Did the New York Yankees almost select Mike Trout? Exploring the near game-changing history of the 2009 draft

Imagine a lineup with two of the league’s best centerfielders, Mike Trout and Aaron Judge, playing together in pinstripes. Yes, that nearly happened. In fact, Trout was first spotted by the New York Yankees, but luck favored the Los Angeles Angels, and after 14 years in professional baseball, he has become the franchise face for the Halos fans.

Damon Oppenheimer, the vice president and director of amateur scouting for the Yankees, shared Trout’s dramatic story on “The Show” podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman.

“That one was gut-wrenching,“ Oppenheimer recalled. “We really thought there were a lot of teams that weren’t on Mike Trout. It was South Jersey. He was hard to see. So we thought, 'Hey, we’ve really got a shot.’ And we really loved him.”

Trout’s performance impressed the veteran scouting eyes of Oppenheimer, who immediately knew that he had the potential to become the best in the league. With every hit, run and throw, he got more determined to get Trout on their side.

“We got fortunate because every time we’d go see him, he was really good,” he added. “When you go see a guy and he hits missiles all over the park and he runs four-flat down the line and he plays a pretty good center field, it’s pretty helpful when you’re doing your evaluation.”

Mike Trout was snatched by the Angels from the Yankees

Oppenheimer thought due to geography reason Trout was unexplored by others. However, little did he know that the soon-to-be MLB superstar had already caught the attention of the LA Angels' scouts. The Yankees were surprised when the Angels called Mike Trout before them, leaving a big “what if” behind.

“We thought we had a really good shot because there aren’t many people who are really into … the area he’s from and all that,” Oppenheimer said.

“And I’m thinking, ‘He’s not going to take another player like that, a high school player.' And then he takes [Trout] and you have to regroup and your heart sinks. And you think, ‘We really had a shot at an impactful guy.’”

“That changes history, doesn’t it?” Oppenheimer concluded the story with a big sigh.

But he wasn’t wrong, Trout did impact the league, but just not in a pinstripes jersey. He became a three-time league MVP, got invited to an All-Star game 11 times back-to-back, except in 2020, and has won nine Silver Slugger.

Mike Trout received his third AL MVP award in 2019 (Image Courtesy: GETTY)

The Yankees quickly overcame Mike Trout’s loss as they found another gem in the form of Aaron Judge who has become the franchise’s support pillar.