Mike Trout has been great, but this one stat shows he can’t save the Angels alone

The mantra of the last several years surrounding the Los Angeles Angels the last several years has been that if Mike Trout can stay healthy while hitting like the Trout of old, the club might just have a chance. The future Hall of Famer has been healthy so far (knocks every wood surface within arms reach), and while he hasn't completely returned to his ultimate peak, he's very much hit like vintage Trout.

So far through 31 games, the 11-time All-Star has a 174 wRC+. A stellar number, for sure, but one that further emphasizes his renaissance as it ties him for fifth in the majors with current AL MVP, Aaron Judge.

Trout's strange-but-effective backleg stride adjustment has helped him stay back and then explode the barrel through the zone, something he did to great effect during his historic trip to visit Judge in New York and formally announce his MVP candidacy.

Trout's .248 batting average is the only thing that isn't reflective of his past heights, but his .431 OBP and .569 SLG certainly are Trout-like. However, the Angels are still just 12-20 through their first 32 games, hovering just above the AL West cellar.

The last eight games have proved that the Angels are not giving Mike Trout enough support

The Angels have lost six straight and seven of their last eight contests. During that span, Trout's been even better, hitting .286/.474/.643 with three homers. He's been even better than his overall season line. It hasn't mattered in the win-loss column, though.

To be fair, the Halos have a lot of issues, so it's not as if there's one easy fix. But something clear is happening with Los Angeles's offense, and it's becoming a big problem. During this span, the hitters typically batting behind Trout -- Yoan Moncada, Jorge Soler, Nolan Schanuel, and Jo Adell -- haven't gotten the job done for the most part.

Over that time period, Moncada has slashed .267/.313/.267. Adell has been even worse, with a .212/.250/.303 mark. Soler has been more effective, but still hasn't offered much protection with a .241/.324/.414 line. The best of the bunch has been Schanuel, hitting .276/.300/.483 and hitting for much more power since ditching his leg-kick.

Still, as a whole, the support for Trout has been impotent. It's no surprise that he's walked nine times in his last eight games. Trout has always had a great eye at the plate, of course, but just like in his peak, he's been receiving a lot of "intentional" unintentional walks.

Opposing clubs simply don't fear the rest of the Angels' lineup. It's a story as old as time. And it's one that threatens Los Angeles with another last-place finish. For the first time in a long time, the AL West is wide open. And for the first time in a long time, Mike Trout is back. Unfortunately, the Halos are learning the hard way that he can't do it all himself. He's not Superman, and he can't will his team to victory, if only because the opposition will just take the bat out of his hands.

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