How Mike Trout Was 'Left Behind' As Shohei Ohtani Wins Two Rings
Mike Trout has not played in a postseason game since 2014, marking the longest active playoff drought among elite players. The three-time MVP, now 34, continues his career with the Los Angeles Angels and holds an impressive 87.5 WAR — the highest for any modern player who has never won a postseason game.
The Angels last reached the playoffs in 2014, when they were eliminated by Kansas City in a three-game ALDS sweep. The franchise hasn’t won a postseason game since 2009, the same year Trout was drafted. Despite the team’s struggles, Trout remains a consistent force for the organization.
In March 2019, Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million extension — at the time, the richest contract in North American sports history. The deal still carries roughly $190 million through the 2030 season. According to multiple sources, Trout has rejected the idea of requesting a trade, seeing it as “the easy way out.”
“I've got five more years on the contract,” Trout told The Athletic in September. “I feel like I've got a lot left in my tank. And I know when it's right, I can be the best.”
Former teammate Shohei Ohtani left the Angels in December 2023 to join the Los Angeles Dodgers and has since won World Series titles in both seasons. Trout and Ohtani shared six years as teammates but appeared in the lineup together only about 46 percent of the time, with the Angels posting a 194–211 record over those games.
Author’s Summary
Mike Trout’s loyalty to the Angels contrasts sharply with Shohei Ohtani’s rapid success, highlighting Trout’s unmatched talent amid years of unfulfilled postseason hopes.