We have said many times, even on this site, that Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has little to no support from his teammates.
That situation can be partially explained by the fact he has nine home runs to this point and only 12 RBI to show for his efforts.
Many of the Angels’ failures in recent years – they haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, for example – can and should be attributed to the ownership and the front office not putting a strong supporting cast around Trout.
The players, of course, are also to blame: they are the ones on the field.
A shocking stat, however, is showing us a reality that shouldn’t be completely overlooked.
“Mike Trout this year: Bases Empty —> 1.101 OPS. Men On Base —> .658 OPS,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Mike Trout this year:
Bases Empty —> 1.101 OPS
Men On Base —> .658 OPS pic.twitter.com/C6xH6ambpK— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) April 24, 2024
The easy conclusion to reach when watching his nine homers and just 12 RBI is that his teammates aren’t getting on base in front of him as frequently as they could or should.
While that’s true to some extent, Trout himself isn’t performing well when he does encounter people on base.
In this very specific case, both things can be true: a 1.101 OPS (with the bases empty) means All-Star level performance.
However, a .658 OPS is barely replacement-level.
We are sure that, with time, both values will somewhat even out: the former will go down a bit, while the latter should go up.
If his career numbers are any indication, Trout should improve a lot with men on base, an instance in which he has a 1.002 OPS compared to a .985 mark with no runners on.
Time evens things and puts everything in place.
However, that Trout split was sure shocking to see.
