Angels superstar center fielder Mike Trout blasted the third pitch he saw Thursday in the first Opening Day game of the MLB season, hitting a first inning home run.
Trout, who was widely regarded as the game’s best player before his ex-teammate Shohei Ohtani stormed onto the scene, ignited the scorecard for the Angels in their contest against the Baltimore Orioles.
Facing a one ball and one strike count against star Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes, Trout golfed an 88 mph Burnes slider to straight away centerfield.
The first #OpeningDay homer belongs to @MikeTrout 💪 pic.twitter.com/vcod7DKCrc
— MLB (@MLB) March 28, 2024
The dinger left the field in quick order, travelling just over 400 feet with an exit velocity of 102.5 miles per hour.
Let’s. Freaking. Go. Season’s here, folks! And what better way to kick it off than with a dinger by the guy who’s arguably the face of the league, most definitely the face of his franchise. (RELATED: MLB Team’s Draft Choice Spontaneously Bursts Into Action To Save Man’s Life From Massive House Fire)
While an argument can be made that Ohtani has supplanted Trout as both the league’s best and most recognizable player, Ohtani’s recent scandal may give Trout a window to reclaim his title.
The 11-time All-Star is still undoubtedly one of the best players in the game. But he hasn’t quite reached his 2019 AL MVP form. Injuries have limited him to 237 games over the past three seasons, and although he’s been productive while healthy, he hasn’t quite been dominant.
It’s yet to be seen whether Trout can recapture his old form. But a dinger in his first at bat is a pretty damn good start.