Mike Trout home run daily: Another 1st-inning shot

Today’s Mike Trout home run daily looks back to 2018, when Trout gave us reason to notice different levels of slumping.

Entering June 29, 2018, the opener of a three-game weekend series for the Angels in Baltimore against the Orioles, Trout hadn’t homered in his previous 14 games. It’s not the worst powerless stretch of his career, but it’s also worth noting that in those 14 games Trout hit .381 and walked 17 times, giving him a .565 on-base percentage.

Some slump.

Even though Trout went 16 days without homering, he still stood second in the majors in home runs at that point in the season, just two behind Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez.

The first inning was Trout’s most prolific for home runs in 2018, with 11 of his 39 long balls coming in the opening frame. It’s been the same for his career, with 77 home runs in the first inning, 27 percent of his total homers in an inning that sees 22 percent of his plate appearances.

This day was no different, greeting David Hess with one out in the first inning by hitting a ball well into the Angels bullpen.

This was the 24th home run of the season for Trout, and the 225th of his career. He was later hit by a pitch and intentionally walked, and scored two runs in the game.