Shohei Ohtani got the best of fellow Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout to close out the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday night, but Trout seems to think he will have a chance at revenge.
Ohtani struck out Trout to seal Japan’s 3-2 win over Team USA in the World Baseball Classic final. When asked after the game about the dream matchup, Trout said Ohtani “won Round 1.”
Mike Trout after striking out to Shohei Ohtani:
"He won Round 1.'' pic.twitter.com/gZCheQEzh2
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 22, 2023
The comment sent MLB fans into a frenzy. Trout may have been talking about the next WBC, which won’t be played until 2026. The only way he could face Ohtani in a high-stakes situation before that would be if one of Trout or Ohtani leaves the Angels. Trout is signed through 2030, while Ohtani is set to become a free agent next winter.
Ohtani has said that winning will be his top priority in choosing his next team, and the Angels have not done much of that in recent years. It is also worth noting that a big rival is viewed as the favorite to sign him. Perhaps Trout is anticipating that he and Ohtani will be on opposite sides of the field again sooner rather than later.
