Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is set to have surgery on his torn meniscus after suffering the injury in Monday’s win against the Phillies. He is set to be out for an undetermined amount of time, but at the very least, recovery will take four to six weeks. In his 29 games played so far in 2024, Trout is hitting a .220 batting average with 24 hits, 14 RBIs and a league-leading ten home runs. Trout has been one of baseball’s best players in decades, but his career has recently been highlighted by injuries, playing more than 100 games in only one of the last five seasons.

“It’s just frustrating,” Trout said. “But we’ll get through it.”

Though the injury came in the third inning of the game against Philadelphia, Trout played the the rest of the night despite feeling a soreness in his knee. As the game went on, the pain worsened for Trout, and he eventually consulted with the team’s training staff. When he woke up the next day, Trout said that he “couldn’t get out of bed,” and the team finally took medical images to show that he did tear his left meniscus.

“It was just sore,” Trout said. I was kind of telling myself maybe I just banged it on something and didn’t realize it. Then, after the game, getting treatment, it was really sore.”

After his first eight seasons in the league, Trout finished in the top two of AL MVP voting in seven years, winning the award three times. Over his career, he has hit 1,648 hits and 378 home runs, the third most since entering the league in 2011. He also has a career batting average of .299, which ranks 11th amongst all players since he entered the league. Despite Trout’s statistical numbers, the Angels have struggled to find any postseason success as a team. The team’s sole playoff appearance with Trout came in 2016 when they lost in the ALDS in a sweep to the Kansas City Royals. Since 2011, the Angels have lost more games than they’ve won, only finishing second or higher in the division three times in 14 seasons.

“Nobody wants to play more than Mike does,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “He loves this. He loves everything about this. He wakes up thinking about it, and then he goes to bed thinking about it. He eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. I really feel for him.”

Since 2021, Trout has missed more than 250 games, more than half of the Angels’ total games played. Though when healthy, he is one of the best players in the MLB, injuries continue to sideline Trout on an Angels team that desperately needs his help.

The Los Angeles Angels announced Wednesday that they were taking two-way star Shohei Ohtani off the trade market ahead of the August 1 deadline. Los Angeles’ front office heard several offers for Ohtani but the team has changed course and will now prepare for a playoff push.

While the Angels did receive interest from several teams, it’s unclear if Ohtani was ever truly on the market, though it did make sense at certain points. Los Angeles went into the All-Star break, losing nine of their last ten games, undoing heaps of progress the team had made throughout June.

Postseason hopes were at an all-time low and getting something for Ohtani before he headed to free agency seemed like the team’s best course of action. Several reports earlier this year suggested that the team’s chances of re-signing him were slim if they didn’t reach the postseason anyway.

But since returning from the All-Star break, the Angels have bounced back, winning seven of ten games to get back into the hunt for the AL Wild Card. With a 52-49 record, they are just four games back. If Ohtani and fellow star Mike Trout can succeed in guiding the team to the postseason, it will be the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2014.

Instead of sending Ohtani away, general manager Perry Minasian now reportedly wants to buy at the trade deadline. Sports Illustrated reported Wednesday that the team was looking for an additional starting pitcher and at least one arm to replenish the bullpen. On Thursday morning, the team acquired dependable righthanded starter Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox.

Before the addition of Giolito, Ohtani was the only starter in Los Angeles’ rotation with an ERA under 4.00. The bullpen remains similarly vulnerable beyond closer Carlos Estevez.

For years, the Angels have been mocked by fans around the league for their inability to succeed despite fielding two generational talents. Following the 2023 season, one of those talents is almost sure to leave, as Ohtani could reportedly receive a contract worth more than $600 million from multiple teams. The clock is ticking faster than it ever has before, as this final stretch of games will likely be Los Angeles’ final opportunity to capitalize on his immense talent.

Many fans of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim held low expectations for their team going into the season, more as a result of prior disappointments than future potential. On paper for the last few seasons, the team has appeared formidable but failed to even reach the postseason. The Angels are once again hovering just above .500 going into the All-Star break in 2023, and a slate of injuries could complicate things further as time runs short.

