What can the Angels expect from Mike Trout in 2024?

Mike Trout is among the most exciting players in MLB history, a generational talent whose all-around skillset has drawn comparisons to such all-time greats as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.

Over his first nine seasons, when he collected three AL Most Valuable Player Awards and finished in second four other times, Trout’s career trajectory put him on a path toward becoming one of the greatest players ever.

Yet the past three injury-riddled seasons have removed him from the conversation as the MLB GOAT. And now, with Trout set to begin his 14^th season on Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels have ample reason to be skeptical about how much their superstar center fielder will contribute in 2024.

Since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Trout has only played in 49 percent of the Angels’ games. Last season, he fractured the hamate bone on his left hand while taking a swing on July 3, and he missed every game but one the rest of the season.

While the fractured hamate was considered a freak injury, he missed 43 games 2022 with back problems and 126 games in 2021 with a torn calf muscle.

The evidence clearly shows Trout is an injury risk every time he steps on the field. Once a player develops a pattern of injuries, he becomes less likely to escape it with age. Trout is no different.

The Angels will do everything they can to keep the 32-year-old Trout healthy. New manager Ron Washington has already indicated that Trout will DH once a week, and the team is opening the season with five outfielders, partly to help alleviate the pressure of Trout playing the field daily.

But what kind of season could Trout have even if he remains injury-free? As Trout struggled to stay off the injured list the past few years, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani capitalized on the opportunity and stole his crown as the Angels’ — and MLB’s — premier player.

Now that Ohtani will earn $700 million playing for the nearby Los Angeles Dodgers, Trout can reclaim his status — at least with the Angels. Unfortunately, however, it’s unlikely that MLB will ever see a better version of Trout than the one who dominated the league from 2012 to 2020.

Before he got hurt last July 3, Trout was having his worst season statistically. Aside from his 40-game debut as a 19-year-old in 2011, his .858 OPS in 2023 was the lowest of his career.

After 11 straight seasons at .550 or higher, his slugging percentage dipped from .630 in 2022 to .490. His strikeout rate (28.7 percent) was a career-high, while his walk rate (12.4 percent) was more than two percent below his career average.

Once considered the game’s ultimate combination of power and speed, Trout is no longer a stolen base threat. He’s only swiped six bases since 2019, after producing 200 steals over his previous nine seasons.

Even at 75 percent of his former self, what's left of Trout is still better than most major league players. If he avoids injuries in the first half, Trout should have little problem adding a 12^th All-Star invitation to his Hall of Fame-worthy resume.

Then, the most relevant question — given his recent injury history — becomes how much Trout will be available to the Angels after the All-Star break.

Because Los Angeles’ odds of breaking their nine-year playoff drought don’t look promising, just seeing Trout’s name in the starting lineup will have to be enough for Angels fans to celebrate in 2024.