Trout still has fuel in the tank, aiming to regain elite baserunning speed.

Mike Trout wants everyone to know his goal is to return to 30 feet per second, the elite sprint speed threshold recognized by Statcast.

Trout proved with his actions yesterday that his speed is still abundant. During a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he reached a sprint speed of 29.9 ft/sec while hustling for an infield hit. This marks Trout's fastest sprint speed since initially tearing the meniscus in his left knee in late April 2024, which he sees as a positive sign.

"I feel great," said Trout, who is about five pounds lighter than last year. "I saw the number. Yeah, it felt really good... 29.9? Hmm. I'll get to 30, because there's still gas in the tank. But 29.9 surprised me."

Manager Kurt Suzuki heard about it after the game and mentioned he joked with Trout about it before this morning's workout. The three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star did not start in today's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers but is scheduled to start in center field tomorrow against the Kansas City Royals.

"It's a great sign, and we were all joking about it in the clubhouse," Suzuki said. "My goodness, it was awesome to see. He feels good, he's moving well. I think he's in a good place mentally, too. So, everything is trending in the right direction."

For context, the 34-year-old Trout averaged a sprint speed of 27.9 ft/sec last season, ranking in the 62nd percentile in MLB, with a top speed of 29.7 ft/sec. This represented a decline for Trout, who averaged 29.5 ft/sec (96th percentile) in 2023 and 28.9 ft/sec (90th percentile) in 2024, and frequently reached 30 ft/sec in the past.

However, that decline was due to issues with his left knee. He suffered two meniscus tears in 2024, requiring two surgeries. After returning last season, he then sustained a bone bruise in his left knee on April 30 in Seattle due to an unstable step on first base. His fastest sprint speed of that season also occurred during that same run. He returned on May 30, but his speed was not at its usual level.

Therefore, Trout's return to speed this spring is noteworthy. He stated that after a full offseason, his left knee feels good. He also expressed his desire to play center field this year after moving to right field last season. Although he played left field for the first time since 2013 in Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs—momentarily losing a line drive in the sun—he said gaining experience there is beneficial.

"Nothing too crazy over there," Trout said. "The sun was a bit extreme for the first six innings. But, it was okay. I'll be back in center field tomorrow. We talked about it, just to get some reps in case I ever need to go over there."