How Mike Trout Was 'Left Behind' As Shohei Ohtani Wins Two Rings
Mike Trout has not played in the postseason since 2014, marking the longest active drought among elite players as the three-time MVP nears the final phase of his career with the Los Angeles Angels.
Now 34, the center fielder holds a career WAR of 87.5 — the highest ever recorded by a modern player without a single postseason victory. Neither Trout nor the Angels have reached the playoffs since their 2014 ALDS sweep against Kansas City. The franchise’s last postseason win dates back to 2009, the same year Trout was drafted.
In March 2019, Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million contract extension, then the richest in North American sports history. About $190 million remains on the deal, which lasts through 2030.
“I've got five more years on the contract,” Trout told The Athletic in September. “I feel like I've got a lot left in my tank. And I know when it's right, I can be the best.”
According to The Athletic, multiple sources said Trout would not ask for a trade from the Angels, describing that move as “the easy way out.”
Meanwhile, former teammate Shohei Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023 and has secured back-to-back World Series titles since leaving Anaheim. Trout and Ohtani shared six seasons as teammates but appeared in the lineup together for only 46.6% of Angels games, during which the team went 194–211.
Author’s Summary
Mike Trout’s loyalty to the Angels contrasts Ohtani’s success, leaving the star outfielder still chasing postseason glory as his career winds down.