"Mike Trout is like Barry Bonds that way” - When Red Sox manager Alex Cora saw one glaring similarity between Angels superstar and MLB legend
Mike Trout has developed into one of the best baseball players of all time during his 15-season stint with the LA Angels. The outfield sensation became the face of MLB during the 2010s and was the primary star for the Angels before being plagued by injury.
One of Trout's standout traits is plate discipline. From 2011 until 2020, Trout batted .304/.418/.582 with an OPS of 1.000 while playing one of the most demanding roles on the field. His patience at the plate has garnered respect from all across the league, including a very special comparison from Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
“He recognizes pitches out of the hand faster than anybody. He’s like [Barry] Bonds that way," said Cora in an interview with Sports Illustrated back in July 2018.
During that season, the Angels superstar led the majors in slugging, OPS, and OPS+, which enabled him to finish as the runner-up in AL MVP voting, just behind then-Red Sox star Mookie Betts.
Bonds, meanwhile, is widely considered the greatest hitter to ever grace Major League Baseball. Bonds won a record seven NL MVP awards to go with 12 Silver Sluggers. He holds the record for most home runs (762), most walks and intentional walks among others.
In the same interview, former Cy Young winner Rick Porcello also shared his thoughts about facing Trout.
“Mike was great from Day One, but now I feel like he gives a pitcher so many fewer options. You can’t get him to chase. The places where you might get him in the strike zone are a lot fewer than they used to be. It used to be that you could go up with a fastball, but he’s really improved there. And if you keep showing him the same pitch, he’s going to get you."
Mike Trout's shift to DH yields results
After several injuries kept Mike Trout out of action for the past half decade, the Angels brass made a huge call regarding his role in the team. Upon returning from a bone bruise that kept him out for a month, Trout's stats have skyrocketed.
Playing exclusively as a DH for almost a month now, the Angels superstar has tallied a .286/.413/.405 slash line with three home runs and 10 RBIs. This is a far cry from his batting average of .171 in mid-April.
It would be interesting to see if Angels skipper Ron Washington keeps his most-prized asset as a designated hitter for the foreseeable future.