Mike Trout Praises 'Incredible' Shohei Ohtani: 'I’ve Never Seen a Player Like Him'

Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are no longer teammates after the latter signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers a year ago. But Trout still remains impressed by the two-way impact of Ohtani.

"I watched him do what he does on the mound from center field for all those years," he told Barry M. Bloom of Sportico. "I've never seen a player like him. Not both ways like that. He's incredible."

He also followed along during Ohtani's epic 2024 campaign.

"His season was pretty incredible," he said. "It was fun to watch and to follow. It was good for baseball, too. Everyone knows what he's capable of. To be able to put up that kind of numbers consistently is pretty amazing."

Ohtani, of course, hit .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBI, 134 runs, 59 stolen bases and a 1.036 OPS. He was unanimously chosen as the NL MVP winner last season, though he wasn't able to pitch after having elbow surgery. His two-way impact when he is able to take the mound, however, remains the stuff of legend.

Trout, on the other hand, played in just 29 games, requiring two surgeries to repair the torn meniscus in his left knee. The Los Angeles Angels are shifting him to right field this season, hoping it reduces some wear and tear on his body.

And perhaps that would mean Trout gets the call to represent the United States in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where he could once again face Japan's Ohtani. The last time around, Ohtani struck out Trout to clinch a Japan win.