Mike Trout on weight gain: I put on eight pounds, and it was all muscle

Mike Trout says the reports that he showed up to spring training overweight are inaccurate and overblown.

Many fans and analysts were concerned that Trout fell out of shape over the offseason after word circulated that the reigning AL Rookie of the Year had put on weight. The report seemed to emanate from Angels beat writer Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, who tweeted this on Feb. 14:

Last season, #Angels OF Mike Trout looked like an NFL RB. He looks more like a FB now, after gaining 10-15 lbs. He reported at 240 lbs.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) February 14, 2013

Reading that Trout was up to 240 pounds and looking like a fullback was pretty stunning, especially when you consider that his player profile on most sports websites lists him at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, which would equate to a 40-pound gain. Additionally, photos posted to Trout’s Twitter account didn’t seem to show a noticeable change in his physique. That’s probably because there wasn’t much of one.

On Thursday, Trout set the record straight about his weight during an interview with Mike Gill’s “The Sports Bash” on 97.3 FM in Trout’s home state of New Jersey.

“People say I gained 30 or 40 pounds, they got a wrong answer,” Trout told Gill. “I came into camp like eight pounds over what I played at last year. I ended the year last year 231, and I came in to camp like 240. I’m down to like 235 now.

“I feel great, feel fine, feel normal, so it’s nothing to worry about. [I have] nine percent body fat, so it’s not like I’m out there crushing hamburgers and eating some bad food. Just working out. I didn’t think it was a big deal.

“I think it got out there because when I got drafted it said I was 210, and they haven’t updated it in like three years. I think that’s why they got 30 pounds. Right now, I probably gained five pounds, if that,” said Trout.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia elaborated on the matter during an interview with ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning.”

“He grew up, that’s what happened,” Scioscia told Mike and Mike. “You guys were all 20 years old at one time, right? Your body keeps growing, you keep developing. He’s going to keep evolving as he grows up.

“He came in probably eight pounds heavier than he finished last year, but his body composition is incredible. He’s moving well, he’s running just as fast as he did last year, so that’s not an issue.”

So there you have it — no reasons to be concerned about Trout. If anything, he might have some more power this season, which would be scary considering he bashed 30 home runs last year.

And to further allay all fears, pitcher Chad Cordero, who signed a minor-league deal with the Angels, complimented Trout’s physique this week.

“He’s a beast. He’s like one giant muscle,” he said, per Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.

For further context, here’s a look at Josh Hamilton, Trout, and Albert Pujols side-by-side:

15 All-Star nods, 4 MVP honors, 2 Rookie of the Years, 3 players, 1 team. twitter.com/Angels/status/…

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) February 14, 2013

Hamilton and Pujols are enormous, but Trout looks more muscular than them. He is just a big, solid dude who is extremely well put together.