In the span of two games against the Padres Monday and Tuesday, Los Angeles stars Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon all exited early with injuries. Ohtani and Rendon sustained short-term setbacks and should return shortly, but Trout had to receive surgery to treat a wrist injury and will not return for four to eight weeks.

Trout’s injury, suffered after he hit a foul ball Monday, comes at a crucial point for the Angels, who soon need to assess their current standing and future needs at the trade deadline. With a 45-44 record, the team is third in the AL West and four games out of the final Wild Card spot. Though Trout has not quite lived up to his typically outstanding production this year, he remains a key contributor and veteran leader on the team, one that likely only has one more opportunity to win with its current core.

Trout, 31, is already regressing from his generational numbers earlier in his career for the Angels, but the most urgent issue in Anaheim is the impending free agency battle for Ohtani. Arguably the most versatile star in the history of the sport, the two-way phenom will leave the Angels at the end of the season to pursue a massive contract. The Dodgers, Mets and Yankees will all reportedly pursue him.

For all of the Angels’ failures to miss the postseason with Trout and Ohtani in the lineup, making a run in 2023 could have absolved those past sins. The team has been far from perfect in that effort but did just enough in the first half of the season to make it possible. There’s no more room for error, however, nor time to tread water, and other players will have to step up in Trout’s absence in order to finally validate the team’s star power with a playoff berth.

The return of one of the biggest stars in baseball may be in jeopardy. Angels outfielder Mike Trout could miss the rest of the 2022 season with a back injury.

Trout has not seen the field since July 12 after being placed on the injured list for what was originally ribcage inflammation, but team trainers said the setback is even more serious. “This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back. The doctor [Robert Watkins III], who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country – if not the world – doesn’t see a lot of these,” team athletic trainer Mike Frostad said.

“And for it to happen in a baseball player – we just have to take into consideration what he puts himself through with hitting, swinging on a daily basis just to get prepared, and then also playing in the outfield, diving for balls, jumping into the wall – things like that. There are so many things that can aggravate it. But this doctor hasn’t seen a lot of it.”

Trout has been adamant about wanting to return to the diamond for a while now. In a presser, he expressed the frustration of not being able to play and the improbability of the injury, saying he couldn’t “pinpoint exactly when the injury happened” but that the injury was bothering his swing. “I respond to texts all the time, but just, I’ve got to stay on top of it,” Trout said. “It’s just rare for a baseball player. I’m just going to have to stay on top of it.”

The 30-year-old Trout was having a down year this year or his standards, The 10-time All-Star was batting .270 (his lowest average since 2011), with 24 homers and 51 RBIs through 79 games. The Angels started the season with playoff aspirations but now sit at 42-56 without their best player.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Angels lost 5-1 against the Seattle Mariners, spoiling a gem of an outing from Shohei Ohtani. Over seven innings of work, the Japanese phenom struck out 10 batters and gave up just one earned run. However, the Angels’ bullpen allowed four runs in the top of the eighth inning, blowing the game open.

The loss was the Angels’ 82nd of the year, cementing the organization’s sixth consecutive losing season. This campaign has been disappointing on numerous fronts. Superstar Mike Trout suffered a right calf strain on May 17 and has been on the injury list ever since. Additionally, the Angels have yet to reap the benefits of pricy signings that include Anthony Rendon and Justin Upton.

Ohtani has been the only constant glimmer of hope throughout the year, putting up the most uniquely remarkable season in all of baseball history. Offensively, he’s batting .258 with 45 homers, 98 RBIs, 99 runs, 90 walks, as well as 24 stolen bases. On the mound, Ohtani’s 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, boasting a 10.8 SO/9.

After Sunday’s game, Ohtani made sure to express his gratitude for the Angels organization.

“I really like the team,” he said through his interpreter. “I love the fans, I love the atmosphere of the team, but more than that, I want to win. That’s the biggest thing for me. I’ll leave it at that.”

However, Ohtani also acknowledged the letdown entailed with missing the postseason yet again.

“It’s very frustrating, very disappointing. I always look forward to being in the playoff race at the end and trying to talk about the playoffs with my teammates. I always think about it, so, yeah, it’s been disappointing.”

