Trout joins 400 HR club

Mike Trout became the latest member of the 400 HR club not long since its latest member, Giancarlo Stanton.

Trout made history Friday night in Hoboken when he led off the 4th inning with a home run deep to left off Cutters rookie Alex Faedo to give the Mules a 1-0 lead. Allentown would go on to lose, 5-2, at Hoboken. He now ranks 15th all-time in home runs and trails Merrill Creek's Giancarlo Stanton by just 1 HR as the DMBL's active leader.

Trout enjoyed a resurgence last season, blasting a career-high 60 HRs in what was arguably his second-best season in DMBL. He edged his career high in doubles, finally reaching 40, and finished 2nd in the Mitchell Award voting, missing out on a 4th one. He won it as a rookie in 2013 and won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019).

After a rookie season in Philly in which he captured both the Listach and Mitchell Awards, the franchise moved to Allentown where Trout went on to play every game for six straight seasons (2014-2019). During that stretch, he averaged a slash line of .277/.384/.521 and .905 OPS with:

• 173 H
• 33 2B, 6 3B
• 36 HR, 95 RBI
• 120 R
• 97 BB, 183 K
• 12 SB, 4 CS
• 326 TB

It wasn't significant time he missed following that stretch, still starting 139 and 141 games in 2020 and 2021, respectively, before bowing out of the 2022 campaign entirely.

Trout was drafted in 2011 by Amityville as an ineligible prospect in the 2nd round (18th overall) but never played a game for them and wouldn't make his DMBL debut for another two seasons. Ahead of the 2012 protected deadline, the Ant Slayers sent him to Philly  1B Ike Davis, a 7th in 2012, and two picks in 2013, a 1st and 4th. In return, they got SP Jered Weaver, 2B Howie Kendrick and a 9th round pick in 2013.