“I haven’t really felt like myself in the last few years. I don’t know exactly how it got off track. Just over time, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it is. But when it’s on track, it feels like my old self.” – Mike Trout
Mike Trout started the year telling reporters that he didn’t always feel like his old self. That statement seemed to sum up his entire season. Between moments of brilliance that reminded everyone of the “old Mike Trout” were frustrating droughts at the plate and the lingering effects of a bone bruise that kept him out of the field.
The Move to Right Field
After recovering from two meniscus tears to his left knee in 2024, spring training brought the news that Mike would be moving from center field to right field as his full-time position. The news wasn’t entirely surprising, as former manager Joe Maddon had implied the move would be coming soon years ago. After multiple injuries and the regular effects of age, the hope was that Trout would be healthier in right field and the Angels would be able to maximize their defense in center.
Few players are willing to work as hard as Trout, and he applied that work ethic to the transition in the field. But his lack of experience was evident. Toward the end of April, based on Defensive Runs Saved, he was the worst-ranked right fielder in baseball.
Look how the fan is HOLDING Mike Trout in the air
— Jake (@D1SCHER) April 12, 2025
That ain’t a “mistake” dawg. This dude needs some punishment for his actions pic.twitter.com/jfUuyAT7BE
One notable moment was an incident in Houston where Trout and a fan “tussled” over a fly ball that went into the stands. The fan was overly aggressive in attempting to pull the ball out of Trout’s glove. The ball was determined to be foul, and the incident had no impact on the game. The fan was immediately apologetic and made it clear that he had no intention of interfering with the game. His response earned him and his son a visit after the game with Mike.
The Bone Bruise Injury
Mike eventually suffered a bone bruise while running to first base. The hope was that he would only miss the minimum 10 days while he recovered. Unfortunately, the injury kept him away from the team for four weeks. When he returned, he was never able to overcome the soreness of the injury and, as a result, spent the remainder of the year as the designated hitter.
With his season mostly confined to DH, his value to the team can be evaluated based on what he was able to accomplish at the plate.
RF Mike Trout on his bone bruise pic.twitter.com/4x9it1Wwou
— Angels News (@AngelsNews27) May 4, 2025
Struggles at the Plate
Trout began the season with his batting average down and his strikeouts up, but he was contending for the league lead in home runs early, including hitting one in his first at-bat at Angel Stadium.
Mike Trout's first at-bat at Angel Stadium this year is a homer to right-center pic.twitter.com/PB9VbMdXpt
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) April 5, 2025
Despite a month on the injured list, this was the first season he had 500 at-bats since 2019—a span of six seasons. Still, it seemed he couldn’t ever really return to form. Despite having almost 100 more at-bats than in 2022, his total hits were down. Most significantly, his power numbers declined. He had almost half as many doubles and home runs as he had in 2022. His slugging percentage was 200 points lower than his last productive seasons, and his OPS was under .800 for the first time in his career.
A Late-Season Surge
At the end of the season, Trout went on a tear and hit five home runs in the final week. He explained that he noticed his head wasn’t in the right position to see the ball. He worked on his mechanics extensively and was able to get good results in the batting cages, but he had been unable to replicate the position on the field until the final week. It will be interesting to see if he is able to replicate the late-season success in 2026.
Career Milestones
Mike Trout hit three significant career milestones this year. 1,000 walks, 1000 RBI, and 400 home runs.
His 1000th RBI was a three run home run in Anaheim against Seattle’s Logan Gilbert.
His 400th home run came in Denver against Jaden Hill. Trout had been sitting at 399 after nearly a month. This was a no-doubter.
Team Struggles Continue
As a team, the Angels continued to flounder. A number of young, productive athletes have been added to the roster, but the pitching staff remains a major weakness. Five years ago, general manager Perry Minasian had promised there would not be a five-year rebuild to get the team into the playoffs, but for the 11th season in a row, the team missed the postseason. For the 10th year in a row, the team finished with a losing record. At the trade deadline, they added a few relief pitchers but did not sell off players with expiring contracts or trade for players that would substantially improve the team.
Midway through the year, manager Ron Washington had to leave the team for quadruple bypass heart surgery. At the end of the season, the Angels announced that neither Washington nor his interim replacement, Ray Montgomery, would be returning. Minasian has one year remaining on his contract, and as of mid-October, the team had still not held a press conference to discuss the results of the season or their ambitions for 2026.