The Los Angeles Angels have officially been eliminated from playoff contention for the 11th straight season, extending a frustrating postseason drought. For more than a decade, fans have been deprived of seeing Mike Trout showcase his talent on baseball’s biggest stage. Now, as Trout’s prime years are behind him, his résumé still includes just one playoff appearance, no postseason victories, and only three winning seasons.
At 33, Trout’s career has clearly shifted into its later stages, with recurring injuries limiting him from producing at the elite level that once defined him. Still, his career remains decorated, and even as his numbers decline, he continues to reach significant milestones.
On Saturday, Trout achieved one of those milestones by becoming the 59th player in MLB history to hit 400 career home runs. His historic blast came in the eighth inning of a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rockies, when he crushed a hanging sinker to straightaway center for a towering 485-foot shot.
Following the game, Trout expressed his gratitude with a heartfelt post to fans on X (formerly Twitter):
“400. Last night was surreal. Blessed to play this game I love. Thank you to my teammates, family, and the fans for all the support. Let’s keep it rolling!”
By every measure, 2025 has been the toughest season of Mike Trout’s career. His .772 OPS is the lowest full-season mark he’s ever posted, and with his transition from center field to primarily designated hitter, he’s offered little to no defensive value.
The decline shows up most clearly in his WAR. Fangraphs has him at just 1.3 WAR through 125 games—production that barely resembles the player once viewed as on pace to become the greatest ever. For context, Trout accumulated 2.1 WAR in only 36 games back in 2021, nearly doubling his current total despite playing less than a third of a season.
On the positive side, Trout has managed to stay on the field, avoiding the kind of major injury that’s derailed several recent campaigns. For both Trout and the Angels, simply surviving a full season is a victory in itself.
The looming question, though, is whether this year is just a down season that could springboard into a bounce-back in 2026—or if this represents the new normal for a once-unstoppable superstar.