"I had the best example to show us how it is done"- Mike Trout's heartfelt Father's Day tribute highlights dad's influence on parenthood

Today, Mike Trout will not have the chance to dedicate any positive on-field achievements to his father or to being a father himself. The superstar outfielder is still recovering from knee surgery, but that didn't stop him from sharing a snap of himself and his son on Instagram to celebrate the occasion.

Trout became a father in 2021 and he and his wife are reportedly expecting a baby in 2024. Fatherhood is something that can be hard to prepare for, but the slugger credits his own father for leading the way. Trout said in an emotional Instagram post:

"Above all else, I’m proud to be a dad and I’m thankful that Jess and I had the best examples to show us how it’s done. Here’s to more memories, more laughs and adding another member of the family soon! Happy Father’s Day!"

The Los Angeles Angels star puts fatherhood above his many other roles, including being a potential Hall of Famer. He also credits his wife Jessica's parents for helping mold her into a strong parent alongside him.

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Mike Trout credits father for baseball success

Mike Trout had a lot of coaches and teachers on his way to becoming one of the most successful baseball players of his generation. One of them was his father, who Trout believes was integral to who he eventually became.

Mike Trout spoke on his own father in April

Via MLB.com, he said in April:

"He just let me be me. He didn't really push me to try to hit like him. He kind of just let me go, let me figure it out. I look back and now that I'm pitching to my son, it's the same thing: I've kind of just let him figure it out on his own. I think in the long run it'll help him, because there will be situations where I'm not there to help him with that swing."

Now, Trout gets to mirror that path with his own son and any other kids he and his wife Jessica have in the future. He admitted in the same interview that it's been interesting seeing the father-son relationship from the other side and understanding what his father had to experience.