Buster Olney May 5, 2026, 07:00 AM ET Close Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" For four nights last month, Mike Trout dueled with Aaron Judge at Yankee Stadium, trading big swings and long home runs -- and after the games, exchanging competitive text messages that acknowledged what the other had done and how much fun they had sharing the stage. It was the loudest announcement yet of Trout's return to the upper echelon of performers. "I saw 'Mike Trout,'" Yankees manager Aaron Boone wrote in a text after watching Trout in the series. "He controlled the heck out of the strike zone and was deadly in his strength." The Los Angeles Angels outfielder is back to being an elite player, moving more freely after years when his greatness was derailed because of injury. Through 34 games, he has 10 homers and an OPS of .983. He leads the American League with 30 runs scored and the majors with 34 walks.…