Mike Trout Is Back, Baby and Other Observations From Two-Plus Weeks of the Season

In today’s newsletter, I write about Mike Trout, rookies who are shining in the early going (they’re not the ones you’re thinking of), the hot start for the Yankees and Brewers, and what an awful person A’s owner John Fisher is.

A reminder, too. Every hangingsliders newsletter is now free and open to everyone. That includes all of the newsletters I wrote in 2023 when I was over at Substack.

Mike Trout looks like Mike Trout again

Three-time American League MVP and future Hall of Famer Mike Trout has struggled with a host of injuries over the last several seasons. He hasn’t played a full season since 2016, when he appeared in 159 games. Last season, Trout played in 82 games; in 2022 he saw action in 119; in 2021 he was limited to 36.

The injuries sapped Trout not just of his playing time but his power, his athleticism, and his consistency.

This season, Mike Trout is healthy and he’s mashing baseballs and running with speed again.

After Sunday’s action, Trout’s is slashing .281/.359/.684 with 6 home runs, 1 double, and 2 triples. He was tied for the MLB lead in home runs until the Red Sox’s Tyler O’Neill hit his 7th on Sunday. Trout’s also stolen 2 bases—tying his total from the 2023 season.

After losing Shohei Ohtani and doing little to improve the team during the offseason, the Angels aren’t expected to contend for the postseason this year. What else is new? Trout has played in only three postseason games in his career. Three!

As I wrote last year, it’s quite possible Trout will play out his career with the Angels and never taste the postseason again—much less the World Series.

At least Angels fans—and the rest of us—have primo Trout at-bats to look forward to in 2024. Baseball is better when a healthy Mike Trout playing every day.

Rookies to pay attention to

Last week, amid a lot of fanfare, the Orioles called up Jackson Holliday, the son of former major leaguer Matt Holliday and the top prospect in baseball. He went hitless in his first 13 at-bats before getting his first major league hit—a single—on Sunday in Baltimore’s win over the Brewers.

In that series against Milwaukee, Jackson Holliday squared off against Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio, the number 2 prospect in baseball. Chourio is the Brewers’ every day right fielder, a position where he’s excelled so far. According to FanGraphs, Chourio’s accumulated 1.5 defensive WAR—the highest mark among right fielders in the majors.

But its the third Jackson of the Jackson Three who’s outplayed both Holliday and Chourio so far this season.

Rookie Jackson Merrill plays center field for the Padres. Sports Info Solutions calculates that Merrill already has 2 Defense Runs Saved. Only one center fielder—Parker Meadows of the Tigers—has more. Through 18 games, Merrill is hitting .333/.419/.426. His 3.2 offensive fWAR puts him in the top 5 among rookies.

At the very top of that list?

Colton Cowser of the Orioles. He arrived without the hoopla that surrounded Jackson Holliday but he is making a lot more noise for the Birds. Cowser is batting an eye-popping .441/.474/.971 with 4 home runs and 6 doubles. Sure, those numbers will come back to earth as pitchers make adjustments. But it’s an incredible start for Cowser. They Orioles have needed every bit of his offense with other every day players off to slow starts.

Then there’s Michael Busch. The Cubs acquired Busch over the winter in a trade with the Dodgers. Busch saw action in 27 games with Los Angeles in 2023 and didn’t do much to impress. But Busch has been a huge addition for the Cubs so far this season. In 56 plate appearances, Busch is hitting .327/.393/.694 with 5 home runs and 3 doubles. Of those 5 home runs, 4 have come in the Cubs last 4 games. Busch is the first rookie in Cubs history to hit home runs in 4 consecutive games.

On the pitching side, nobody is doing what Mason Miller is doing—rookie or veteran. Miller is the A’s closer. I know, I know. How much could he possibly play if he’s closing for the A’s. Don’t look now but the A’s are 6-4 in their last 10 games, making them the only team in the AL West with a winning record over that span.

Here’s everything you need to know about Mason Miller.

Rob Friedman, known as @PitchingNinja on social, put together this compilation of how Miller struck out the side in the 9th yesterday to seal the A’s win. Take a look.

Who’s hot, who’s not

The Yankees have a 12-4 record after 16 games—the best record in the majors. It’s the Bombers’ best start since 2003. As expected, Juan Soto is powering the offense with a .344/.468/.541 slash. But it’s not Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton who is supporting Judge at the plate. It’s Anthony Volpe. The 23-year-old shortstop in his second year with the Yankees is batting .382/.477/.564.

Even with last year’s AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole on the shelf with an elbow injury, Yankees pitching has been excellent. Starters and relievers have combined for a 2.78 ERA.

The Brewers are 10-4. Milwaukee’s off to their best start since . . . last season. But this year, the Brewers’ early success is a bit of a surprise. Milwaukee traded away Corbin Burnes over the winter (to the Orioles) and watched their manager Craig Counsell depart for the Cubs. The biggest free-agent signing in Brew-town was Rhys Hoskins, who was coming off a year of rehab after tearing the ACL in his left knee during spring training in 2023.

So far, it’s working. As a team, the Brewers are batting .290/.358/.480. Christian Yelich is rejuvenated. Second-year infielder Brice Turang is off to a scorching start. And catcher William Contreras is playing like the second coming of Buster Posey.

The Dodgers and the Braves? The teams everyone picked to be the two best teams in the league this season? Both in first place in their division. But neither team seems to be firing on all engines. Yet.

If your team is scuffling, take heart. It’s a long season, so there’s plenty of time for teams to find their footing. Well, unless you root for the White Sox, Marlins, and Rockies. Those teams are not good, have played poorly so far, and don’t have a lot to look forward to this season.

The Giants are one of the scuffling teams. They are 6-10, and absent two miraculous walk-off wins during their first homestand, things would be a lot worse. The nicest thing you can say about the everyday lineup is that it occasionally shows some pop, but in reality, it’s incredibly inconsistent. Sometimes—often times—it looks like the Giants hitters don’t have a plan at the plate even though I am sure Giants scouts and video analysts have given them plenty of info on how to attack each pitcher.

On Friday night, as the Giants flailed at pitch after pitch, racking up strikeouts and groundouts, I posted on social media that it was not too early for the Giants and Giants fans to panic. And despite hitting 5 home runs in an 11-2 win on Saturday, I believe that. Something is not right with this team.

Oakland to A’s owner John Fisher: Good riddance!

This ESPN tick-tock by reporter Tim Keown describing the final meeting between the A’s and Oakland officials over a potential lease extension is really something. With Oakland on the verge of losing its third professional sports team in the last 10 years, city officials just could wait to be done dealing with A’s owner John Fisher and his key henchman, Dave Kaval. Give it a read.

If you subscribe to The Athletic, don’t miss Marcus Thompson II’s essay on how his native Oakland might rise from the ashes of its sports armageddon.

Thompson is such an exceptional writer and such a booster for his hometown. The combination makes for a thought provoking piece on where Oakland goes from here.