Angels can’t survive this brutal stretch if Mike Trout's disappearing act continues

Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout came out of the gates smoking hot. Trout was 6-for-20 with a 35% walk rate and two home runs through his first four games. Since then, however, he's gone just 2-for-35 and is striking out 34% of the time. What happened?

Well, for starters, he's no longer facing the Houston Astros pitching staff. One of the Angels' biggest rivals, Astros pitchers have allowed more runs than any other team in baseball this season.

Then there's the hit-by-pitch that occurred during the Angels' series against the Seattle Mariners last weekend. But Trout was on a downward trajectory before being struck in the left hand. While that could certainly be the reason for his more recent struggles, it doesn't explain his 1-for-26 slump before the incident.

The Angels need Mike Trout to break out of his early-season slump

Whatever is ailing the Angels' best player, he needs to snap out of it, and fast. Why? Because there's not a cupcake on the schedule for the next two weeks. With a record of 6-7, Los Angeles has performed better than many expected at the outset. But LA risks losing any momentum they've been able to build if Trout doesn't get back on track with the gauntlet they're about to face.

First up are the Cincinnati Reds. While Terry Francona's club is without their two best starters — Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene — Cincinnati is 8-5 to start the season and has leaned heavily on their starting pitching. The Angels will get the trio of Chase Burns, Brandon Williamson, and Andrew Abbott during the upcoming series. Those three allowed a combined run over their last 18 innings of work.

Following their trip to the Queen City, the Angels travel to Yankee Stadium for a four-game set in the Bronx. The New York Yankees are 8-4 heading into the weekend and have a +25 run differential. Only the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have a bigger run disparity on the season. While it looks as if the Angels will miss Cam Schlittler, Max Fried should be in line to start the series finale.

Upon their return home next weekend, the Halos get a visit from the red-hot San Diego Padres. The Friars got out of the gates slowly, but have stacked back-to-back series wins. San Diego's bats haven't gotten untracked yet, but their pitching staff — especially closer Mason Miller — has been terrific.

The Angels then wrap up their homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays. Though they're off to a slow start, the Jays were in the World Series last October and have an even better roster in 2026. It's only a matter of time before everything starts to click, and Angels fans are hoping that doesn't happen until after they visit Anaheim.

The Angels margin for error this season is razor thin. LA needs all of their best players to play up to their potential, and through the first two weeks, Trout hasn't done that. You're not going to win a pennant race in April, but you can certainly lose one. If Trout and Angels hit a skid this early during the season — thanks in part to a brutal schedule — it's going to be a long sumer in Anaheim.