Mike Trout is one home-run away from 400, a look at his card market
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Mike Trout is about to hit a milestone as the season nears its end. He currently stands at 399 home-runs; one more dinger will vault him to 400. His career has had its fair share of highlights - he's without question one of the best players of his generation. As the Angels prepare to head into yet another off-season without a playoff appearance, the question has to be asked - how's the future looking for Trout's baseball cards?
Trout made his debut in 2011 and exploded in 2012; since then, he's joined the elite club of 3 time MVP winners. It's most likely he'll be a first-ballot hall of famer when his time comes - so why have his baseball cards like his 2011 Topps Update rookie taken a dip? One reason is the same suspect that has haunted many a player in their prime: injury. Trout has struggled with injuries on and off during his career. He started this season with an injury and while his numbers have been ok this year, there's a sense that he's prone to injury, which has limited his production in recent years.
According to Card Ladder, Trout's rate of growth is down over 12% over the last year. There's a couple of other reasons this could be the case in addition to the injury story. Simply put, the Angels just haven't been very good. It's now been many years since they were in the playoffs and time is marching on. Trout is 34 now and age will become more and more of a factor over the next few seasons.
Add all these factors up and it's understandable why Trout's market is currently on the downswing. However, there's no taking away the fact that he's a generational player who has achieved much and still has years to play assuming he can stay healthy. Once he gets hot again (and he will), his cards will see an upturn.
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.