Mike Trout cranks first HR of 2024 MLB season with blast off Corbin Burnes

Shohei who? With all the hoopla this offseason surrounding the loss of Shohei Ohtani, it seems as many baseball experts and pundits forgot about Mike Trout. Well, the three-time MVP did his best during the first inning of Thursday's Opening Day game against the Baltimore Orioles to remind everyone just how good he really is.

Orioles starter Corbin Burnes was cruising right along in the first inning. He induced a strikeout from Angels' leadoff hitter Anthony Rendon, and then a swinging strike that O's catcher Adley Rutschman dropped and promptly threw to first base.

With two outs via the K in his back pocket to start his Orioles' career, Burnes tried to sneak a 1-1 slider past Trout. It didn't work. Trout promptly deposited that pitch over the wall in left-center field for his first home run of the 2024 season.

Mike Trout cranks first HR of 2024 MLB season with blast off Corbin Burnes

The home run was not only Trout's first of the season, but it was the first round-tripper of the entire 2024 campaign. With rain in the northeast, both the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies' home openers were postponed until Friday, making the Halos game against the O's the first this year.

The Angels will need more of that type of production from Trout in 2024, Without Ohtani, LA has a massive hole in the lineup. New manager Ron Washington has decided to hit Rendon at the top of the lineup, and Ohtani's replacement (Miguel Sanó) hadn't played in a major league game since 2022. Washington is relying team speed and better base running in 2024 to help manufacture runs.

Trout suffered through injuries in 2023. The 11-time All-Star appeared in just 82 games and produced the lowest OPS of his career. He's looking for a bounce-back year in 2024.

Unfortunately, the Orioles came right back and overtook the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Gunnar Henderson scored on a fielder's choice to tie the game, and the O's took a 2-1 lead on a RBI single courtesy of Jordan Westburg.

Trout has his work cut out for him as he'll try to lead this year's Angels' team to the postseason. The bats can score some runs, but will the Angels pitchers be able to keep runs off the board? That will be the question in terms of how far this team can go.

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