Mike Trout was not going to let an opportunity to suit up for Team USA pass by him again. The Los Angeles Angels superstar outfielder said that he “regretted not doing it (representing Team USA)” in 2017, so when he got the chance again to wear the country's colors this year, he did not think twice about it.

Fortunately for Team USA in 2017, it still got the job done despite missing the best player of this generation on the lineup. Even without Mike Trout, Team USA went 2-1 in Pool C and defeated Japan in the semifinals, 2-1. In the championship game, Team USA took care of business to score a one-sided 8-0 victory over Puerto Rico, which took down the Netherlands in the semis. That championship Team USA squad was loaded, as one would expect, but it would have sparkled more if it had Mike Trout. Among the many stars on the 2017 roster were Paul Goldschmidt, Alex Bregman, Buster Posey, Giancarlo Stanton, and Christian Yelich.

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A World Series title continues to elude Mike Trout and the Angels, so playing for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic offers him a golden opportunity to actually win something meaningful in baseball in addition to all of the individual accolades he's collected.

Once World Baseball Classic is done, Mike Trout will shift his entire focus on the upcoming 2023 MLB season, as he looks to carry the Halos again, together with Shohei Ohtani.

Mike Trout and Team USA will kick off its 2023 WBC campaign on Saturday against Great Britain.