Trout hopes to join Ohtani at All-Star Game

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani already has his ticket punched for the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle. He officially made the American League squad on Thursday after being the AL’s leading vote-getter in Phase 1 of the voting.

But fellow superstar Mike Trout is also aiming for his 11th career All-Star selection. He received the second-most votes among AL outfielders to advance to Phase 2.

The top two vote-getters at each position (and the top six outfielders) made it to Phase 2. Trout joins fellow outfielders Aaron Judge, Randy Arozarena, Yordan Alvarez, Kevin Kiermaier and Adolis García as those going to the second phase of the voting.

Trout, a three-time AL MVP and the All-Star Game MVP in 2014 and ‘15, is the lone Angels player to advance to Phase 2 of the All-Star balloting. He’s looking to be voted in as a starter for the 10th straight time, which is a feat only eight others have done: Rod Carew, Cal Ripken Jr., George Brett, Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays, Johnny Bench, Ozzie Smith and Wade Boggs.

But Trout hasn’t played in a Midsummer Classic since 2019. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he missed the game with injuries in both ’21 (strained left calf) and ’22 (back spasms).

So it would be special for Trout to play in his first All-Star Game in four years, especially at a ballpark at which he’s dominated, historically. Trout holds the all-time record for homers as a visitor at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park with 33.

Trout, 31, hasn’t had his typical MVP-caliber season but is still putting up All-Star numbers. He’s hit .250/.358/.466 with 15 homers, 13 doubles and 39 RBIs in 71 games.

He’s hoping to join Ohtani as an All-Star for the third straight year. Ohtani was elected as a starting pitcher and a designated hitter in both ’21 and ’22.

Ohtani is already officially the starter at designated hitter this year and could be named as a starting pitcher again this year. But due to Trout’s injuries the last two seasons, the two haven’t played in the same All-Star Game together.