Angels News: Mike Trout Runner-Up For MLBPA’s AL Comeback Player of the Year
In 2021, Angels outfielder Mike Trout was having arguably his best season, posting a 1.090 OPS through 146 plate appearances. In mid-May, though, he suffered a calf strain that ultimately ended his season.
In 2022, he came back and hit 40 homers with a .999 OPS, although he was once again limited by injury, playing 119 games with 499 plate appearances. Still, despite the shortened season, his performance made him a strong contender for the MLBPA's AL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Unfortunately, Astros pitcher Justin Verlander missed virtually all of 2020 and 2021, then came back and posted an MLB-best 1.75 ERA in 175 innings as the likely Cy Young Award winner. That was enough for Verlander to bring home the Comeback Player Award, MLB and the players union announced on Friday.
Trout certainly would have been a worthy winner, but it's hard to argue with a guy who missed two seasons and then came back as the best pitcher in baseball. Some of this is surely our tendency to take Trout's greatness for granted, but for the most part, the story here is that Verlander was so good after being out for so long that even Trout's outstanding season couldn't beat him out for Comeback Player of the Year.
It might end up being Trout's only chance to win this award. He's been so consistent throughout his career, health is the only potential issue for him. Trout's worst OPS in a full season was .939 in 2014, and he won his first MVP Award that year. He's been between .963 and 1.090 every other year.
He may not be a Comeback Player, but he's a Hall of Famer.
