Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout opened the 2026 MLB All-Star Game with a strikeout in his first plate appearance.Trout is making his 12th All-Star appearance near home, with Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park sitting roughly 40 miles from where he was born and raised in New Jersey.But the Angels entered the break once again at the bottom of the AL West standings.The Angels have not reached the postseason since 2014, the longest active playoff drought in MLB, with the Pittsburgh Pirates next on the list after last playing October baseball in 2015.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMLos Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout warms up before the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)At 38-59 entering the break, Los Angeles faces long odds of reversing course and mounting a playoff push, but Trout said the doubt surrounding the team has only fueled his motivation."I think the fuel of people doubting us kind of makes it more of a fire for me to try to get back to the playoffs," Trout told the Los Angeles Times."I think that's the biggest key for me."Trout made his big league debut with the Angels in 2011, but the franchise has reached the postseason just once during his tenure.WHAT TO WATCH FOR DURING THE 2026 MLB ALL-STAR GAME AT CITIZENS BANK PARK IN PHILADELPHIAThe lack of team success has raised questions about whether he would consider playing elsewhere in the twilight of his career.
But ahead of Tuesday’s All-Star Game, the three-time AL MVP said he still has unfinished business in Southern California."Could I take the easy way out and just leave? Yeah," Trout said.Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout looks on against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 11, 2026.(Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)"But I think - I said this last year around this time, but it's the same feeling I've been having - I really haven't sat down and ta...