Major League Baseball (MLB) superstar Mike Trout has announced that he will play for the defending World Champions and World No. 5 USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, generating a buzz across the sport. Considered by many to be the top player in the game, Trout will serve as the US National Team captain, as confirmed by USA Baseball.
"I'm looking forward to playing for our country," said Trout. "It means a lot to my family and me to represent our country. It's going to be awesome to have 'USA' across my chest. It really means a lot to me. It's going to be fun."
Trout previously suited up for the US National Team at the 2010 Pan American Baseball Championship in Puerto Rico. He finished the tournament hitting .350 with 14 hits, two doubles, a triple, and three home runs, tallying 7 RBIs in the tournament.
Trout has spent his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Angels, which drafted him out of high school in 2009.He is a 10-time All-Star. He has earned three American League MVP Awards (2014, 2016, 2019) and eight Silver Slugger awards.
Trout signed a 12-year contract (through 2030) with the Los Angeles Angels worth US$ 426.5 million, 35.55 million per season. It's the second richest contract in the history of north-American professional sports after a 503 million package granted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) to Patrick Mahomes.
