When Mike Trout stepped into the batter’s box at Angel Stadium against the Seattle Mariners on May 21, 2013, he was just 21 years and 287 days old. But by the time this game was over — which was a 12-0 win for the Halos — the Millville Meteor made some impressive history.
The outfielder finished his night at the dish by going 4-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored. A four-hit night is noteworthy, but it wasn’t anything normal because Trout hit for the cycle. In accomplishing that feat, he became the youngest player in American League history to do it.
Related: Mike Trout Home Runs Through the Years
How the Cycle Unfolded
Hitting second in the Angels’ order behind Erick Aybar, Trout got an immediate opportunity to start his night in the bottom of the first, but Mariners hurler Aaron Harang struck him out looking. His second at-bat came in the bottom of the third and resulted in what appeared to be a harmless infield single to the right side.
But that helped open the floodgates for Trout. With two on and two out in the bottom of the fourth, the right-handed slugger hit a two-run triple, which ultimately sent Harang to the showers. He doubled in the sixth and then completed the cycle with a homer in the bottom of the eighth. On top of everything else, Trout also swiped a bag to showcase all the various ways he could influence a game.
When asked about the night afterward, Trout kept it characteristically low-key. “It’s just a dream come true. Triple, double, home run, and a single,” he said, via MLB.com. “It’s tough to do, and hopefully, there’s more to come.” His manager, Mike Scioscia, didn’t hold back, saying, “Just seeing his talent, you have to really shake yourself, because he’s 21 years old.”
This Was Just Part of An Outrageous Start to Trout’s Career
Trout’s 2013 campaign was yet another impressive season in what became a legendary start to his big-league career.
The outfielder won the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year Award and finished second in AL MVP voting after posting a .963 OPS with 30 homers, 27 doubles, 83 RBI, 129 runs scored, and 49 steals as a 20-year-old. That performance — plus his defense in center field — was worth 10.5 bWAR.
It continued in 2013, and hitting for the cycle proved to be a stepping stone to another eye-popping year. Trout finished with a .988 OPS, 27 home runs, 39 doubles, 97 RBI, 109 runs scored, 33 steals, and an 8.9 bWAR. He finished second in AL MVP Award voting (getting beaten out by Miguel Cabrera for the second straight year), but his MVP moment wasn’t far off in the distance.
Trout finally took home MVP honors in 2014 — it was the first of three times he won the hardware. Oh, and between 2012 and 2020, the right-handed hitter never finished lower than fifth in AL MVP Award voting. He was a finalist seven different times during this stretch, including each of his first five full seasons.
Going back to that cycle, it’s interesting to see how a huge early-season performance can impact season-long stats. Heading into May 21, Trout owned a .278/.363/.517 line with an .880 OPS. That’s certainly nothing to scoff at, but his numbers improved to .293/.373/.558 and .931, respectively, once the cycle was complete.
His season-long OPS never dipped below .899 the rest of the season, and Trout flirted with a 1.000-plus OPS for a good chunk of August and September.
Another Look at Trout’s Power Accomplishments
At the time of this writing, Trout has accumulated 219 career stolen bases. But thanks to his age and a significant number of injuries in recent years, that aspect of his game has all but vanished.
He registered at least 11 steals in each year between 2012 and 2019, but hasn’t had more than six in a season since (he does have five steals through 46 games in 2026). The one thing that hasn’t gone away when he’s healthy and on the field, though, is his power.
Trout isn’t the Angels’ single-season home run king, but he’s posted seven seasons of 30-plus homers (40-plus three times). His 415 career homers are already an Angels franchise record, too. His current contract runs through the 2030 season, giving him a realistic shot at joining the 500-homer club before his playing days are through.
Now, we just have to hope he stays healthy. He played in 130 games in 2025, which was his highest total for one year since 2019. Trout has stayed on the field consistently so far in 2026, so everyone needs to cross their fingers for it to continue. Baseball is just better when Mike Trout is healthy and productive.
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