History of Mike Trout in Timeline

Mike Trout is a highly decorated MLB outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, widely considered one of baseball's all-time greats and the best player of his generation. His accolades include 11 All-Star selections, 3 AL MVP awards, and 9 Silver Slugger Awards. Trout also captained the United States national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, earning a spot on the All-World Baseball Classic Team. His exceptional performance and consistent excellence have solidified his status as a legendary figure in the sport.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1934: Trosky's Runs Scored Record

In July 2012, Mike Trout's 34 runs scored tied the Major League rookie record with Cleveland Indians first baseman Hal Trosky from 1934.

1936: DiMaggio's Runs and RBI Record

In July 2012, Mike Trout became the first rookie to drive in at least 55 runs and score 80 runs in 81 games since Joe DiMaggio in 1936.

January 7, 1961: Jeff Trout's Birth

On January 7, 1961, Jeff Trout, Mike Trout's father, was born. He later played baseball at the University of Delaware.

Others born on this day/year

1964: Rookie Scoring 120 Runs

On September 21, Mike Trout became the first rookie to score 120 or more runs since Ichiro Suzuki and the fourth rookie to accomplish that feat since 1964.

1972: Cedeño's Home Run and Stolen Base Feat

In 2012, Mike Trout became the youngest player ever to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 40 bases in a season, surpassing Houston Astros center fielder César Cedeño who accomplished the feat in 1972.

1983: Drafted by the Minnesota Twins

In 1983, Jeff Trout, Mike Trout's father, was a fifth-round draft pick as a second baseman by the Minnesota Twins.

August 7, 1991: Michael Nelson Trout Born

On August 7, 1991, Michael Nelson Trout was born. He is now an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels.

Others born on this day/year

2001: Sosa's Runs in a Season

In 2012, Mike Trout scored three runs in a game for the tenth time in the season, making it the most since Sammy Sosa's 11 games in 2001.

2001: Rookie of the Month Four Times

In August 2012, Mike Trout became the first American League rookie since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 to win Rookie of the Month four times during a single season.

2004: Bonds' WAR

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Mike Trout finished the 2012 season with a wins above replacement (WAR) value of 10.9, and he was the first position player to have a WAR above 10.0 since Barry Bonds for the San Francisco Giants in 2004.

2005: Figgins Leads League in Stolen Bases

In 2012, Mike Trout became the first Angels player to lead the league in stolen bases since Chone Figgins did so in 2005.

2007: Perfect Game WWBA Championships

In 2007, Mike Trout played in the Perfect Game WWBA Championships in Jupiter, Florida with Tri-State Arsenal.

2008: Perfect Game WWBA Championships

In 2008, Mike Trout played in the Perfect Game WWBA Championships in Jupiter, Florida with Tri-State Arsenal.

2008: Attended World Series Parade

In 2008, Mike Trout, a die-hard Philadelphia Phillies fan, attended their World Series parade.

2009: Pre-Draft Commitment to East Carolina University

Before the 2009 MLB Draft, Mike Trout had committed to play baseball at East Carolina University.

2009: Millville Senior High School Graduate

In 2009, Mike Trout graduated from Millville Senior High School.

2009: Professional Career Begins

In 2009, after being drafted by the Angels, Mike Trout started his professional baseball career, playing for the Arizona Angels of the rookie-level Arizona League (AZL) and later for the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Class A Midwest League.

2009: Drafted by the Angels

In 2009, the Angels selected Mike Trout in the first round of the MLB draft, marking the beginning of his professional baseball career.

2010: Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award

After the 2010 season, Mike Trout received the Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award, becoming the youngest player to win the award at 19 years and two months. He was also named a Baseball America All-Star as well as a Topps Class A All-Star.

2010: All-Star Futures Game Selection and Promotion

In 2010, Mike Trout played for Cedar Rapids, was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game, and was later promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

July 8, 2011: Major League Debut

On July 8, 2011, the Los Angeles Angels promoted Mike Trout, and he made his major league debut that night.

