As the Los Angeles Angels move forward now that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has left to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the organization has a lot of work to do to get themselves back into contention. The Halos haven’t seen the postseason since 2014, but they believe that 2024 could be the year to break the drought.
The team still has two former All-Stars on its roster, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Several recent draft picks — Reid Detmers, Zach Neto, Chase Silseth, Nolan Schanuel, Sam Bachman, Ben Joyce — have already reached the majors. The Angels' roster isn't in a bad place.
One of their better young players is catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who came into his own last season. In 51 games, he hit .236 with 14 home runs and 29 runs batted in for the Angels.
While the numbers don’t pop out, O’Hoppe’s power emerged at the end of the year. He hit nine home runs in the month of September, tied for the third-most in a month by an Angels rookie.
Prior scouting reports on O’Hoppe have made note of his power tool, but this was the first time we've seen it at the major-league level. In a recent interview with MLB Network, the 23-year-old was asked about his increase in power from last season and revealed what went into everything.
“I don’t try to hit 'em but they seem to come every once in a while. It felt good this year. I feel like the last year or two I’ve really got comfortable at the plate and just trying to build off that going forward.”
Heading into 2024, O’Hoppe is looking to continue to hit for power and possibly increase it even more. He missed a significant chunk of time last season due to a torn shoulder labrum. His biggest goal now is to stay healthy for a full season.
The Halos are excited to see what O’Hoppe will do over the course of a full season. Their recent trade of Max Stassi to the Atlanta Braves has paved the way for O'Hoppe to be the team's everyday catcher. That makes him one of the most important pieces to the Angels' future.
More must-reads: