PHILADELPHIA — On a day when the Phillies unveiled the logo for the 2026 All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, 11-time All-Star Mike Trout returned to his roots.
As expected, there was renewed speculation about whether the Los Angeles Angels outfielder will ever play for his hometown club.
“I hear it all the time,” Trout, a native of Millville, N.J., said Friday. “Right now, I’m enjoying myself with this team in here. These guys come to the ballpark every day and play hard. It’s hard not for me to see it, because I see it and hear it all the time.”
Trout, a three-time American League MVP, entered Friday’s game with 395 career home runs and 995 RBIs, on the verge of rarified air. He still has close family and friends in South Jersey and remains a staple at Eagles games during the baseball offseason. His Angels, who have made the playoffs just once in his career and without winning a series, entered with a record of 47-49 yet just four games back of an AL Wild Card spot.
“I think, just being a South Jersey kid, I’m always going to get it (about Philadelphia fans’ fervor),” said Trout, who turns 34 next month. “Growing up, I loved Philly. These are my sports teams growing up. I know how (the fans) are, how they support their teams, and that’s how I was growing up. Just the passion they have … you see it. They’re faithful.”
Trout, who played at Citizens Bank Park in high school during the Phillies’ annual Carpenter Cup tournament, which showcases amateur standouts in the tri-state region, was playing only his sixth major league game at CBP on Friday night. He entered 2-for-20 here with seven strikeouts, but supplied a double and an RBI single.
“This guy is a superstar,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I saw him when he first came up and he hit the ball as far as you could think. He runs down the first base line, it sounds like a horse, just big and strong and fast.”
Trout was drafted out of high school in 2009 and reached the majors two years later at age 19. His dominance and skill set brought to mind Mickey Mantle, but injuries eventually began landing him on the IL almost every year, often for extended periods. He’s a career .296 hitter with a .985 OPS, 214 stolen bases and nine Silver Slugger awards and has been a repeated finalist for the Gold Glove award in center field.
Lately he’s been in the DH slot as he recovers from a bone bruise to his left knee that kept him sidelined earlier in the season. Since returning on May 30, he’s slashing .283/.433/.478 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 41 games.
“I’m just happy to be in the lineup, contributing,” Trout said, reflecting on his career. “Years past, it’s just come to the ballpark, not be able to at least hit. That’s been frustrating, that’s been tough. To think about it, it’s just how fast it’s going. Just trying to enjoy every minute of it. The milestones are awesome. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting them.”
He’s also looking forward to the possibility of playing in an All-Star game at Citizens Bank Park next July 14.
“It would definitely mean a lot,” Trout said.
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Right-hander Aaron Nola, who has been on the 60-day IL with a cracked rib, threw a bullpen session at CBP before Friday’s game. He is slated to throw batting practice on Saturday.
“If it goes really well, he’ll have a bullpen (session) probably on Tuesday,” Thomson said. “And if that goes well, there’s a chance he goes out (for a rehab assignment). A guy like that, who hasn’t been on the IL for a long time, there’s a tendency to get bored and itchy, and they’re motivated. And I can see that in him right now.”
The plan is for Nola to throw 35 pitches, or two innings, of batting practice.
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The Phillies unveiled the All-Star logo at a Center City ceremony Friday and held a pregame ceremony at the ballpark in which they invited back all their living former All-Stars.
Next year will be the fourth time Philadelphia has hosted an All-Star game and the first since 1996. The first instance was 1943 (by the Athletics) and 1952 by the Phillies, both at Shibe Park, followed in 1976 and 1996 at Veterans Stadium. This is the first one at CBP, which opened in 2004.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.
The logo for next year’s MLB All-Star game at Citizens Bank Park.
Originally Published: July 18, 2025 at 9:17 PM EDT