August 1, 2011: Sent Back to Double-A Arkansas

On August 1, 2011, Mike Trout was sent back to Double-A Arkansas after hitting .163 with one home run and six runs batted in 12 starts for the Angels.

August 19, 2011: Recalled by the Angels

On August 19, 2011, Mike Trout was recalled by the Los Angeles Angels and hit his first home run at Angel Stadium that night.

2011: Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award

For the 2011 season, Mike Trout was named Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .326/.414/.544 with 11 home runs, 38 RBIs, 82 runs scored, and 33 stolen bases in 91 games. He was also named an outfielder on Baseball America's 2011 Minor League All-Star team.

2011: Brief Major League Appearance

In 2011, Mike Trout made a brief major league appearance for the Los Angeles Angels.

2011: Season with Arkansas Travelers

Mike Trout started the 2011 season with the Arkansas Travelers of the Class AA Texas League.

November 12, 2012: BBWAA Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award

On November 12, 2012, Mike Trout unanimously won the BBWAA Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award, receiving all 28 first-place votes. He became the youngest player to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award and the first Angels player to win it since Tim Salmon in 1993. He was also only the 18th unanimous winner of the award.

2012: AL Rookie of the Year Award

In 2012, Mike Trout became a regular player for the Angels and unanimously won the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

2012: Return to the Majors

In 2012, Mike Trout began the season with the Salt Lake Bees and was brought up from the minors on April 28 to replace Bobby Abreu.

2012: AL MVP runner-up

In 2012, Mike Trout finished second in the voting for American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP).

2012: American League Leader in Runs

In 2012, Mike Trout led the American League in runs.

2012: Angels Rookie Records

In 2012, Mike Trout scored his 100th run of the season on August 26, becoming the second Angels rookie to score at least 100 runs in a season after Devon White, and set a new Angels record for runs scored in a rookie season.

2012: Jersey Number Awarded to Team Captain

In 2012, Millville High School initially planned to retire Mike Trout's jersey number but instead began awarding it to the team captain.

May 21, 2013: Hits for the cycle against the Seattle Mariners

On May 21, 2013, Mike Trout became the youngest player in American League history and the sixth-youngest in Major League history to hit for the cycle. This accomplishment occurred at home against the Seattle Mariners.

2013: AL MVP runner-up

In 2013, Mike Trout finished second in the voting for American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP).

2013: American League Leader in Times on Base

In 2013, Mike Trout led the American League in times on base.

April 19, 2014: First Golden Sombrero

On April 19, 2014, Mike Trout had his first golden sombrero after playing in 353 games, going 0-4 with four consecutive strikeouts against Max Scherzer.

November 13, 2014: Named AL MVP

On November 13, 2014, Mike Trout was unanimously selected as the AL MVP by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He became the sixth player in MLB history to win both the regular-season MVP and the All-Star Game MVP in the same season and was the fifth-youngest MVP ever at the time.

2014: AL MVP Award

In 2014, Mike Trout won his first American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

April 17, 2015: Reaches 100 Home Runs and 100 Stolen Bases

On April 17, 2015, Mike Trout became the youngest player in MLB history to reach 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases at 23 years and 253 days old. He passed Alex Rodriguez who achieved this milestone at 23 years and 309 days in 1999.

2015: AL MVP runner-up

In 2015, Mike Trout finished second in the voting for American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP).

2015: American League Leader in Times on Base

In 2015, Mike Trout led the American League in times on base.

June 2016: Sporting News Names Trout Baseball's Best Active Player

In June 2016, Sporting News named Mike Trout "baseball's best [active] player", recognizing his exceptional performance and impact on the sport.

August 12, 2016: Accumulates Most WAR Through Age-24 Season Since 1913

By August 12, 2016, Mike Trout's age-24 season, he had accumulated more WAR than any other player since 1913. Trout's WAR was 45, followed by Mickey Mantle with 41.1.

