Angels 2025 spring training position preview: catchers
Angels pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training on Feb. 11. As we count down the days until camp begins, we begin going through the various position groups to give a breakdown of where the roster stands. Today, the catchers.
2024 RECAP
After missing most of his rookie season with an injury, Logan O’Hoppe experienced a full season for the first time, with encouraging results. O’Hoppe, who has such high expectations for himself that he said he wants to catch 150 games in a season, started 121 games, the third most in the majors. Offensively, he looked like one of the best catchers in the majors for the first four months, before going into a tailspin that caused him to finish the season with a .244 batting average, 20 home runs and a .712 OPS. Backup catcher Matt Thaiss hit .204 with a .622 OPS. The Angels did not use a third catcher for a single inning, which is fairly remarkable.
HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW
O’Hoppe is back as the starter. There is certainly reason to believe that he can take another step forward offensively, based on the way he started last season. O’Hoppe had an .804 OPS on Aug. 1. If the slump down the stretch had anything to do with his heavy workload behind the plate, that has a chance to be alleviated in 2025. The Angels signed veteran Travis d’Arnaud to be O’Hoppe’s backup. D’Arnaud is a defensive specialist who has a career .735 OPS, including .739 last season. Since he’s a better alternative than Thaiss, the Angels should be comfortable giving O’Hoppe more days off, which could make O’Hoppe even better when he plays. For what it’s worth, O’Hoppe insisted that he doesn’t need a decreased workload, as you would expect. Even if d’Arnaud’s presence doesn’t do anything for O’Hoppe’s offense, his tutelage should help O’Hoppe to get more out of the Angels’ pitching staff.
THE NEXT LAYER
Thaiss is out of options, so the Angels couldn’t keep him in Triple-A as their third catcher. So they traded Thaiss and about a month later acquired Chuckie Robinson from the Chicago White Sox. Robinson has a .364 OPS in 51 major league games, so he’s not an offensive threat, but he’s considered strong behind the plate. And he can be optioned. The Angels have a few minor league journeymen who will be at the upper levels of the system (Gustavo Campero, Zach Humpreys, Anthony Mulrine). Their best catching prospect is Juan Flores, who will turn 19 in February.
MOVE THEY COULD MAKE
With O’Hoppe and d’Arnaud, the Angels seem to be set on catching for the season, so there’s really nothing they can do at this point that would move the needle for 2025. They could look to continue building some veteran depth at Triple-A.