Sports Mike Trout’s 2024 campaign is over after correct 29 games, as the Los Angeles Angels announced on Thursday that the superstar outfielder is being shut down resulting from a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Sadly for Trout, this has been the theme in contemporary years, as a player who regarded love a likely all-time noteworthy by his first 9 seasons has since struggled to stay to it the self-discipline.
In quite a lot of solutions, of course, Trout’s career arc is starting up to resemble that of every other phenom who become saddled by accidents in the latter allotment of his career — Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.
Let’s blueprint shut a survey.
On July 8, 2011, a 19-year-weird and wonderful Trout made his MLB debut with the Angels and played the bulk of the 2d half of the season on the noteworthy-league stage. His first bulky season got right here in 2012, which is when the heroics commenced.
Trout stepped into the spotlight and set the baseball world in the palm of his hands, making absurd catches in heart self-discipline, legging out additional-base hits and persistently flaunting a crisp, compact swing from the exact side. He led the game with 129 runs, 49 stolen bases and a 168 OPS+, whereas posting a .326/.399/.564 chop line and claiming American League Rookie of the Yr honors across correct 139 games.
Trout went on to total 29-plus home runs in eight consecutive seasons, 100-plus runs scored in seven of eight seasons, 100-plus walks in four of eight seasons and an OPS north of 1.000 in three seasons. He led the game in OPS+ in four of eight seasons. Within the final year of that stretch (2019), Trout had arguably the exact offensive season of his career, totaling forty five home runs and 104 RBIs, whereas main the game with a .438 on-base share and .645 slugging share.
Then the accidents kicked in.
After a truncated 2020 season that observed Trout play in fifty three of the Angels’ 60 weird and wonderful-season games, he seemed in precisely 36 games in 2021 resulting from a calf spoil. That become followed by him missing 43 games in 2022 resulting from a support spoil. Final year, Trout in point of fact missed your total 2d half of the season resulting from an elbow spoil, limiting him to 82 games. And, needless to notify, he has now been shut down after 29 games resulting from a knee spoil.
Trout hasn’t played bigger than 140 games in a single season since 2016, which become correct his fifth bulky season in the noteworthy leagues. He has moreover seemed in precisely 41 games post-All-Famous individual spoil since 2021.
Enter the Griffey comparison.
The No. 1 pick in the 1987 MLB Draft, Griffey made the Seattle Mariners’ Opening Day lineup in 1989, moreover on the age of 19. Over the following three years, he grew to vary into the total extra productive from the left side and surely one of doubtlessly the most feared hitters in baseball.
From 1993-2000 (1993-99 with the Mariners, 2000 with the Cincinnati Reds), Griffey blasted 40-plus home runs in seven seasons, 50-plus long balls in two seasons and led the American League in home runs four cases. He moreover posted a slugging share north of .500 in 10 of 11 seasons and north of .600 in 5 of 11 seasons from 1991-2001.
Then the accidents hit.
Griffey seemed in precisely 111 games in 2001, which grew to vary into doubtlessly the most he played in a single season till 2005, after taking part in no bigger than 83 games from 2002-04. He then seemed in precisely 109 games in 2006 and below no situations seemed in bigger than 144 games by 2010, his final season in the league. Over that span, Griffey missed time resulting from a aggregate of knee, ankle, hamstring and shoulder accidents.
That said, Griffey gathered managed to hit at an All-Famous individual-caliber stage in the 2d half of his career, albeit not shut to the MVP stage he once pulled off. From 2005-07, Griffey posted 30-plus home runs and 90-plus RBIs twice, whereas posting an OPS above .800 in all three seasons.
Griffey done his MLB career with 630 home runs, which currently ranks seventh in MLB history.
For standpoint, this is a survey on the first and 2d half of both gamers’ careers, with yearly averages, respectively, in accordance with FOX Sports actions Research:
Ken Griffey Jr. (1989-2001): 35 home runs, 103 RBIs, 94 runs scored, 153 hits, 6 WAR, .296/.379/.566 chop line (138 games) Ken Griffey Jr. (2002-10): 19 home runs, 56 RBIs, 49 runs scored, 88 hits, .64 WAR, .257/.348/.477 chop line (98 games) Mike Trout (2012-19): 35 home runs, 92 RBIs, 110 runs scored, 162 hits, 9 WAR, .308/.422/.587 chop line (145 games) Mike Trout (2021-24): 19 home runs, 39 RBIs, forty five runs scored, 67 hits, 3 WAR, .276/.376/.575 chop line (66.5 games) Trout is a three-time AL MVP, 9-time Silver Slugger and 11-time All-Famous individual. Even with the missed time, he sports a career 86.0 WAR, appropriate for 51st in MLB history. Within the period in-between, Griffey become a one-time AL MVP, seven-time Silver Slugger, 10-time Gold Glover, a 13-time All-Famous individual and sports a career 83.8 WAR (appropriate for 58th in MLB history).
Sticking with the similarities, Trout has very top been allotment of one playoff workforce — that being the 2014 Angels, who were swept by the eventual AL-champion Kansas City Royals in the AL Division Series no topic getting the exact chronicle in the game. Griffey become allotment of correct three playoff groups (1995, 1997, 2008).
At one point in time, Trout regarded poised to fabricate a case as the most effective player to ever step foot on a baseball self-discipline. One also can argue he’s the exact player of his generation over a decade’s span — love Griffey. There’s nothing that height-Trout would possibly presumably presumably not enact neatly, if not noteworthy. He hit for contact, had substantial vitality, incredible flee, covered ground in the outfield grass and had a decent arm. A appropriate 5-tool player.
Trout gathered also can very neatly be considered a predominant-pollHall of Famer if he were to retire day after nowadays, and there would possibly be gathered time for him to climb the ranks. Heck, he hit 40 home runs over 119 games correct two seasons ago and is gathered correct midway by a 12-year, $426.5 million deal.
All that said, accidents trust considerably hampered Trout’s career. As noteworthy of a career as he has had, it is poised to total as a “what-if?”
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