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Apr 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) reacts after hitting a two run home run, his second of the game, during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Last Night Was Mike Trout's Career in Microcosm

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Jeff Joiner | Last updated Apr 14, 2026 3:01 PM ET

Last night Mike Trout hit 2 home runs, scored 3 runs, knocked in 5 yet the Angels still lost. If any baseball fan was new to Mike Trout, all they really needed to see was last night's game to understand his entire career.

Mike Trout is hitting the ball hard. Mike Trout is doing things he has not done in years. Yet the Angels are losing just like they have his entire career. In fact, last night looked a lot like early in his career.

And, most sadly, they are losing for the same reasons they lost early in his career. The organization's failure to give Trout even the smallest measure of improvement is truly Arte Moreno's legacy as Angels owner.

Pitching continues to be a problem.

Yusei Kikuchi was a bright spot last season but has struggled in 2026. Last night he buried the team in an early 4-0 deficit before being pulled with one out and one on in the fourth inning. Any improvement in either length or run prevention and the Angels probably win that game, but as with the rest of Trout's career the Angels refuse to invest heavily in starting pitching and have not developed enough to fill a rotation.

So that led to the Angels ragtag bullpen needing to cover 5.2 innings against the Yankees. Despite drafting loads of arms that profile as relievers, the Angels needed to sign a group of veterans to one year and minor league deals just to field a unit for 2026. Not finding an ace with a 7th round draft pick is understandable, but the fact Angels GM Perry Minasian can not find even some decent bullpen arms is a huge indictment of his drafting ability.

Instead of having young arms with promise, the Angels signed a trio of older relievers with closing experience. The problem is none have close lately and Jordan Romano was brutal the last two years. Not surprisingly, Romano was horrible last night and blew a 2 run lead in the 9th innning; without recording a single out.

In the last decade, Angels pitchers have consistently rated in the bottom third of MLB. Over the last two seasons only the Colorado Rockies have been worse. The only roughly league average showing by the Angels staff came in 2016 when they ranked 16th in team ERA.

Management makes things even worse.

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Kurt Suzuki continues to make illogical managerial decisions. These are not hindshight makes them look bad decisions but ones that are easily seen when they are made.

On Saturday, Suzuki had Brent Suter soak up 3.2 innings in a game the Angels were losing 7-0. Suter is a quality reliever who should be in close games. Meanwhile, mop up pitchers Shaun Anderson and Mitch Ferris did not throw a single pitch.

Last night when the Angels needed 3 innings of solid relief their best long reliever was not available. Instead, mop up guy Shaun Anderson surrendered another 4 runs; any of which could be considered the difference in the game. To his credit, Mitch Ferris did throw up a zero in his one inning.

Had Suzuki managed Saturday's impending loss correctly, the Angels have Suter ready to follow Kikuchi and a much higher chance of winning the game.

Beyond the bad bullpen management that has come to light, Suzuki's lineup construction was far from optimal to begin the season. Plus he puts the team's best defensive center fielder, Bryce Teodosio, in left field while keeping the aging Trout in center field which hurts the team overall.

This is nothing new for the Arte Moreno Angels.

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Mike Trout had the unfortunate circumstance of being the first wave of talent to hit the field once Arte Moreno's hand picked front office had complete control of the team. He was drafted by a good scouting director and joined a farm with talent from the previous regime. But since Moreno replaced longtime manager Bill Stoneman with an intern who missed his flight to the Winter Meetings, it has been all downhill.

Unfortunately for Mike and Angels fans, Arte Moreno is still the owner of the team and will be so for the foreseeable future. So even on nights when Trout is heroic, like last night, the rest of the team can be counted on to let him down.

Fortunately for Angels fans we don't care about winning. At least that's what Arte says.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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