Angels may be getting redemption from 2025 flop this spring training

The Los Angeles Angels will need quite a few things to go right if they are going to be a surprise contender in 2026. Mike Trout will need to stay on the field, the rotation will need to be stabilized, and the patched together bullpen will need to prove to be effective. Beyond that, a bounce-back campaign form catcher Logan O'Hoppe would certainly nice surprise.

After flashing real potential in 2022 and 2023, O'Hoppe became the Angels' full-time catcher in 2024. It was an encouraging season, 20 home runs with a wRC+ of 102. Scouring through O'Hoppe's Baseball Savant page in 2024, there would have been reason to believe he was ascending toward being one of the best backstops in the American League. His defensive metrics weren't great, but good enough to warrant the Angels turning down trade offers for him.

Things took a turn for O'Hoppe last season. He still hit 19 home runs, but his batting average fell by 31 points, and he struck out over 30% of the time. It led to his wRC+ falling to 72. There was also a regression in his defensive metrics.

Logan O'Hoppe will need to cement his long-term status with the Angels in 2026

By the end of the 2026 season, the Angels will need to know if O'Hoppe is indeed their long-term catcher. The early returns in spring training would suggest that the 26-year-old is ready to turn the page from his struggles last season.

O'Hoppe has one of the hottest hitters in camp for the Halos. He's collected 5 hits in his first 19 plate appearances to go along with 2 home runs. It's early, so the appropriate caveats apply, but the encouraging note is that O'Hoppe is only striking out 26.3% of the time during spring training. Still high, but as he's shown, if he's making more contact, his power numbers should go up. His home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week was 107.4 mph off the bat.

O'Hoppe will need to have similar results during the regular season before a verdict is truly reached on his status, but his success this spring certainly is what the Angels needed to see. They still have questions beyond O'Hoppe, but it would be one less item on their plate to worry about.