MIKE TROUT and Shohei Ohtani (AP photo).

The brightest light in the baseball universe is Shohei Ohtani, the “unicorn” who may eventually be proclaimed the greatest of all time.

That glare may be enough to forget that it wasn’t so long ago that another player who got his start in an Angel uniform was considered a great as well.

That player, of course, is Mike Trout. Despite several recent seasons – including this one – in which his powers were diminished by injuries – he is on the cusp of reaching milestones that will propel him further toward the Hall of Fame.

Going into the All-Star Break, Trout in his 15th season with the Halos has hit 395 home runs and driven in 995 runs. A few more weeks of baseball and he’ll be past those and on to new statistical glory.

Three times he has been named American League Most Valuable Player, despite performing for a uniformly mediocre team. Thrice more he was second in the MVP race.

The all-awing stat of WAR (Wins Above Replacement) indicates that – on average – he was responsible for the Angels winning nine more games a season than they otherwise would have.

Hobbled by injury and age, he’s hitting a below-average .236 but nevertheless has 17 home runs and 41 RBIs so far in 2025.

On top of his statistical achievements with a bat, he’s been one of the premier center fielders for decades and has remained stoutly loyal to the team that drafted him.

That’s not a jab at Shohei. A chance to play for a World Series title is hard to pass up. But let’s never forget that Mike Trout has been a world champ in his own quiet way for years.