The LA Angels need to send Logan O'Hoppe down to AAA

When the Angels traded Brandon Marsh to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022, fans were reasonably disappointed. When the return was catcher Logan O'Hoppe, a top catching prospect at the time, there was a breath of relief. After years of abysmal play at catcher, fans had hoped O'Hoppe could be their future behind the plate. And he still might be, but he is certainly not their present.

O'Hoppe's struggles need to be fixed elsewhere

After debuting with the Angels in 2022, Loan O'Hoppe was improving year after year. His below average bat turned into a slight plus. His baserunning improved, and his defense went from bad to below-average to good. It looked like the Angels would have a solid, reliable catcher for the rest of the 2020's.

Then, 2025 happened. O'Hoppe's offense has cratered after an encouraging first 50 games. He is striking out far too much, and as of late has looked helpless at the plate, causing his frustrations to boil over earlier this week. O'Hoppe's defense has also been an issue, as advanced stats and the eye test both proving that Travis d'Arnaud is a superior option behind the plate for the Angels right now.

And the Angels could let O'Hoppe ride out this season behind the plate and recoup over the offseason, sure. But this is an organization that has consistently said it is competitive, and allowing O'Hoppe to lose himself completely while continuing to start is not what a competitive club does. The best move - both for O'Hoppe and the slim playoff hopes the Angels have left - is to send O'Hoppe to Salt Lake City for the rest of 2025 so he can truly hone in and focus on himself as a ballplayer without having to worry about the results of the game (and the team's spiral) nearly as much. A complete mental reset along with focusing on his game may be what O'Hoppe needs to return to form in 2026.

Another option would just be a complete position change for O'Hoppe. If he cannot last as a catcher in the big leagues, he needs to focus on another position. First base is a position he should honestly already be able to play, but learning first base and the corner outfield spots this off season may be the only thing that O'Hoppe can do to find consistent playing time in 2026.

Logan O'Hoppe is still apart of the Angels' future. Plenty of players hit slumps a couple of years into their big league careers. However, letting him continue to fail in the big leagues is clearly not working. A complete reset needs to take place, and to do that O'Hoppe needs to spend time in the minor leagues for the rest of this season.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout