Story by
Angels’ Jo Adell gets brutally honest on impact Mike Trout has on lineup
- Story by
- Angels’ Jo Adell gets brutally honest on impact Mike Trout has on lineup
Angels' Jo Adell gets brutally honest on impact Mike Trout has on lineup appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Mike Trout has not played 150-plus games in a single season since 2016. The Los Angeles Angels and their tortured fan base are hoping the generational talent can reclaim his superstar form now that he is back in center field . Trout played 130 games in 2025, his highest total in six years, but he posted a .232 batting average and sub-.800 OPS. The three-time American League MVP has returned to his comfort zone, so perhaps he can turn back the clock.
Advertisement
Jo Adell , who is making his own thrilling memories in Anaheim, explained the type of difference a healthy Trout can make.
"It changes the dynamic of the entire lineup," the 2017 first-round draft pick told "The Foul Territory" podcast. "If they're not throwing him strikes, he's taking the base. He's allowing traffic, which was kind of a struggle for us last year… Then, when he needs to, they throw him his one or two pitches a game, almost like the Barry Bonds treatment, and he smashes one in the gap or hits a two-run homer. That's just vintage Mike Trout .
"It feels like for me, that he just learns something new every day. That's just the type of special talent that he is."
Although he managed just one hit in his last four games, Trout proved he could still inflict considerable damage during the Angels' opening series against the Houston Astros . Unfortunately, the nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner suffered an injury in his last game.
Advertisement
Trout got hit in the hand with a pitch on Sunday afternoon against the Seattle Mariners . He exited with a trainer, giving everyone an uncomfortable but all too familiar feeling in their stomach. The 34-year-old avoided a fracture and is currently considered day to day. He will try to quickly return to action and get back to punishing the baseball.
Whether or not Trout manages to stay healthy for most of this season, he will need some help. Jo Adell is an X-factor. The veteran outfielder belted a career-high 37 home runs last year and is displaying his defensive prowess in the early portion of the 2026 campaign. He incredibly robbed three dingers in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Mariners.
Despite Adell's heroics, both he and the club know they can only go so far unless Mike Trout is active and impactful. The Halos welcome in the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
Related: Angels' Jo Adell makes admission about HR robbery vs. Mariners
Related: Angels' Mike Trout calls out risky strategy after HBP vs. Mariners
