Top Catching Storylines as Pitchers and Catchers Report

Pitchers and catchers reported to Angels Spring Training yesterday. We looked at the top storylines in the rotation and in the bullpen, so now let's focus on the other half of the battery.

Unlike with the pitching staff, there should not be any camp battles for roster spots. Logan O'Hoppe has flashed stretches of offensive brilliance that give the Angels reason to hope he is the long term solution behind the plate. Incumbent backup Travis d'Arnaud provides a veteran prescence and is slated for backup duty.

Teams rarely make it though 162 games only needing two catchers and the Angels have invested some nice international draft money to bring in some notable prospects. So there is a lot to watch beyond the likely Opening Day tandem.

Can Logan O'Hoppe have a breakout season?

O'Hoppe came out of the gates in 2025 swinging a hot stick. He cracked 14 home runs and was slugging over .500 at the end of May. Just as he did in 2024, O'Hoppe faded down the stretch and his overall numbers took a dive.

Offense was not the only problem for O'Hoppe. His receiving also was rough and he was tabbed as one of the worst defensive catchers in the game. The Angels hope having former standout receiver Max Stassi guiding O'Hoppe can lead to improvement in this area.

We obviously won't know if O'Hoppe can have a good full season until the team is deeper into the season. But there are some things Angels fans can look for as he prepares for the season.

Players will often use Cactus League games to work on swing adjustments and that can make offensive numbers meaningless. However, we can look to see if O'Hoppe's catching and overall defense look better and keep an eye on his swing decisions. Logan struck out over 30% of the time last year; a number that will need to improve.

A look at the future (hopefully)

Juan Flores signed as a 17 year old out of Venezuela in 2023. He's regarded as a well rounded catcher who should develop into a starter at the Major League level. He's in camp as a non roster invitee.

There's no chance Flores makes the Opening Day roster. He's still 20 years old and has yet to play above the High A level where he struggled offensively. Much younger than most of his competition, Flores floundered with a .207 batting average and .624 OPS.

Despite that down year at the plate, the Angels sent him to the Arizona Fall League to test himself against upper level prospects and he fared quite well. In 19 AFL games he slashed .273/.351/.424 while showing great defense.

Sebastian Rivero, who is a lock for third catcher.

Teams rarely make it through 162 games using only two catchers. The position is simply too physically demanding. Sebastian Rivero was signed to a minor league deal this off season after seeing action in 11 games for the Angels last year.

Rivero is not going to be an offensive force, but at age 27 could still have some decent years ahead. Look for him to build rapport with the new bullpen pieces and Grayson Rodriguez so there is a comfort level when Riverol likely gets called up later this year.