Mike Trout Home Runs 400

Mike Trout Home Run No. 400: What the fan asked for in return for the baseball and the chase for 500

Mike Trout finally cracked No. 400. It took him more than a month stuck on 398, but the longtime Angels superstar launched career homer No. 400 on Saturday night, becoming just the 59th player in MLB history to reach the mark.

That puts him in rare company, especially among center fielders. Only Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle, Andre Dawson, Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones, and Duke Snider had done it before and now Trout is the eighth.

It’s an incredible milestone. Trout raised the bar so absurdly high for himself that 400 almost feels like just a pit stop.

Mike Trout Career Home Run No. 400

Can Mike Trout hit the 500 HR mark?

The conversation now is about whether he can make it to 500, the number that’s defined elite sluggers for decades. Everyone remembers rattling off the 500-homer club as kids, and right now it’s still capped at 28 members.

Trout was once on a dead sprint to join them.

Through his age-27 season, Trout already had 285 home runs, averaging 35 a year from 2012–19. At that pace, 500 looked like a lock.

Then came the injuries.

Since 2020, Trout hasn’t played a full season. He got just 36 games in 2021, 119 in 2022, 82 in 2023, and only 29 last year. Even this season, despite crossing 400, he’s made another trip to the IL.

When he’s on the field, though? He still mashes. Trout hit 40 in those 119 games in 2022. He hit 10 in 29 games last season. Since 2020, his 162-game average is 42 homers—still elite production. The problem is the body just hasn’t let him stack those games together.

He’s 34 now with five years left on his Angels contract. To hit 500 before it’s over, he’d need to average 20 homers a year the rest of the way. That sounds doable until you start factoring in his recent health record. Projection tools give him just a 5% chance of making it, with a final career total around 454.

Mike Trout probably falls short of 500 but it’s not impossible.

If he stays healthy for just one or two more full seasons, he could close the gap fast before tapering off late in his deal.

Even if he doesn’t get there, 400 is still an incredible marker, and Trout’s place in baseball history is secure. Two MVPs, a Rookie of the Year, countless All-Star nods, and now 400 career bombs. He might not have the durability to chase down Mays or Griffey, but he’ll still go down as one of the best to ever patrol center field.

The milestone is worth celebrating. Just don’t be shocked if the chase for 500 defines Trout’s twilight years.

Good Stuff: Fan who caught Mike Trout’s 400th HR ball just wanted to play catch

A fan at Coors Field came up with Trout’s 400th dinger and had every chance to cash in. He could’ve thrown it on eBay for thousands. He could’ve held the Angels hostage for a meet-and-greet package, season tickets, autographed memorabilia, whatever. Instead? He had one humble request: he wanted to play catch with Mike Trout.

And Trout, being the stand-up dude that he is, obliged. Postgame, the fan got a once-in-a-lifetime game of catch with an 11-time All-Star, a three-time MVP, and one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

It’s pure, it’s wholesome, and honestly, it’s kind of refreshing. No negotiations, no drama, just a fan who wanted to toss a baseball with his hero. That’s the kind of memory you tell your kids and grandkids about forever.

Hopefully the Angels tossed in some extras—jerseys, tickets, signed gear—because giving back a milestone ball deserves more than a quick game of catch. But in terms of pure fan moments? This is about as good as it gets.

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