A healthy Mike Trout could have saved Angels' 2024 season as young core heats up

Mike Trout hasn't picked up a bat since April 29. The Los Angeles Angels superstar has been out of the lineup for nearly four months, and despite his best efforts Trout will end the season having played just 29 games in 2024. The Halos were 11-18 at the time of Trout's injury.

But over the past two months, Ron Washington has his team playing close to .500 ball. Los Angeles is 32-35 since June 1 and a number of the Angels' young, budding stars have been playing quite well of late.

Think of where the Halos could have been this season with a healthy Trout. Prior to his injury, Trout was worth 1.0 bWAR while hitting just .220/.325/.541 with 10 home runs and 14 RBI. Combine those types of numbers, and what would have probably been an uptick in both batting average and on-base percentage, and the Angels have the makings of a solid lineup. Thinking along those lines, the Angels' record could have been much different had Trout stayed off the IL.

A healthy Mike Trout could have saved LA Angels' 2024 season as young core heats up

When healthy, you know what you're going to get from Trout. The Angels' outfielder appeared in 119 games back in 2022, and posted an OPS near 1.000 with 40 home runs. We're not talking about some former MVP like Joey Votto in the twilight of his career. Trout is still just 33 years old, and though he isn't at the same MVP-level from 2019, he's not about to fall off a cliff.

Combining a typical Trout season with what Angels fans have seen from the likes of Logan O'Hoppe, Zach Neto, and Nolan Schanuel could have produced some exciting baseball in Anaheim, and maybe even push LA's record closer to the .500 mark. Not to mention, Trout's presence in the lineup could've opened up more opportunities for the young sluggers to succeed.

While Angels fans don't want to hear a lot of what if's and could've been's, it is somewhat uplifting to think about next year's squad with Trout in the fold. O'Hoppe, Neto, and Schanuel have combined for 7.9 bWAR in 2024. That, plus a returning top of the rotation that includes Tyler Anderson and Jose Soriano could be, at the very least, competitive in 2025.

Trout needs to use the entire offseason to get healthy, and perhaps a position change is in order prior to next spring. While it's been a difficult task over the past few seasons, getting Trout into the lineup on a regular basis undoubtedly gives the Halos their best chance to win. And for the first time, in a long time, the former AL MVP is surrounded by good, young talent.

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