Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe singles out Braves ace and Astros reliever as toughest pitching matchups
Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe has singled out Chris Sale and Josh Hader as his two toughest pitching matchups since moving up to the major leagues. The 24-year-old is coming off his third season in the MLB and recently came on The Mayor's Office podcast with Sean Casey and spoke about his life and experiences in the majors. When asked about the toughest pitchers he has come up against as a hitter, O'Hoppe singled out the Atlanta Braves ace and Houston Astros reliever:
"Cris Sale and Josh Hader are the first two that come to mind as far as when you're in the box. But it's so sick, like, how lucky am I to be able to do that. "
"Those guys are definitely tougher at bats, or the toughest I would say."
Logan O'Hoppe was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2018 MLB Draft and was later traded to the Los Angeles Angels after four years in the minors. He made his major league debut with the Angels in 2022 and has since been a mianstay in their lineup. In 2024, he played 136 games and recorded a .244 average, with 20 home runs and 56 RBI and took a significant step in his development.
On Wednesday's episode of The Mayor's Office, O'Hoppe opened up about various aspects of life and the factors which have made him a better player over the years. Apart from talking about the toughest pitchers he has faced, the catcher spoke about the importance of a strong mindset in order to be successful in the highest level. Logan O'Hoppe also spoke about the importance of discipline in practice and singled out Shohei Ohtani as one of the best in that regard.
Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe recalls career-first home run as his first big-league moment
Logan O'Hoppe made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels towards the end of 2022 and started the next season as a backup catcher. In 2023, he hit 14 home runs in the MLB and recalls his first one against the Oakland Athletics as a major big-league moment:
"The moment where I really felt that for the first time was my first home run and it was in Oakland. Nonetheless, it was pretty wild rounding the bases in a major league uniform."
Since then, O'Hoppe has made huge progress on the field and is now the Angels' regular catcher now. While they had a disappointing season this year, he is confident their team will bounce back next season.