The modern-day Babe Ruth isn’t a free agent until the end of the 2023 season, but perhaps these comments are indicative of a potentially league-shifting career change in the near future.

The MLB All-Star starters have been revealed. This season was the first time the league implemented a two-part voting process. The first phase of the voting had three finalists for each defensive position. Nine outfielders advanced to the second phase of voting as well as a designated hitter in the American League. The second phase of voting determined the All-Star Game’s starters.

The process saw nine first-time All-Stars selected by the fans to start this year’s game. The headliners included San Diego Padres’ shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who was voted to start as the AL’s designated hitter.

Mike Trout, who was voted as one of the starting outfielders for the AL, will be unable to play as he is recovering from a strained calf. Toronto leads all teams with three players making the starting lineup.

American League Starters:

• C- Salvador Perez 
• 1B- Vladimir Guerrero Jr 
• 2B- Marcus Semien
• 3B- Rafael Devers
• SS: Xander Bogaerts 
• OF- Mike Trout
• CF- Aaron Judge
• LF- Teoscar Hernández
• DH- Shohei Ohtani

National League Starters:

• C- Buster Posey
• 1B- Freddie Freeman
• 2B- Adam Frazier
• 3B- Nolan Arenado
• SS- Fernando Tatis Jr.
• CF- Ronald Acuña Jr.
• LF- Jesse Winker
• RF- Nick Castellanos

The National League team will be coached for the third consecutive year by Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, while Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash will coach the AL.

The rest of the MLB’s All-Stars will be named on July 4. Pitchers and reserves for each team will be determined by a process that considers selections made by the Commissioner’s Office and the player ballot choices.

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is continuing to impress all with his excellent play and milestones.

One of those milestones was becoming the fastest member of the Angels to reach 25 home runs on Sunday. It only took him 77 team games and that is something not even Mike Trout accomplished.

Ohtani homered in the top of the ninth inning to extend the Angels’ lead to 6-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays. Los Angeles held on for a 6-4 win and snapped a five-game losing streak behind Ohtani’s performance.

Ohtani is currently in the midst of a historic season. He is among baseball’s leaders in home runs (26), RBI’s (60) and OPS (1.031). As a pitcher, he has a 2.58 ERA in 11 starts, and 82 strikeouts across 59 ¹/₃ innings.

Ohtani also surpassed a huge milestone by becoming one of two players in American League history to produce 25+ home runs, 10+ stolen bases and 75+ pitching strikeouts in his career. The only other player to achieve that feat is baseball legend Babe Ruth.

On Monday, the Japanese batter/pitcher made another highlight by hitting his 26th home run against the New York Yankees. On the first pitch and his first swing, he delivered a home run deep to right field in Yankee stadium.

“I’m telling you [he likes the big moment],” Angels manager Joe Maddon said of Ohtani, who did go hitless in his next three at-bats, striking out twice. “It was just the right way to start his trip to New York with him hitting a home run.”

The Angels star is blossoming into one of the game’s most exciting players.

Major League Baseball announced the largest vote recipients for the 2021 All-Star Game, reporting the top-three most popular choices at each position. These players all advance to the next round of voting, which will conclude on July 1.

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Pitchers and reserve players for the game are made based on a mix of both fan input as well as an analysis done by the Commissioner’s Office.

While stars such as Shohei Ohtani and Fernando Tatis Jr. were given nods for the next round, other notable figures including José Ramírez, Francisco Lindor and Trea Turner did not get enough votes to move on to the next round. These players can still make the All-Star Game, although the path is a bit less conventional and assuredly more difficult.

Mike Trout and Byron Buxton were two of the most notable names in the outfield for the American League, although others are getting large vote counts (Aaron Judge and Michael Brantley, among others) and some currently on the injured list will most likely be joining them at Coors Field in mid-July. In the National League, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Nick Castellanos sit at the top of outfielder voting.

The infield voting in the American League is led by names such as Salvador Pérez at catcher, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for first base, Marcus Semien at second, Xander Bogaerts manning shortstop and Rafael Devers covering third.

In the same positional order, the National League is led by Buster Posey, Max Muncy, Ozzie Albies, Fernando Tatís Jr. and Kris Bryant.

