Angels News: Halos Prospect Among Top Contenders to Win Rookie of the Year Award
Angels No. 1 overall prospect Logan O'Hoppe is expected to play a pretty big role for the Halos next season. As of right now, they don't have very good options at catcher, and the soon-to-be 23-year-old could very quickly overtake the role as the everyday catcher.
If he plays at a high level, he'll likely grab that role early in the season. And if he does, he'll have a good chance at winning one of baseball's most prestigious awards — the Rookie of the Year Award. Joel Reuter at Bleacher Report thinks he's among the top 10 MLB prospects with a chance at taking home the award. Here is his reasoning:
"The 22-year-old has had a dramatic upward trajectory since the Phillies took him in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft. He flew through the Philadelphia system while establishing himself as a top prospect by hitting .283/.416/.544 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI in 104 games at Double-A last year.
"The Angels jumped him over Triple-A and gave him a taste of the majors down the stretch last year, and he went 4-for-14 with two RBI in five games. Veteran Max Stassi is still around and a platoon is likely, but O’Hoppe has the tools to emerge as the Angels’ clear starter at catcher as the 2023 season unfolds."
O'Hoppe impressed in very limited time in the Majors last season, but clearly did enough to give the Angels confidence that they don't need to add another catcher this offseason. If Max Stassi continues to struggle like he did last year, O'Hoppe's time could come sooner rather than later.
