Los Angeles Angels [https://roundtable.io/sports/mlb/angels] superstar Mike
Trout is expanding his interests beyond baseball by launching a sports
collectibles company built around a hobby he has enjoyed since childhood.
The three-time American League MVP has co-founded Generation One Collect, also
known as Gen One, which will initially focus on live sports-card breaks before
expanding into original content and experiences involving athletes and
collectors.
Trout discussed the venture in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated
[https://www.si.com/collectibles/mike-trout-bring-love-of-the-hobby-introduces-gen-one-collect]
published Sunday.
The company has been in development since 2024, when Trout began encouraging
members of his team to explore opportunities in the sports collectibles
industry.
Eric Mandelkern, a fellow baseball-card enthusiast, has joined the venture as
co-founder and CEO.
Trout hopes to create an experience that allows collectors to interact with
athletes while sharing their enthusiasm for opening trading-card packs.
“I’d go into some breaks, some chats, and I’m just telling myself, man, this
could be something really special if we get the right people in this thing,”
Trout told Sports Illustrated.
The 35-year-old has collected cards since childhood, when he visited flea
markets with his parents and searched for everything from Pokémon cards to
baseball cards.
Although collecting became less of a priority as his major league career
developed, Trout rediscovered the hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has since developed a particular interest in Bowman prospect cards, allowing
him to follow young players before they reach the majors.
That interest has even helped Trout keep track of prospects entering the Angels’
organization.
Earlier this year, Trout revealed that his card-collecting hobby helped him
recognize several players acquired by Los Angeles at the trade deadline
[https://roundtable.io/sports/mlb/angels/news/trout-offers-approval-as-angels-blow-it-up-at-trade-deadline].
The Angels’ trade-deadline moves also received a favorable assessment
[https://roundtable.io/sports/mlb/angels/news/angels-receive-promising-grade-after-busy-trade-deadline].
Now he is turning that personal interest into a business.
Generation One Collect plans to begin with live card breaking, in which
participants purchase spots in group openings of sealed trading-card products
and receive cards according to the break’s rules.
Trout intends to participate in those events himself, interacting with
collectors through live chats and sharing the excitement of discovering valuable
cards.
The company also wants to introduce younger fans to collecting.
Its launch plans include an event called “The First Rip,” held in conjunction
with Trout’s youth baseball camp, where children will have an opportunity to
open packs of Topps baseball cards.
Trout said watching young collectors discover valuable cards has been one of the
most rewarding parts of his involvement in the hobby.
“I had the opportunity to visit a couple of card shops during spring, and seeing
the reactions of little kids with their parents and siblings when they pull a
big card, there’s nothing better,” Trout told Sports Illustrated.
The Angels star also recalled opening a pack with his son Beckham and
discovering his own 2009 Bowman Chrome prospect card.
That memory helped reinforce his belief that collecting can create lasting
connections between family members.
The announcement comes during an offseason of significant change for the Angels,
who finished 62-100 in 2026.
Trout is also expected to move from center field to left field
[https://roundtable.io/sports/mlb/angels/news/interim-gm-wants-to-keep-suzuki-move-trout-going-forward]
as the organization considers changes for 2027.
The veteran outfielder has remained one of the franchise’s most recognizable
figures, even as the Angels have struggled to build a winning team around him.
His new business represents a separate opportunity to connect with baseball fans
outside the ballpark.
For Trout, the goal is to do more than lend his name to another product.
“It’s brand new, but this is something I enjoy, so I’m trying to be heavily
involved, as much as I can,” he told Sports Illustrated.
Generation One Collect will now attempt to turn that enthusiasm into a business
that connects established collectors, young fans and professional athletes.
