For a myriad of reasons, the Los Angeles Angels have completely wasted Mike Trout’s 20s.
In virtually any other sport, having the greatest player in the game equates to success. The postseason is predetermined, and it is likely that one will advance for a round or two. Sometimes the role players around that star catch fire, leading to a championship. However, that has not been the case with the Los Angeles Angels and Mike Trout.
Alas, Major League Baseball is truly a team effort. The other 24, or 25 or 27 or however many players are going to be on rosters going forward, need to perform as well. As to what that means for Trout? Well…
And now it’s official: The Angels will not win a single playoff game while Mike Trout is in his 20s.
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) September 26, 2020
At least the Angels reached the postseason once during Trout’s first decade. He had one hit in 15 plate appearances against the Royals in 2014, belting a home run and drawing three walks. However, the Angels were swept, a quick end to his one playoff appearance.
This season particularly hurts. The postseason had expanded, with eight teams in each league making the playoffs. The top two teams in each division were assured of a postseason berth and the Astros were a shell of their former selves. All the Angels seemingly needed to do was to be reasonably competent and finish around .500 to return to October.
Instead, the Angels’ patchwork approach to their pitching staff again led to disaster. The bullpen has been a trainwreck virtually all season, and Los Angeles has still struggled to find competent pitching beyond Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning. Dylan Bundy was a revelation this season, and could help next year, but the Angels need a lot more from their arms.
Meanwhile, Trout has put together another typically great season to no effect. Heading into Saturday, he had produced a .281/.390/.603 batting line with 17 homers and nine doubles. Amazingly, his 168 OPS+ is slightly below his career mark, but that only illustrates how great Trout has been in his career.
And it illustrates how little the Los Angeles Angels have given him. As of Friday, it became official that the franchise will not win a single playoff game while Mike Trout is in his 20s.