Angels superstar Mike Trout has built an impressive career decorated with numerous accolades, yet fans increasingly question his decision to remain with a struggling franchise.
Trout’s achievements include three MVP awards, 11 All-Star appearances, three All-MLB First Team honors, nine Silver Sluggers, and two AL Hank Aaron Awards. Despite this, he has only one playoff appearance—a 2014 series that ended in a 0-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
“His stay with a struggling franchise like the Angels was one of the biggest contributors to his diminishing popularity,” one fan observed.
Many fans and analysts point to team ownership, particularly Arte Moreno, as a key reason behind Trout’s stagnating legacy. Repeated injuries and inconsistencies during the 2020s have further complicated his trajectory, fueling debate about when his decline truly began for someone once hailed as the face of modern baseball.
On October 22, 2025, Trout appeared in civil court over the death of his former teammate Tyler Skaggs, who passed away in 2019 after a fentanyl overdose. The case involved former Angels communication director Eric Kay, accused of providing Skaggs with a laced pill.
Trout testified that he and Skaggs “were close, having been drafted in the same class back in 2009,” and described Kay as “excellent at his job and dedicated to supporting players.”
Trout’s continued loyalty to the Angels, despite years of team underperformance and off-field turmoil, has become both his defining trait and the source of scrutiny from fans who feel he deserves better.
Author’s Summary: Mike Trout remains a loyal star defined by both exceptional talent and a career shadowed by the Angels’ dysfunction, making his legacy one of brilliance mixed with frustration.