The Story of a Modern Legend
Three-time AL MVP. 11-time All-Star. Nine-time Silver Slugger. Mike Trout is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, a generational talent who has been one of the biggest stars in The Hobby throughout his career. Since 2020, he’s dealt with a number of injuries, leading to Trout playing over 100 games only once in the last five seasons.
Now, after another absence through injury, Trout has returned to play for the Los Angeles Angels. As fans and collectors celebrate his return to action, let’s take a look at the cards and legacy of the Los Angeles Angels superstar.
A Rookie Year for the Ages
The Angels took Trout with the 25th pick in the 2009 MLB Draft. A year later, he was the Topps Minor League Player of the Year at just 19 years old. After debuting in the big leagues in 2011, he exploded onto the scene in 2012, hitting 30 home runs while driving in 83 runs and stealing 49 bases.
He led the majors that year with 129 runs scored and put up an MLB-best WAR of 10.5. At only 20, Mike Trout won 2012 AL Rookie of the Year and finished second in MVP voting. It wasn’t simply that a star was born: A superstar had appeared in a flash before the eyes of the baseball world.
Unsurprisingly, Trout’s 2009 Bowman Draft Picks Baseball Chrome Prospects card became one of the most sought-after in all The Hobby. In fact, the 1-of-1 Superfractor Autographed version of the card sold for $3,840,000 in August 2020, making it one of the biggest sales of all-time. This Red Refractor Autographed card numbered to five sold for over $1,000,000 through Fanatics in October 2022.
A Meteoric Rise to Greatness
Starting with Trout’s historic 2012 rookie campaign, the outfielder embarked on one of the greatest five-year stretches in the history of baseball. Two MVPs and three-times MVP runner up from the age of 20 to 24. Trout posted an incredible WAR of 47 in his first five full MLB seasons. For comparison, Babe Ruth’s best five-year stretch resulted in a combined WAR of 56.6. Now in his 15th season, Trout remains the active leader in Wins Above Replacement, at writing, with 86.3.
Trout’s Topps Rookie Card came out as part of 2011 Topps Update Baseball, and remains one of the most coveted Mike Trout cards of all-time. This PSA 10 is currently listed through Fanatics Collect for $950.
Trout’s 2011 Topps Update Baseball Diamond Anniversary card is a spectacularly designed favorite for Trout collectors to chase. This PSA 10 is currently listed at Fanatics Collect for $18,500.
Trout rookie cards can also be found in 2011 Bowman releases, including this 2011 Bowman Chrome Baseball Blue Refractor /150. A 2011 Bowman Sterling Baseball Auto Purple Refractor /10 sold for over $6,000 on March 23, 2025.
Trout Joins the 3x MVP Club
By 2019, Trout had established himself as a dominant force in baseball. That year, he hit a career-high 45 home runs in only 134 games, as well as posting an MLB-leading OBP of .438 to go along with an AL-leading OPS of 1.083. He took home his third AL MVP, winning a close race with Houston’s Alex Bregman.
It’s hard to exaggerate the historic nature of Trout’s career to that point. From 2012-2019, he finished first or second in MVP voting seven times. For comparison, Barry Bonds finished in the top two in MVP voting nine times in a 15-year span, winning seven, including four in a row.
Trout appeared along with the other 3-time MVP winners in Topps’ release of 2025 Topps Welcome to the Club: 3X MVP Baseball, a premium set commemorating Shohei Ohtani winning his third MVP crown in 2024. The two former teammates are featured on a special Dual Autographed card.
Trout on the Comeback Trail
There’s no doubt that the past few years have been tough for Mike Trout. Since his MVP-winning campaign in 2019, he’s dealt with a number of injuries that have limited his playing time. 2022 was the only season where he was able to play in more than 82 games. That year, he appeared in 119, and despite playing sparingly the previous two seasons, the slugger managed to launch 40 home runs and finish eighth in AL MVP voting, a remarkable feat for a player who had struggled for years to stay on the field.
After two more injury-filled seasons, Trout decided to make the switch to right field this year, in the hopes it would be less taxing on the body. While fans and collectors have many memories of his otherworldly athleticism in center field, the move made sense for the 33-year old.
After another injury this season, Trout has once again returned to action, choosing to get back into the swing of things by playing as the Angels’ designated hitter. In his fourth game back, Trout put up three hits, including a 454-foot home run, passing Tim Salmon for second on the All-time Angels hits list in the process. Topps NOW® commemorated the occasion.
Mike Trout remains one of The Hobby’s favorite players, and his excellent play in his most recent comeback is hopefully a sign of things to come. Among Trout’s 2025 Topps cards, one standout is his inclusion in the popular 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1 Player Number Variation series. These cards are fun chase cards for collectors, printed only in the amount that corresponds with the player’s jersey number. That means that 27 Trout cards are there for the chasing. The card has sold for as much as $800.
Another great 2025 Mike Trout card is his entry in the popular Big Head Variations, exclusively available in 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1 Celebration Boxes. On March 30, 2025 a gold parallel numbered to 50 fetched $1,000.
In short, Mike Trout is an All-Timer, both on the field and in The Hobby.