The National League squad will be headed by Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts, and the American League will be guided by Rays’ manager Kevin Cash.

The game is scheduled for July 13.

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Los Angeles Angels All-Star Mike Trout has been placed on the injury list and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a calf strain.

“Angels announce OF Mike Trout has been placed on the 10-day IL with a calf strain,” the league wrote. ” The estimated return to play is 6-8 weeks.”

Trout sustained the injury in the first inning of Monday’s game against the Cleveland Indians. The injury occurred when Trout was running the base paths. Unfortunately, he landed wrong and pulled up limping. The All-Star was forced to exit the contest. After the game, Trout did not speak to reporters about the injury. Angels manager Joe Maddon discussed his reaction to the injury with reporters. “I saw nothing,” Maddon said. “I just looked up, and he was kind of limping to the third-base bag. I was wondering what happened.” On Tuesday, the All-Star was scheduled for an MRI and it confirmed that he did indeed suffer a calf strain injury.

With Trout being sidelined, it impacts the team in a massive way, as well as the American League MVP race. In just 36 games, the outfielder was hitting .333 with a 1.090 on-base plus slugging percentage. Trout was leading the majors with a .466 on-base percentage. Now that he will be gone for weeks, the MVP race is opening up to others.

The absence of Trout hurts the Angels, who are struggling this season. Los Angeles is currently 18-22, fourth in the AL West. The Angels are 5-5 in their last 10 games and winners of their last two. The team has been struggling despite having two MVP candidates in Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is just around the corner. This means it is the perfect time to look at each team’s predictions for the 2021 season, following the 60-game abbreviated season.

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The Los Angeles Angels have not made the postseason in the past six seasons. Last year, their lack of pitching depth contributed to their lack of success. In 2020, the Angels finished ninth in runs scored with 294 runs and 10th in home runs with 85 homers. In the team’s 60-year history, they have made the postseason in 10 different years and won their only World Series appearance in 2002.

Below is the Angels’ projected lineup.

Los Angeles Angels Projected Batting Order:

1. 2B David Fletcher 
2. OF Mike Trout
3. 3B Anthony Rendon
4. OF Jared Walsh
5. OF Justin Upton
6. DH Shohei Ohtani
7. 1B Albert Pujols
8. C Kurt Suzuki
9. SS Jose Iglesias

Los Angeles Angels Projected Pitching Staff:

• SP1 Shohei Ohtani 
• SP2 Dylan Bundy
• SP3 Andrew Heaney
• SP4 Jose Quintana
• SP5 Griffin Canning
• CL Raisel Iglesias

Los Angeles Angels Team Outlook:

During the offseason, the Angels made some major additions by signing starter Jose Quintana and catcher Kurt Suzuki. They also acquired starter Alex Cobb and outfielder Dexter Fowler in deals that went down in early February. However, the team also moved on from reliever Hansel Robles and starting pitcher Julio Teheran.

The Angels’ offensive core is built around superstars Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Both first baseman Albert Pujols and outfielder Justin Upton are heading toward the end of their careers. Shortstop Jose Iglesias was added via trade to replace shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

Regarding their pitching, both Andrew Heaney and Dylan Bundy have the talent to bring the team success when healthy. Shohei Ohtani struggled on the mound and as a batter last year. From the looks of it, if the Angels’ pitching staff stays healthy, the offense is good enough for the team to have a winning record in 2021.

Los Angeles Angels Schedule:

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On Wednesday night, superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with the San Diego Padres. This signing secured one of the largest contracts in American sports for Tatis, and it keeps him in San Diego, where he established himself as a star-caliber player.

The Padres acquired Tatis via trade with the Chicago White Sox when he was in the minor leagues in 2016 for aging starter James Shields. In 2019, Tatis exhibited so much talent in spring training that the Padres started him at shortstop on opening day. He has been in the big leagues ever since.

Within the mega contract, Tatis will receive a full no-trade clause, allowing him veto power over any potential deals that could arise. The $340 million deal marks the largest contract given to a player before reaching arbitration — nearly $200 million more than Mike Trout‘s contract extension.

