Mike Trout is the center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels.
His first full season was 2012, the same year Effectively Wild began. Trout is one of the most frequently discussed players on the show. Common topics include his extraordinarily high level of play, comparisons to Bryce Harper, and hypothetical situations. Episode 797 was dedicated to how one could explain Trout's greatness to non-fans.
Other recurring topics include his personality quirks, such as his fascination with weather and his unusual punctuation on Twitter (both in Episode 655), which consists of a space added before sentence-ending punctuation.
Trout Hypotheticals
Effectively Wild listeners will often submit unusual Trout-based scenarios (with the hosts usually being asked to determine how good he would still be if forced to play with a given handicap). Examples include:
- Episode 364: What if Mike Trout had to switch-hit? (Related topic in Episode 999, and a follow-up in Episode 1002 regarding discovered video of Trout switch-hitting during high school batting practice.)
- Episode 369: What if Mike Trout offered to take a below-market extension only if he was guaranteed the GM job in 15 years?
- Episode 726: What if Mike Trout had fewer fingers?
- Episode 959: What if Mike Trout had to run hurdles towards first base?
- Episode 1023: What if Mike Trout had to do everything running backwards?
- Episode 1229: What if Mike Trout had absolutely no awareness of what was happening around him in the game?