Angels' Mike Trout Faces Longest Career Home Run Drought Amid MVP Hopes

Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels superstar, is currently enduring the longest home run drought of his career, stuck at 398 career home runs after a 28-game stretch without a homer. Despite a disappointing 2025 season marked by a .234 batting average and a 30.8% strikeout rate, Trout remains confident in his ability to return to MVP-caliber play and is motivated by the five remaining years on his contract. While his recent performance has declined compared to his peak years, including a significant drop in contact rate on pitches outside the strike zone, Trout's September batting average has improved to .280, suggesting a potential end to the slump. The Angels as a team are struggling, with a 69-77 record and no postseason appearances since 2014, creating a challenging environment for Trout to regain his former dominance. Interim manager Montgomery has suggested that Trout's MVP days might be behind him, but Trout himself insists he can still perform at an elite level. As Trout approaches the milestone 400th home run, there remains a mix of hope and uncertainty about the trajectory of both his career and the Angels franchise.