Youve probably seen Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout pop up on your TV a bunch lately. After all, Trout, a three-time American League MVP, is also far the ALs current batting leader in 2021 and is batting over .400 to start May.
Trout is also one of the biggest names in an impressive array of professional athletes that represent sports drink BodyArmor. But you might not know that Trout is also an equity partner in the brand.
Ive always paid attention to what goes into my body as an athlete and know how important hydration is. But when I got the opportunity to join BodyArmor nine years ago, I jumped at the opportunity, said Trout, who I spoke with just over a week ago, by phone.
The eight-time MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger adds that he wasnt looking to be simply a paid endorser for such a product, but says that what spiked his interest most had to do with the brands vision, and how founder Mike Repole laid it all out.
The aim was to take over the sports drink world, and become No. 1. Its mindset I can relate to as a competitor, and a vision I wanted to get behind. So, I enjoy being a partner, and its been fun to be a part of.
A decade ago when BodyArmor officially launched, Repole sought to establish his brand as a high-quality sports drink that he hoped could outpace category titan Gatorade, while offering a more nutrition to athletes of all stripes. Eventually, Repole courted a roster of up-and-coming professional athletes that would include NFL receiver Christian McCaffrey, NBA point guard Trae Young, WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu, and MLB outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., among others. Bringing in Trout, who first signed on in 2012, during the same season he was crowned AL Rookie of the Year, was a great first step and way to set the sports marketing world on fire.
But Trout says that the brands main focus is adding talent, especially professional athletes that consistently stand out and perform for their team.
Each and every year, the main goal is to have the number one drink in all sports, Trout said. You can seeand it doesnt matter what sport, and it can be either women or menthat were just adding the top athletes in each sport to build that brand.
Trout hails from Vineland, New Jersey, just 40 miles south of Philadelphia, and is also a lifelong, diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan. He was nonetheless not shy about welcoming Carrie Underwood, a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, as a fellow BodyArmor brand partner.
Carrie signed with BodyArmor in January of this year, and shes the first musical artist to sign with the brand. And shes also an equity partner. Trout adds that Underwood, an avid spinning aficionado and fitness app entrepreneur, is the key partner for BodyArmor Lyte, the brands low-calorie, low sugar variant.
Some of the other famous names Repole and BodyArmor added to the fold since the initial group include Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, PGA golfer and world No. 1 ranked Dustin Johnson, and NASCAR young buck Ryan Blaney. But in addition to those well-known and fairly uncontroversial stars, the brand has brought on other athletes who stand out in more unorthodox ways.
For one, theres perennial NBA superstar James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets guard known not only for his accolades as three-time NBA Scoring Champion and nine-time NBA All-Star, but also for an outspoken nature and highly publicized feuds with other players. Then, theres Richard Sherman, the self-proclaimed king of trash talk and veteran NFL cornerback, approaching the twilight of his career at age 33. But the brand also has picked up other superstar athletes who are unabashedly outspoken in the realm of social justice, namely US Soccer star Megan Rapinoe and world No. 2 WTA tennis star Naomi Osaka.
Its all about trying to get the top athletes," Trout said. "And if theyre outspoken and influential, and speak out on what they care about, thats good.
In February 2021, Beverage Digest and other trade news outlets reported that Coca-Cola notified regulators that it had formalized plans to acquire a controlling stake in BodyArmor.
Trout says that one of the fun perks of being a member of the BodyArmor brands inner circle is getting texts informing him when another top-flight athlete has come on board.
Teammate Ohtani a show to watch
When I asked Trout if he gets to swing clubs with top golfers like fellow BodyArmor ambassador Dustin Johnson, the winner of the 2020 Masters Tournament, he said that so far, even as celebrity golf outings go, schedules have gotten in the way.
No, unfortunately. But Ive got some buddies who are close with him, and they get to.
And while Johnson and Trout may be recognized far and away as the most dominant players in their respective sports, Trout, who grew up idolizing Yankees legend Derek Jeter, says that his Angels teammate Shosei Ohtani, is really the athlete to watch right now.
Ive never seen such a player like Ohtani. Its hard enough to hit in Major League Baseball, but to do it and pitch seven innings with a 100 mile per hour fastball and a split like thatits a show to watch. Trout adds: It's a special treat for me and my fellow players to see him on a nightly basis. Definitely its must-see TV.
Trout also said that, in addition to bringing in Ohtani in 2018, the Angels appointment of Joe Maddon as the teams manager has got spirits up in Anaheim.
Joe is fun to play for. He believes that if you go out there and be yourself, that you play better baseball. Trout says that Maddon, who coached Rizzo and the Chicago Cubs to a winning World Series campaign in 2016, isnt about applying pressure on players. Joe tells us to go out there, dont worry about making mistakes, and keep it loose.
Currently, the Angels started off May hovering around .500, but have since slipped a further into fourth place in the American League West division, after three consecutive losses, first to the Seattle Mariners and then two to the Tampa Bay Rays . Despite stiff competition throughout the American League, Trout thinks time is on their side.
We are battling right now, (but) its just about coming in and doing your work, said Trout. Weve got a mentality that were never out of a game. Our chemistry and mindset in the clubhouse is pretty special. Well see what happens at the end of September.
