Angels' Logan O'Hoppe Believes He's Found Key to Success at Plate

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe hit a midseason rut before the All-Star break, but believes he has found out how to turn his season around in the second half.

O'Hoppe has had an up and down season at the plate, crushing 17 home runs but striking out 32.5 percent of the time, the second-highest rate in MLB among batters with at least 250 plate appearances. He batted .155 in June, and is yet to hit a home run in July.

“Looking at video when I’m going good and realizing that I don’t have to swing hard to hit the ball far,” O’Hoppe said. “I think the harder I swing, the more flat my path gets. To be honest with you, the slower my bat is too, because I’m muscling up instead of just trying to be quick and easy. So that’s helped a lot. I literally told myself to swing 50% in the game. Obviously, it doesn’t turn out that way. You’re swinging as hard as as you can no matter what, but it’s helping me see the ball better, not be in such a rush to make a decision.”

Despite not hitting for power so far in July, O'Hoppe has stabilized in July and is batting .233, equaling his mark for the season. Over his past five games he has looked far more comfortable at the plate, and has five hits across those contests, striking out just three times.

“Even dating back to the past three or four games before the break, it’s the best I’ve felt at the plate in a long time,” O’Hoppe said. “So I’m happy with it. I feel like my takes are better. I’m seeing the ball better. … It’s felt pretty night and day at the plate, but the game’s too hard to think you’re in a good spot.”

The Angels are relying on O'Hoppe to return to his early-season form during the run in, as they are in a pivotal part of their season. Caught between calling the season a loss and challenging for a playoff spot, the Angels have just 10 days before the trade deadline to figure out their aspirations for October. Their next 10 games come against the NL East leading New York Mets and their division and Wild Card Rivals, the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.

The Angels start the final series of their six-game road trip against the Mets on Monday at 4:10 p.m. PT.