Logan O’Hoppe’s MLB dream turned into a nightmare with the Angels.
O’Hoppe, who was promoted after just 29 games for Double-A Rocket City in 2022, and was viewed as one of baseball’s top young catchers. However, after spending parts of five seasons with the Angels, O’Hoppe believes his time with the club was detrimental.
“Whether on the field or off it, I didn’t like myself. The four years with the Angels were the most painful four years of my baseball life,” O’Hoppe told MLB reporter Ayako Oikawa.
O’Hoppe and relieve Chase Silseth were traded by the Angels this summer in exchange for Angel Arredondo, a 19-year-old shortstop prospect.
O’Hoppe began his tenure with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, but was recently called up to the big leagues where he reflected on his Angels tenure.
There was much excitement surrounding O’Hoppe as he was the Angels’ top prospect after the Philadelphia Phillies traded the catcher to LA in exchange for Brandon Marsh in 2022.
O’Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel were pegged as the Angels stars of the future.
That never became reality and O’Hoppe’s struggles were especially apparent throughout the final two seasons he spent with the Angels. The 26-year-old hit a total of nine home runs over his last 151 games played for the club.
“I wasn’t very confident in what I was doing,” O’Hoppe told reporters on Sunday. “I wasn’t convicted in really anything I was doing on the field, but I knew that what I had done in the past was in there.”
The Rangers optioned O’Hoppe to Triple-A Round Rck after acquiring him.
“When I was told I got optioned, I was excited for it,” he said. I was actually more excited than if I just came over here. I would have felt more pressure if I just came over here feeling how I did.
His defensive metrics as a catcher continued to decline as O’Hoppe became the worst backstop in baseball at the conclusion of his Angels tenure.
O’Hoppe’s rollercoaster ride in Los Angeles wasn’t without the organization’s instability. There were four managers, five catching coaches and numerous pitching coaches who worked directly with O’Hoppe
The Angels didn’t give their former top prospect the proper development to thrive in the majors, but a change of scenery may be beneficial for O’Hoppe’s new beginnings.
