 2025 and is in his 16th major league season. (mlb.com) (baseballsavant.mlb.com) The run matters because Trout spent much of the past five seasons fighting injuries, including a left knee meniscus tear in 2024 and another injured-list stint for a left knee contusion in 2025. He still entered April 15 with five home runs, a.403 on-base percentage and a.936 on-base plus slugging percentage in 77 plate appearances. (espn.com) (baseballsavant.mlb.com) The surface batting average still looked modest. ESPN’s game log listed Trout at.224 with four home runs after the April 13 game, before the April 14 homer pushed his total to five. (espn.com) Underneath that line, the contact has been loud. Statcast listed Trout on April 15 with a.702 expected slugging percentage, a.476 expected weighted on-base average and a 27.9 percent barrel rate, all signs that he has been driving the ball harder than his batting average suggests. (baseballsavant.mlb.com) Angels reporter Rhett Bollinger said Trout made a small setup change starting in Cincinnati on April 10, adding more of a back tap with his back foot before he starts his swing. Trout’s homer on April 14 was the latest result of that adjustment. (mlb.com) Trout was already one of the sport’s most decorated active hitters before this week, with three American League Most Valuable Player awards and 409 career home runs. In the Bronx, he looked like that version of himself again. (espn.com) (baseballsavant.mlb.com)