Mike Trout is headed back to the All-Star Game at the perfect moment, and the setting could hardly be better for him.
The Angels star, who grew up in Millville, N.J., about 40 miles from Philadelphia, will get a hometown-style welcome when the Midsummer Classic is played at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night. It’s a stage Trout knows well from past trips to Philly, where he drew loud ovations from the crowd in 2014, 2022 and 2025.
This will be Trout’s 12th All-Star selection and his 11th time being chosen as a starter, but it’s also his first appearance in the game since 2019. He only just got back from the injured list on Wednesday after missing 17 games with a strained right hamstring, so the timing gives him a chance to jump straight from rehab mode into one of baseball’s biggest showcases.
Trout said Friday he’s looking forward to the personal side of the week as much as the baseball. His wife, Jessica, and their sons, Beckham and Jordy, will be part of the festivities, and he sounded genuinely moved by the way Philadelphia fans have embraced him.
“The fans have been awesome,” Trout said. “I know how Eagles fans are when an opposing player comes into town.
So to hear that ovation, it means a lot. The fans of Philly sports, they appreciate people that play the game hard and play the game the right way, and that's how I’ve been since I was a kid.
I know they see that, and I don't take it for granted playing this game.”
There’s another layer to the week, too. Trout knows the questions about the Trade Deadline are coming, and he expects to hear plenty of them at media day on Monday, including the familiar speculation about whether he’d want to be dealt to Philadelphia. The Angels have not reached the postseason since 2014 and entered Friday’s series opener 20 games under .500.
“Oh, I know I'm going to hear that a thousand times,” Trout said. “The thing is, I have a no-trade clause.
So, like, it can happen whenever. Ultimately, it comes down to what me and my family want.
So I just think it's so hilarious when guys keep asking me.”
Even with that chatter hanging over the week, Trout made it clear he wants to stay with the Angels, the team he has been with since 2011. He signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract that runs through 2030.
He also said he plans to speak with interim general manager John Mozeliak after the Draft this weekend and again after the All-Star break about where things stand. For now, though, he’s focused on the people around him and the chance to play in front of family and friends in his home region.
“They’re all fired up,” Trout said. “They’re already back home and looking forward to it.
I know my wife is, too. It’s going to be a cool couple of days.”
The Angels are happy to see him back on the big stage, too. Trout has put together a .230/.388/.471 line with 18 homers, 12 doubles, seven stolen bases and 39 RBIs in 76 games this season, and teammates see the All-Star nod as a fitting reward.
Right fielder Jo Adell called it “huge,” adding, “And to be able to have that hometown celebration, I’m sure it's going to be a lot of standing ovations and stuff going on for him. He’s one of the best players of all time and one of the best I've ever seen.
I've been lucky to be around him for this many years. Just glad to see him back feeling good and going to be able to experience that, and it's pretty cool that it's at home for him.”
Manager Kurt Suzuki, who was an All-Star with Trout in Minnesota in 2015, said this one should carry extra meaning. Suzuki was with the Twins then and caught the final inning of an American League win while Trout won All-Star Game MVP honors for the second straight year.
“That's going to be something special for Mike,” Suzuki said. “I know he's been thinking about that a lot, and especially coming into the year, he knew it was going to be in Philly.
That's something special for him, and the guy deserves it. His career speaks for itself, but now to be able to go play an All-Star game really close to home, it's definitely going to be a cool experience for him.”
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