Former President Barack Obama once referred to Mike Trout during a speech discussing the versatility of the Farm Bill and said, “It’s like Mike Trout, for those of you who know baseball. It’s somebody who’s got a lot of tools and multitasks.”
Mike Trout’s baseball resume stands among the all-time greats, with three American League MVP Awards in 2014, 2016 and 2019, the second most in history. He is an 11-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger award winner and was the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year. Mike was also Baseball America’s 2011 Minor League Player of the Year.
While Mike juggles what it takes to be the best player in the game, he has always found time to help those in need. Mike has participated in various charitable events, including granting numerous wishes through Make-A-Wish each season. Most recently, he helped make 7-year-old Eli Velasquez’s dream come true through a partnership with ESPN and Make-A-Wish. Mike spent time with Eli pregame during batting practice, in the cages and watching postgame fireworks from the field.
Mike has recorded countless video messages encouraging children around the country as they battle illnesses and setbacks, making a special effort to personalize these messages so that each encounter is a lasting, meaningful memory meant specifically for that person.
On one occasion, he surprised a New Jersey family on Christmas Eve by bringing Christmas gifts after their house had burned down days before Christmas, with all of their presents gone with it. Throughout his career, Mike has raised and donated funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and Inland Empire, the Red Cross and other organizations nationwide.
Recently, Mike and his wife, Jessica, have been involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) as benefactors for the organization to raise awareness for suicide prevention. These efforts are very personal for the Trouts after losing Jessica’s brother, Aaron Cox, to suicide in 2018. The stigma surrounding mental health makes it hard for people to speak up, and the Trouts, together with AFSP, believe that open conversations can save lives. Presently, Mike serves as a Mental Wellness Ambassador for Major League Baseball’s MLB Together platform. MLB Together emphasizes efforts to make important societal contributions through the power of partnership and community.
The couple has also been working with apparel company Tiny Turnip to lead an initiative called “Your Game Isn’t Over Yet;” The design consists of a baseball and glove in the shape of the semicolon -- “;” -- the symbol for suicide prevention. Just as the semicolon represents when an author could have ended a sentence but decided to continue the sentence instead, Mike’s suicide prevention campaign seeks to empower those struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviors to know that “Your Game Isn’t Over Yet;” A new design unveiled this year features a home plate filled with names of those who have lost their lives to suicide. This plate is a reminder that support is all around, and help is available for anyone struggling. All proceeds benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.