Trout’s second contract extension set a domestic sports record with $426.5 million guaranteed, and Mookie Betts’ contract came in second with $392 million. Following them, Tatis received the third-largest contract in baseball history, and he did so at age 22. Trout and Betts were each 27 years old when they signed their respective monster contracts.

Tatis will join third basemen Manny Machado as the only members of the Padres making more than $300 million. Both Machado and Tatis are represented by agent Dan Lozano. Machado’s agreement with San Diego before the 2019 season gave the organization what they needed to face their rivals: the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Padres came to life during the 2020 abbreviated season, with Tatis playing a big role following his rookie season, which ended due to injury. In fact, Tatis was the best player for the first half of the season, and his talent and personality brought along much-deserved stardom.

In 2020, Tatis finished fourth in MVP voting. He also slashed .277/.366/.571 with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in 59 games. Expect Tatis to only improve as he enters the prime years of his career. At just 22 years old, the future is looking very bright for Tatis and the Padres.

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Anaheim Angels’ DH/Pitcher Shohei Ohtani is going to get an MRI on his pitching arm after telling the team that he was experiencing discomfort. Ohtani, who got Tommy John surgery almost two years ago, returned to the mound recently and had a disastrous showing by walking three batters and allowing three other hits before getting pulled.

While the Angels’ will be able to replace him, the team is definitely on the ropes with Mike Trout away on paternity leave and possibly not coming back after the birth of his first child and the recent outbreaks on the Cardinals and Marlins. Here’s hoping that Ohtani is okay and can return to the team soon but with the state of baseball it may be healthier for him if he can find a legitimate excuse to stay away.

On Thursday, the Anaheim Angels announced that they had placed three-time MVP, Mike Trout, on paternity leave. Trout who was expected to leave the team for the birth of his first child in early August, so this is a bit earlier than expected. It was reported before the season started that Trout was mulling whether or not he should even play in the MLB’s restart because of his fear over his wife and unborn child’s safety with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trout is expecting a son and when asked about his excitement for the birth a day before the Angels home opener he said, “I just can’t wait to meet him,” Trout said. “We’re excited. Jessica has been really strong and brave. I don’t know how women do it.” The Angels obviously support Trout and will give him all the time he needs to spend with his newest family member, but they are probably secretly hoping that he comes back soon since, with the MLB’s reduced 60-games schedule, they have their best chance In years to make the playoffs.

It is unclear when he will be back, but he will have to pass a COOVID-19 test. If he does, he can return to the team uninterrupted since the MLB considers this an excused absence from the team.

After getting Tommy John surgery in September 2018 Angels’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani took the mound for the first time during Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics and things did not go well for Ohtani, who had been regulated to DH since his return, with him facing six batters and giving up three walks and three singles before being pulled from the game. The A’s went on to win 6-4 with the Angel’s wasting a great performance by Mike Trout who hit a three-run homer and a sac-fly, accounting for all four of the Angels’ runs.

This is a bad sign for the Angels with Trout expecting his first child in early August, the reigning MVP will be missing some time and in the condensed 60-game season every game has a heightened air of importance and it is imperative for the Angels’ to get off to a good start if they want to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

The Angels (1-2) have been consistently maligned for, what some people see as waisting the league’s greatest talent in Trout. and this may continue for another year with the disconcerting news about the Miami Marlins, who the Angels are set to play on Tuesday and it is unclear whether or not that game will take place, and the season may end up being canceled if other outbreaks like the one in Miami occur and the league may be forced to suspend play. In a marathon season like baseball’s normal 162-game schedule where any team can have a good 60-game stretch even if it doesn’t reflect their overall talent, this felt like the best chance for the Angels to capitalize and make the playoffs. But with their former star wilting on the mound and their current MVP taking a sabbatical, along with the fact that the season may have to be suspended, things could not be looking much worse for the Angels right now.

2019 AL MVP Mike Trout has confirmed that he is playing with a simple message on the Anaheim Angels Twitter account. This comes after Trout had previously expressed concerns about restarting the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many players shared his concerns Trout did have a special reason with his first child being due in early August. Trout said he plans to leave the team for the birth of his child, “Honestly, I still don’t feel that comfortable with the baby coming,” Trout said earlier this month. “There’s a lot of things on my mind. I’m trying to be the safest and most cautious way to get through the season. It’s going to be tough. I’ve got to be really cautious these next couple weeks. I don’t want to test positive. I don’t want to bring it back to my wife. It’s a tough situation we’re in.”

