Trout eyes ’20-plus’ steals, has Angels’ ‘go-ahead’
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Trout broke into the majors as a true five-tool player who stole 49 bases during his first full season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012.
Trout stole 24 bases as recently as 2018, but the three-time AL MVP didn’t steal that many in the next five seasons combined while age, injuries and the Angels’ overall philosophy slowed him down.
Before Trout took the field for the Angels’ home opener against Boston on Friday night, he said he’s eager to start running wild on the bases again — and manager Ron Washington is willing to see it happen.
“I think 20-plus would be cool,” Trout said when asked how many bases he would like to steal. “Thirty would be really fun.”
Trout stole only six total bases in the previous four seasons, three of which ended early because of major injuries. He’s now a muscled, 32-year-old power hitter who doesn’t rely on speed, but Trout remains confident he can reclaim the form on the basepaths that made him perhaps the most versatile offensive talent of his generation.
He realizes he might be thinking about the risk while running the bases this year. He played in only 237 games over the past three seasons, but says he can’t play worried about another injury.
“If you’re out there holding back a little, I think sometimes it puts you in a worse position,” Trout said. “I’m not saying that’s what happened [with other injuries], but I feel like if I want to steal a base, I can steal a base, and Wash gave me the go-ahead. Looking back at the managers I had before, if I [told] them I wanted to steal some bags, I would have. They wouldn’t have minded it. But it wasn’t like a game plan we had before. So the last three, four years, it hasn’t really worked. So I figured why not just go out there and whatever happens, happens.”
Washington is fully on board with Trout’s desire to play aggressively this season. The Halos’ new skipper traveled to Trout’s offseason home in New Jersey shortly after he got the Angels’ top job for a lengthy discussion about exactly what Trout wanted to get out of this season and beyond.
One of the top topics of conversation was Trout’s desire to play freely and to steal bases aggressively. Washington said he trusts Trout to do the right things.
“You get hurt when you try not to just let your natural ability play,” Washington said. “If he sees an opportunity to steal a bag when he’s on first base, second base, go for it. I don’t want Mike stealing 50 bags, because I don’t want him hitting the ground that much. But if Mike decides he wants to get 50 bags, and he can get to 50 bags, I’m not going to stop him. I’m not concerned about him maybe hurting himself or anything like that, because when you think like that, that’s what happens. He’s thinking the other way. He’s thinking positive.”
Trout also expressed his usual indefatigable optimism about his long-struggling team, which has major-league-worst streaks of eight consecutive losing seasons and nine straight non-playoff seasons.
Although the Angels lost reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani in free agency and entered the new season with low external expectations, they’re off to a 4-2 start with more contributions from young talent than they’ve had in years. Trout is already impressed by Washington’s leadership and teaching ability.
“It feels like a different vibe this year,” Trout said. “Hopefully it rubs off on the fans, and the fans come to see us play. … I think going through spring and then the first road trip, the vibe is different. With everybody buying in, it’s been fun.”
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs had a major-league-high three Gold Glove winners this year, with Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner taking home baseball’s most famous fielding honor.
It was the first Gold Glove for Crow-Armstrong, part of a breakout season for the All-Star center fielder. Happ won for the fourth consecutive year in left field, and it was the second Gold Glove for Hoerner at second base.
“Four straight’s pretty special,” Happ said. “We had an unbelievable defensive team this year. Just all around, I think we built off each other and kind of fed off each other and the energy, and it was a real source of pride amongst the group.”
Hoerner also won in 2023. He was slowed at the beginning of this season as he made his way back from right flexor tendon surgery on Oct. 11, 2024.
“To have an injury that directly impacts your defense and still win this award, yeah, it feels really good,” Hoerner said.
Kansas City, Boston and San Francisco each had two winners. Eight players earned the award for the first time, St. Louis-based Rawlings announced Sunday.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia of the Royals became the first shortstop-third baseman teammates to win in the same season since J.J. Hardy and Manny Machado for the Orioles in 2013. It was Witt’s second straight Gold Glove at shortstop.
Patrick Bailey and Logan Webb of the Giants are the first battery from the same team to win a Gold Glove in the same season since Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals in 2013. It was Bailey’s second straight win at catcher.
The Red Sox winners were right fielder Wilyer Abreu and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Abreu, 26, also won last year, and Rafaela, 25, earned the award for the first time.
New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried and Cleveland left fielder Steven Kwan joined Happ as four-time winners. Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson earned his third Gold Glove.
Detroit catcher Dillon Dingler, Texas second baseman Marcus Semien, Houston utilityman Mauricio Dubón and first baseman Ty France rounded out the AL winners. France was traded from Minnesota to Toronto on July 31.
San Diego right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., St. Louis shortstop Masyn Winn, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and Miami utilityman Javier Sanoja also won in the NL. It’s the second Gold Glove for Tatis and Hayes, who was traded from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati on July 30.
Semien earned a $100,000 bonus for winning the honor. Kwan and Witt each got $50,000, and Hayes earned a $25,000 bonus.
Voting was conducted among managers and up to six coaches from each team, who can’t select players on their own club. Since 2013, voting has been factored with a Society for American Baseball Research defensive index, which comprises about 25% of the total.
The utility category is based on a SABR formula and additional defensive statistics.
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