Logan O'Hoppe was eager to forget about last season's disappointing results and move on to Spring Training.
He arrived in Tempe three weeks ago. Pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report on Feb. 14. He also wasn't the only one who arrived at camp early.
Part of the excitement is because the Los Angeles Angels are under the guidance of new manager Ron Washington.
“I love it. It’s a completely different feel than it was last year. And it's not like, rah rah to the wall either. Like it's controlled, and there's a plan in place. So I'm excited to be a part of it.”
O'Hoppe is part of the developing young core that includes shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel. Schanuel is slated to start at first base and bat lead-off to start the season.
The young ones have been leaning on the veterans like Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Carlos Estévez for advice.
“It's fun. It's something that I don't take lightly and I know these guys don't take lightly either and it's a big responsibility we have. And obviously we got the veteran guys like Tony, Mike and Este and many more to lead the way together.”
O'Hoppe is coming off a season that saw him hit .236/.296/.500 with 14 homers, six doubles and 29 RBIs in 51 games.
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