Angels News; Mike Trout Talks Facing Shohei Ohtani in WBC, Plus His Experience with Team USA

Halos slugger knew his teammate was going to pitch in the final inning of the WBC

The Los Angeles Angels are well within the 2023 season and just ended their three-game series against the New York Yankees. The Halos could only take one of three in the Bronx and are on a two-game losing streak. However, the MLB Network caught up with Angels superstar Mike Trout while in New York. 

Trout and MLB analyst Harold Reynolds caught up before Wednesday's game and discussed the 31-year olds World Baseball Classic experience, specifically, his AB against his fellow star teammate, Shohei Ohtani. 

"I knew it was coming; I had to mentally prepare. On the second pitch, he threw me a fastball I could hit. 3-2, honestly, I didn't think he was going to throw me a slider; now, looking back, I should've had it in the back of my mind. He threw me a nasty one, though. It was a fun battle, didn't turn out how I wanted it to be, but it's what baseball wanted." 

The USA- Japan WBC championship game was one for the ages and ended in the matchup of the century. It was what every baseball fan wanted and was better than we had expected. Japan went home with the win thanks to Ohtani and his pitching.

Mike also told Reynolds the final AB in the WBC was the first time he faced Ohtani, ever. 

"I don't think I ever faced him in live. I've only seen him from behind." 

Reynolds went on to ask how he it was like.

"I got the feeling what every other batter feels like when they're in the box. You better not miss that pitch because it's coming; that slider is coming." 

The outcome didn't go Trout's way; however, he learned so much from his experience in the WBC and loved the feeling he felt playing big games.

"That experience was unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it. It was loud, the fans were great, it was incredible." 

"It sucks we lost, but I needed that. There was nothing like that, how passionate those fans were. The entrance, me walking out with an American flag, Shohei walking out with the Japanese flag, it was special."

The Halos hope to give that spark to Trout, as he is long overdue to be playing in big, meaningful games.