Mike Trout's late-season surge reveals resilience Angels fans prayed for all season

Mike Trout is perhaps the most stoic superstar in all of sports. He can be relatively emotional and vulnerable on social media when posting about his career, but on the field and in the dugout/clubhouse he is known as calm, cool and collected. So, even this season when he was struggling, it definitely seemed relatively business as usual for Trout. He would give quotes to Angels beat writers that discussed his on-field struggles, but he rarely showed moments of frustration even as the team went from alright to one of the worst in baseball.

However, he is a human and he clearly had a lot on his plate lately. The chase for home run no. 400 weighed heavily on him, and he's also been dealing with a knee injury all season that has reverted him from an every day outfielder to a full-time designated hitter. His baseball mortality is staring him in the face, and he might have been losing some faith and self-confidence. All that being said, Trout looks awesome right now and is rewarding Angels fans' faith that his decline is not as steep as many might have expected.

Mike Trout's late-season surge reveals resilience Angels fans prayed for all season

Back in March, Trout recorded just one hit in 17 plate appearances. In April, Trout posted a .194 batting average then went down with a knee injury that cost him all of May. He came back in June, and for the next two months looked more like his normal self. However, in August and September Trout was looking more like a shell of his former self. Despite playing in his most games since 2019, fans and the general baseball community were upset that Trout was no longer a superstar.

It's fantastic that Trout has three home runs in the Angels last two games and four in the last five. Trout potentially helping end the Houston Astros' season is the stuff of legends, and he desperately needs a strong end to the season that will hopefully lead to a normal, productive offseason.

Is it frustrating that Trout is turning it up in meaningless games? Absolutely! Is there a national rap on Trout that he shows up when the lights are not bright? There is! Yes, it makes no sense to knock Trout because the Angels cannot make the playoffs given the nature of the ultimate team-sport, but there is a stigma that surrounds the GOAT nonetheless. Let's just say this -- it's better that Trout is showing life than if he ended the season in a months-long drought.

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