Angels veteran Mike Trout has a new position for 2026. It’s the position he’s most familiar with in a career that includes three MVP awards and 11 All-Star appearances.
Trout will return to center field after spending the 2025 season at right field and designated hitter.
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“I just feel more comfortable out there,” Trout told reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group, in the team’s spring training camp Monday. “I feel like I’m at my best when I’m in center. But if I have to go to the corner, I’ll go to the corner.”
Trout, 34, was a highly regarded defensive center field during his peak. But as injuries limited him to 266 games from 2021-24, Trout conceded to the wear and tear by shifting to the less demanding right field position in 2025. He started the majority of his games at DH.
The result: Trout appeared in 130 games last season, his most since 2019. But it came at a cost. His 121 OPS+ was the lowest ever for a full season in his career. Jo Adell, who’s a better right fielder than center fielder, took over for Trout and was not as consistent as hoped.
According to Fletcher, new Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Trout approached him with the idea of returning to center, and Trout will work at all three spots in spring training.
“It’s always nice to have some flexibility, but he does prefer center field and we’re going to take a look,” Suzuki told reporters. “We’ve got spring training to see how he feels out there in center, but that’s the plan right now.”
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