A trying season for Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels gave way to a remarkable milestone on Saturday. Towards the end of the night, he admitted, “I’m just happy it’s over. I’m enjoying it, obviously.” It’s bittersweet and in a way that makes sense only to him. He entered the season with 378 career homers and recorded his 400th in the Angels’ 3-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.

He was looking forward to it, as he said, “Coming into this season, that was on the list,” and he was finally able to tick that off. During his last at-bat of the night, the 34 year old veteran hit a 3-1 fastball from Jaden Hill. It went straight 485 feet into the left-center-field bleachers, per Statcast.

It marked his 22nd home run of the season. Beyond the charming numbers, he gave the Angels and his fans more reasons to remember this night. Especially to that fan who caught his 400th home run ball.

He gently returned the ball to Mike Trout and made a heartfelt request. Neither pictures nor autographs nor memorabilia—all he wanted was to play catch with the Angels star.

Our Captain America, kind to his nature, happily agreed. He indeed played catch with the fan whose wife and two children looked on. It was Mike Trout’s demeanor that earned him the nickname back when he captained team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

And it’s moments like these that remind us of his vintage self. After playing catch with the fan, he also gave him, his wife and his two kids three autographed bats and two autographed balls. Why? Not just as a souvenir but also because “Once they get older and realize, that’ll be an awesome memory for the dad to tell the kids, to experience that.” Trout said. That gesture truly won hearts. Meanwhile, The Angels fans had more to cheer about.

By the end of the night, Mike Trout was established as the second active player in the league with at least 400 home runs. He joined the company of Yankees’ slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who recorded his 450th earlier Saturday.

In the postgame availability, he said, “My buddies back home and my family back in Jersey can stop texting me to make the 400 [club].” After all, that goal is now behind him. And right now, amidst celebratory comments from fans, he’s also being applauded for his heartfelt gesture towards the fan.

Fans melt over Mike Trout’s heartfelt gesture

On Saturday night, the star player for the Los Angeles Angels had a number of moments that will go down in history. It has been a really difficult season for one of the greatest hitters in the game. And thus, lately he has not been making the headlines, but after his act of playing catch with the fan, he has everyone admiring him.

One fan beautifully summed it up: “This is one of the greatest displays of humanity you will ever see!” Truly. Explaining his gesture, Mike Trout himself revealed that the feeling of going to ballgames with his dad is special to him. So, he couldn’t deny being someone who himself knows how it feels to witness rare ballgame moments.

Many expressed deep appreciation for Trout’s gesture, with one fan noting, “I love this…like trout is his dad.” Apparently, it was a moment of shared joy. The fan here is metaphorically called Trout fan’s dad because playing catch is more of a core memory between dads and their sons.

It was really natural of Mike Trout to do that. Interactions with fans have always been something that he has treasured. He gave his batting gloves to a young boy who was putting up a placard that said he had overcome cancer back in June, when he won against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. As a result, followers thought that they had a right to refer to him as “the greatest of all time” on social media.

Similarly, another fan noted, “Mike Trout is a nice, humble man—the evidence is clear.” We’ve witnessed that a lot of times. Just earlier this year, during a game against the Houston Astros, during an at-bat, a fan reached out to snatch the ball when it was about to land in Trout’s gloves. When later Trout got a chance, he met with the young fan involved in the incident and gave him a baseball and some batting gloves.

Many hailed him for his “class act” that time. Similarly, now, once again, he’s earning all the praises. Rightfully so, another fan said, “That’s pretty dope. Very special time for both of them.” Special for the fan who got to live his dream moment with Mike Trout. Equally special for Trout, as he was able to save his 400th home run ball.