2016: American League Leader in Runs and Times on Base

In 2016, Mike Trout led the American League in both runs and times on base.

2016: Wins Second AL MVP Award

In 2016, Mike Trout was announced as the AL MVP for the second time in his career. He joined Barry Bonds as the only other player in MLB history to finish top 2 for the MVP in five straight seasons.

May 28, 2017: Sprains Thumb and Leaves Game

On May 28, 2017, Mike Trout left the game after spraining his left thumb. He was batting .337 and led the Angels with 16 home runs at the time.

September 6, 2017: Franchise Record for Consecutive Games with a Walk

On September 6, 2017, Mike Trout drew a walk in his 14th consecutive contest against the Oakland Athletics, surpassing Albie Pearson's franchise record of 13 set in 1961.

September 29, 2017: Hits 200th Career Home Run

On September 29, 2017, Mike Trout hit his 200th career home run off Marco Gonzales of the Seattle Mariners, becoming the seventh player in history to reach 200 or more home runs before the end of his age-25 season.

August 10, 2018: Placed on Disabled List Due to Wrist Inflammation

On August 10, 2018, Mike Trout was placed on the disabled list due to right wrist inflammation.

2018: AL MVP runner-up

In 2018, Mike Trout finished second in the voting for American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP).

2018: American League Leader in Times on Base

In 2018, Mike Trout led the American League in times on base.

March 20, 2019: Mike Trout Signs Richest Contract

On March 20, 2019, Mike Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million contract with the Angels, which at the time was the richest contract in North American sports history.

October 24, 2019: Trout Wins AL Hank Aaron Award and AL MVP

On October 24, 2019, Mike Trout won the AL Hank Aaron Award and was named the AL MVP for the third time in his career, joining Albert Pujols as the only active MLB players with three MVP awards.

2019: Signed Contract with the Angels

In 2019, Mike Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million contract with the Angels.

2019: AL MVP Award

In 2019, Mike Trout won his third American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

July 30, 2020: Birth of Mike Trout's Son

On July 30, 2020, Mike Trout and his wife Jessica Cox welcomed their son.

August 23, 2020: Trout Trading Card Sells for Record Amount

On August 23, 2020, a Mike Trout trading card sold for $3.93 million at auction, breaking the record for the most expensive sports card sale at the time.

September 5, 2020: Trout Hits 300th Career Home Run

On September 5, 2020, Mike Trout hit his 300th career home run off of Brandon Bielak of the Houston Astros, surpassing Tim Salmon to become the Angels' all-time home run leader.

May 17, 2021: Trout Strains Calf During Game

On May 17, 2021, Mike Trout strained his right calf while jogging the bases during a game against the Cleveland Indians.

March 13, 2022: Angels Consider Moving Trout Out of Center Field

On March 13, 2022, Angels manager Joe Maddon considered moving Mike Trout out of center field to prevent injuries, but Trout preferred to remain in center field, leading to Maddon deciding against the positional switch.

July 19, 2022: Trout to Captain USA in World Baseball Classic

On July 19, 2022, Mike Trout announced that he would captain the United States national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

April 15, 2023: Trout Records 300th Career Double

On April 15, 2023, Mike Trout hit his 300th career double in a game against the Red Sox, becoming the fourth player in Major League history to reach at least 300 career doubles, 300 career home runs, and 200 stolen bases by his age-31 season, joining Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Willie Mays.

2023: World Baseball Classic

In 2023, Mike Trout captained the United States national team during the World Baseball Classic and was named to the All-World Baseball Classic Team.

April 9, 2024: Trout Breaks Angels Record for Fastest to Six Home Runs

On April 9, 2024, Mike Trout hit a home run in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, becoming the fastest player in Angels franchise history to reach six home runs, achieving this feat in just eleven games.