September 25, 2026 - Written by Cade Lalim
Mike Trout with his first career homer at Sutter Health Park, giving him a homer in 31 different parks. He also now has more homers against the A's than any other player since they moved to CA with 44. It's his 22nd of the year. pic.twitter.com/rRq205r1u2
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) September 24, 2026
Los Angeles Angels star outfielder Mike Trout may not be putting up the numbers he used to, but he’s actually putting together one of his more all-around complete seasons in recent years.
Sure, his numbers are down across the board from when he was constantly in the MVP race, but he’s still been a very consistent, above-average bat in what’s been an overall abysmal Angels lineup.
It is worth mentioning that Trout is under contract through the 2030 season, meaning his Hall of Fame-worthy career is only getting closer to coming to an end, and we should start to appreciate more what he does night after night at the ballpark.
Trout, 35, was named an All-Star starter this year for the American League, his first selection since his 2023 campaign, and it was even more special this year because of the fact that the game was played in Philadelphia, which is not too far from his hometown of Millville, New Jersey.
Putting all that aside, Trout is still proving to be a well-above-average player, amidst the fact that season number sixteen is about to come to a close.
Mike Trout’s Has Been a Steady Workhorse In 2026
The fact that Trout has logged 140 games this year is pretty impressive, tying his previous high in 2018. His 624 total plate appearances and 505 at-bats are his most since his 2016 campaign where he made 681 plate appearances along with 549 at-bats.
Now, it’s been 10 years since Trout saw this much playing time, but what has he been able to accomplish this season? He’s been injury-free for the most part this year and it’s allowed him to put together a very well-rounded season.
As things currently stand, Trout owns a .246 batting average and .813 OPS, to go along with 26 doubles and 22 home runs. I didn’t mention any triples because he actually hasn’t hit a triple yet this season. He only has three more games to do so, and if he doesn’t, it would end a streak going back to 2012 where he logged at least one triple in each season.
When I say that his season can be best defined as well-rounded, I mean that he’s doing everything exceptionally well. Trout’s been good at everything, but not great at anything.
I mean, Trout’s 26 doubles this season is his highest in a while. He didn’t manage more than 14 in his last three seasons, and his next highest mark of 28 came in 2022. The other part of this is his home runs. He does have 22 which is pretty good, but he hit 26 last year, and fans have been used to 30-40 home runs per season from him.
As you’ll soon see regarding his plate discipline, Trout has used his most complete season in 10 years to be simply solid in every category. We don’t know for sure, but this might end up being his best season before he likely retires after the 2030 season.
The best thing we’ve seen from Trout this year is that he’s still able to get on base at a very high clip. He currently owns a superb .385 on-base percentage, a mark that ranks sixth in the majors, trailing only James Wood (.385), Willson Contreras (.387), TJ Rumfield (.388), Jake Bauers (.393) and Yordan Alvarez (.432).
A large reason why Trout is still managing to get on base at an elite level is due to his excellent approach at the plate. He’s drawn 105 total walks this season (his most since 110 back in 2019), which translates to an incredible 16.8% clip, placing him in the 99th percentile.
Trout barely offers at pitches out of the strike zone, owning just a 20.5% chase rate, which ranks in the 97th percentile. This also explains more clearly why his excellent .381 xwOBA ranks in the 98th percentile.
The last two things capping off what’s been, again, a well-rounded season is that he returned back to manning center field and to swiping some bases.
Trout has so far logged 109 games in center field this year, his most since he logged 111 during the 2022 season. Due to injuries and switching to right field momentarily in 2025, it’s been refreshing to see Trout back out in his natural element.
It’s also been refreshing to see him more aggressive on the basepaths. Being 35 years old, his spring speed still ranks in the 83rd percentile, and he’s been able to go 11/12 in stolen base attempts thus far. His previous high came in 2019 where he also stole 11 bags, but he hadn’t managed to steal more than six bases over the last six seasons.
In terms of bWAR, Trout has been worth 4.2 so far in 2026, which is his highest since being valued at 6.1 bWAR during the 2022 season.
Even though the Angels might lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history, we need to appreciate more what we’re seeing from Trout, someone who’s been the face of the franchise for the last 16 years.
Hopefully the organization will get things turned around relatively quickly, and get Trout back in the Postseason before he hangs up the cleats.
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