Getty Image
The Los Angeles Angels kicked off their 2024 season on Thursday with a matchup against the Orioles. The campaign got started with an all-too-familiar trend.
It was Mike Trout, and everybody else!
Despite having two of the best players in the MLB last season in Trout and Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles struggled in 2023.
Ohtani won the AL MVP while leading the majors in home runs. Trout was an All-Star for the 11th time in his 13-year career. Still, the Angels won just 74 games and finished fourth in the five-team AL West.
Only the A’s were worse!
In what became a common occurrence, fans would post clips of highlight reel plays from those two superstars, only to see the box score end with an LA loss.
What a perfect ending to the Angels season:
– Trout goes 2-for-3 with a 2B and solo HR
– Ohtani gets a knock and tosses a one-hitter (solo HR) over 5 innings with 1 BB and 6 Ks
– Angels lose 3-2 to the lowly A’s (who sweep the 3-game, season-ending series)— Matt Jacob (@MattRJacob) October 5, 2022
And now, Shohei Ohtani is across town playing for the Dodgers. That leaves only Mike Trout to try and will the Angels to victory in the coming year.
Unfortunately for the slugger, the 2024 season got off to the same type of start.
Mike Trout homered in his 1st at-bat…
And the rest of the lineup went down in order!
After a pair of strikeouts from the first two Angels hitters, Trout launched a 402-foot bomb to left-center field. It was the first HR of the MLB season.
Anthony Rendon strikeout
Aaron Hicks strikeout
Mike Trout home run
Taylor Ward pop outThe 2024 Angels.
pic.twitter.com/CWLVF2DSFG— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) March 28, 2024
Cleanup hitter Taylor Ward would later pop out to end the inning.
While it’s unfair to make a sweeping statement on the future of a team based off of the first half-inning of play, it was in some ways a perfect start for Los Angeles.
We’ll see if they can give Mike Trout some support this season and find a way back to the playoffs.