Mike Trout’s Crossroads: Can a DH Role Save His Career?
Time waits for no one, not even the greatest. Mike Trout, once the undisputed face of MLB, faces an uncertain future. The years have passed, the injuries have piled up, and the team around him has crumbled, although it never took off. Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton are in the past, and his last great teammate, Shohei Ohtani, not only left but did so for the rival team, the Dodgers, signing one of the most gigantic contracts in sports history. To top it off, Ohtani has already made history in his first year with the Dodgers. Meanwhile, Trout remains in Anaheim, but something has changed: for the first time, the Angels are considering that his future is not in center field, but as a designated hitter.
Injuries have been Trout's major obstacle in recent years. Since 2020, he has averaged around 60 games per season, far from the workhorse he was in his prime. Each year, his absences have become more prolonged and notable, and the Angels have accepted that they can no longer count on him as their full-time center fielder. Although the organization has been aggressive this offseason, with moves like the acquisition of Jorge Soler, there remains a big question: what version of Mike Trout will we see in 2025? Will converting him to a designated hitter be enough to finally keep him healthy?
Despite everything Trout has been through in recent years, his talent with the bat is still there. Although in 2024 his batting average was .220 in a limited sample size, his power remains a threat to every pitcher in the league. However, the numbers show signs of decline: his exit velocity has decreased, his plate discipline has changed a little bit, and pitchers seem to be losing respect for him, attacking him in the strike zone more frequently. He is no longer the unstoppable hitter he was a few years ago, but if his physical load is reduced by not playing in center field, he could still be a key piece. The big question is whether the Angels can make the transition effective and if Trout will accept the change without problems.
Baseball needs Trout on the field, and transitioning to a designated hitter role might be the only way for him to keep producing without his body betraying him. However, the dilemma remains: will this change be enough to bring back the star who once dominated MLB? Or worse, have we reached the point where even being just a hitter won't prevent injuries from continuing to define his career? 2025 could be the year we finally find out if there's still any trace of the old Mike Trout or if we're witnessing the inevitable decline of a legend.
