Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout has been widely regarded as one of the best players in the MLB since he entered the league as a 19-year-old back in 2011. Trout has won the MVP award three times and has astonishingly finished second in the voting four times, giving him one of the most impressive resumes of any player through the first dozen seasons of their career.

However, for all his individual success, the Angels as a team haven't been very good. In 12 seasons, Los Angeles has posted four winning records and made the playoffs just once, as they have failed to find success in the American League. However, the Angels have raced out of the gate in the 2022 MLB season, as they own a 24-16 record and one of the best run differential marks in the majors.

They're just one game back of the mighty Houston Astros, who have dominated the American League West in recent years. Powered by a vintage Trout season, the freakish ability of Shohei Ohtani and a balanced squad, this Angels team looks like it's for real.

While there's still plenty of baseball left to be played in the 2022 MLB season, there's reason to believe that this Angels team could be a serious contender in the American League. Here's why Trout and the Halos shouldn't be underestimated.

3 Reasons Mike Trout's Angels Are American League Contenders

3. Mike Trout is having a vintage season

Mike Trout is quietly enjoying one of his best seasons ever- and that's saying something- yet isn't getting as much attention as he should. Trout ranks second only to teammate Taylor Ward in OPS, with a 1.120 mark, which would rank as the highest of his career.

The Angels star ranks second in runs scored and has currently recorded 2.7 Wins Above Replacement, tied for the most in the league with San Diego Padres star Manny Machado. Trout has been an offensive force in 2022 and he looks poised to make a run at his fourth American League MVP trophy.

As great as Trout has been, his greatness hasn't always translated into team wins, as evidenced by his career. However, that has changed in 2022.

2. Trout has an elite group of players around him

Shohei Ohtani. Taylor Ward. Noah Syndergaard. Patrick Sandoval. These are just a few of the names around Trout who have been excellent for the Angels in 2022. 2021 American League MVP Ohtani has picked up right where he left off, averaging an absurd 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings while posting a 2.82 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. At the plate, the slugger has bashed eight home runs and swiped five bases, though he seems like he has a hot streak in store, which is even better news for the Angels.

With Syndergaard, who has won three of his starts in his first full season since 2019, and Sandoval, who owns the best ERA of any Angels starter, the club has a strong 1-2-3 atop their rotation. When all three of those hurlers are on, it's a staff that can go toe-to-toe with any in the American League.

There's another player who has been so impressive for the Angels in the 2022 MLB season that he's been even better than Trout at the plate: Ward. The 28-year-old has been a late-bloomer, as he has broken out to the tune of an MLB-leading 1.209 OPS with a career-high nine homers, 23 RBI and 26 runs scored.

With a strong pitching staff keeping runs off the board and elite-level lineup protection in the form of Ohtani and Ward, Trout has the best Angels team around him that he's ever had. That shouldn't be underestimated in the American League in 2022.

1. The Angels are as balanced as any team in the MLB

Baseball is a game driven by statistics, especially in recent years. However, stated simply, the name of the game in baseball is to score runs and prevent runs from being scored.

With a mighty lineup and a strong pitching staff, the Angels have done that as well as any team in the MLB in 2022. The club is one of just five teams- along with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Astros- to rank inside the top-10 in both team ERA and runs scored.

The Angels have also recorded the second-best run differential in the American League, even better than the rival Astros. While the team has had some fielding woes, it's clear that the Angels are one of the more balanced teams in baseball.

It's time to take Mike Trout and the Angels seriously in 2022.