While this is a very good reason to be cautious to restart, this will hurt the Angels chances to get into the playoffs with a greater importance being put on every game in the condensed to 60 game MLB season that started on Thursday. With the number of playoff teams possibly being expanded from 10 to 16, this is a great chance for the Angels who have missed out on the playoffs every year since 2014. They may have to get by without their star and the league’s best player for what will be inordinately important games.

As the MLB prepares to start its 2020 season later this month, numerous teams have begun holding practices at their facilities. With this came many players practicing proper measures because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included social distancing and wearing masks. An image of Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout wearing a mask went viral over the weekend.

After an image of Trout running the bases while wearing a mask came to light, Trout’s mother Debbie Trout shared a message on social media in which she said, “If Mike Trout can wear a mask while running the bases, you can wear a mask going out in public. #WearAMask.”

The post comes as numerous states across the United States have seen an increase in positive cases for COVID-19, as well as numerous photos coming to light of people celebrating the July 4 holiday not socially distancing or wearing masks. 

With sports slowly starting to come back one of the biggest concerns among fans has been what will happen if there are numerous positive cases among players for the virus during the season.

Trout himself, despite the MLB season just a few weeks away, has not fully committed to playing in 2020 as he and his wife are expecting their first child soon.

Mike Trout has been one of the most popular and talented baseball players ever since he entered MLB. In 2009, Trout was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels, and it is his rookie card from that year while he was playing for the Arizona Angels that has made recent news. 

On Wednesday, Trout’s rookie card, a signed Bowman Draft Chrome Red Refractor, sold at auction for $900,000. The sale ties the modern record for a sports card.

The card was Trout’s first autograph in an MLB jersey. There are only five in existence, and a similar card sold for $400,000 in 2018. 

Of all the baseball players in today’s game it almost makes sense it was Trout whose rookie card for such a high amount –  since he made his debut in 2011, Trout won AL Rookie of the Year in 2012, has been named an all-star eight times and won AL MVP three times in 2014, 2016 and 2019. Oh yeah, Trout is still only 28 years old.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

Los Angeles is the MVP city this year apparently, as the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger and Angels’ Mike Trout have won the MVP awards for their respective leagues, MLB announced on Thursday.

Bellinger received 19 of the 30 first place votes, with 10 second place votes. Trout received 17 of 30 first place votes.

Only in his third year in the league, Bellinger averaged .305 with 121 runs, 47 home runs and 115 RBI. He has now won the NL Rookie of the Year, become a two time All-Star, Silver Slugger award winner, Golden Glove, and MVP in only three seasons. He is one of four players to win the Rookie of the Year award, Golden Glove and MVP before the age of 25 (Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, Fred Lynn, and Dustin Pedroia are the others).

Last year’s winner, Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich finished with 10 first place votes. He finished batting .329 with 44 home runs, 97 RBI and 100 runs in a season shortened at the end by injury. Newly minted World Series winner Anthony Rendon got the last place vote with a .319, 34 HR, 117 R, and 126 RBI stat line.

Trout, who also finished his season early due to injury, batted .291 with 34 home runs, 110 runs, 104 RBI’s in only 470 at bats and led the league with a .438 on base percentage (he was on base 44% of the times he went to bat!). All five of the top MVP vote-getters were in the top five in OBPs.

This is Trout’s third MVP award, winning also in 2012 and 2016. At 28, he is an eight time All-Star with a list of awards too long to list. Yet unlike the other teams that the MVP candidates represent, the Angels are the only ones with a losing record. In the history of the MLB, the MVP has been typically given to a player of a playoff-bound team.

The second most first place votes in the AL behind Trout was Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman, whom many had predicted was neck and neck with Trout for the award. Bregman batted .296, 122 R, 41 HR, 112 RBI for the World Series-bound Astros. He got a World Series ring his second year in the league. He has improved his offensive numbers in almost every catergory since he entered the league in 2016.

