Mike Trout is embarking on Spring Training with the LA Angels ahead of a season where the presence of Shohei Ohtani is sure to be missed. With a long season looming ahead, Trout’s wife, Jessica Cox, shared images of their son’s trip to the zoo.

Beckham, 3, was accompanied by Tripp and Riggs, the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren of Trout’s former Angels teammate, Garrett Richards. As Cox’s IG stories show, the kids had a great time at the zoo.

Echoing the classical campaigns of Julius Caesar in Pontus, she captioned the story:

“We came, we saw, we conquered, and we’re tired.”

Speaking of campaigns and conquering, the LA Angels appear to be in for a tough 2024 season and not many analysts are optimistic of their chances. While Garrett Richards moved on from LA in 2018, Mike Trout remains a stalwart for the franchise and the superstar will be integral to their chances this year.

Mike Trout to stand tall for LA Angels after Shohei Ohtani departs for LA Dodgers

While the odds of Shohei Ohtani returning to the Angels were long, fans had to be hurt by his signing for their cross-town rivals, the LA Dodgers. Interestingly, Mike Trout recently told reporters that he had a hunch Ohtani would end up at the Dodgers:

“Everybody was asking me before he made his decision, I kinda had a feeling it was going to be the Dodgers throughout the year, last year.”

Losing a player of Ohtani’s two-way abilities was always going to be difficult, and it is hard to argue that the Angels are a stronger team in 2024. Trout is the face of the franchise and the consensus is that as long as he is healthy there is hope.

Last week, Angels manager Ron Washington spoke to reporters about the team’s expectations for the season:

“The main message I sent to them was [to have a] work ethic, care about each other … and develop a culture and structure. You must be a team to be successful.

“You can’t have people going in different directions. That’s the main thing. The organization is trying to build the Minor League system just like they are trying to do on the Major League side.”

He added:

“I’m not saying we are going to win the division, but I tell you what, we are not going to be the same Angels that were in previous years. We are going to match the baseball that [the AL West] is playing. If we can match their game, then we are going to be right there with them.”

It remains to be seen if the Angels can keep pace with the AL West, as the Texas Rangers are reigning World Series champions and the Houston Astros are being touted as potential usurpers.