The MLB All-Star Game is set in Cleveland this year at Progressive Field for the first time since 1997. All the greatest players in MLB will showdown in a laid-back but competitive game at 7:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday.

For the National League team, Christian Yelich starts at left-field, despite injuring his back before the All-Star break and missing the Home Run Derby. Javier Baez from the Chicago Cubs starts at shortstop, while Atlanta Braves Freddie Freeman starts at first. Cody Bellinger starts at right-field opposite of Yelich, while Ronald Acuna Jr. starts in the center, the second Braves player in the starting lineup. Nolan Arenado and Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks complete the infield. Pittsburgh Pirates Josh Bell is the DH, while Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Hyun-jin Ryu starts on the mound, the second Dodgers player in the starting lineup. His manager, Dave Roberts is set to manage the team for the second year running.

For the American League, Houston Astros‘ Justin Verlander starts on the mound, while his teammates Michael Brandtley starts at left-field, George Springer on his opposite and Alex Bregman on third base. Jorge Polanco is surprisingly the only Minnesota Twins starter in the All-Star Game, starting at shortstop. New York Yankee duo DJ LeMahieu and Gary Sanchez start at second base and center field respectively, while Los Angeles Angles Mike Trout starts in the center. Boston Red Sox J.D. Martinez is set at DH, while Carlos Santana starts at first base. Defending World Series champion Alex Cora of the Red Sox is set to manage the AL team.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW 

“I don’t quite throw 100 anymore. Maybe I’ll try (Tuesday), I don’t know,” Verlander, the starting pitcher for the AL team said, according to USA Today. “But the goal is to get guys out. That’s it.”

There are 36 first-timers in this All-Star Game, including Santana, Polanco, Acuna Jr., Ryu and Bell in the starting lineups. The 90th All-Star Game will be broadcasted on FOX and can be streamed on the FOX Sports app and FuboTV.

Baseball took things along a new route this year when deciding which players deserved All–Star honors roughly halfway through this MLB season, as new system involving elimination stages offered a new approach for fans wishing to vote in their favorite players. Alongside the new system, new faces highlight the starting roster this year, which the league released earlier this week. Although many players poised to start the mid–summer classic this year raised some eyebrows after their surprise electoral victories, multiple familiar faces fill in nicely for both the AL and NL’s rosters.

With that said, the 2019 American League MLB All–Star starters are as follows.

C –Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees

1B – Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians

2B – DJ LeMahieu, New York Yankees

SS – Jorge Polanco, Minnesota Twins

3B – Alex Bregman, Houston Astros

OF – Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

OF – George Springer, Houston Astros

OF – Michael Brantley, Houston Astros

DH – Hunter Pence, Texas Rangers

Players such as Santana and Polanco likely felt the most joy once the news broke, as they achieve their first ever All–Star appearances. Pence’s selection surprised many throughout the league as most saw the 36–year old veteran’s advancement to the voting’s final round riding only on sympathy and respect for the aged star . On the contrary, Trout appears as the clear veteran amongst the group, as this marks his eighth All–Star appearance, adding to a resume far larger than his teammates. Brantley and Pence both follow behind Trout, however a with a large gap as the this year’s selection brings their All–Star game totals up to just four each.

The National League’s best fill out their roster with the following players.

C – Wilson Contreras, Chicago Cubs

1B – Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves

2B – Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks

SS – Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs

3B – Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies

OF – Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

OF – Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers

OF – Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves

Acuna Jr. brings youth to this national league squad, as he’s the youngest selected All–Star and making his first appearance. Marte joins Acuna Jr. as another new–comer to the big game, also as perhaps its biggest surprise as few predicted such excellence from him during this season’s early stages. Arenado tops off the list, as his selection this year marks his fifth, poising to serve as the Colorado’s only starting representative at the game.

With All–Star game reserves still unannounced, other players snubbed from the honor to play amongst the league’s best still possess a chance to participate at Cleveland’s Progressive Field once the All–Star break rolls around. The All–Star game itself, as well as other events such as the Home Run Derby and Celebrity Softball Game begin Sunday, July 7.