Logan O’Hoppe isn’t making excuses for the Angels’ offensive woes.
The young catcher has emerged as a leader on a team desperate to end its decade-long playoff drought, and he’s taking ownership of their recent struggles at the plate.
“I think that this funk is just easy for people to point fingers at, honestly, the wrong people,” O’Hoppe said. “It’s not J-Wash’s fault that we’re striking out so much. It’s not Laker’s fault. It’s not Nixy’s fault. It’s my fault. I’ve punched out way too much the past week, and I know other guys would say the same thing. It’s no one else but us. I think that’s part of the frustration of it too. The blame is getting put on the wrong people.”
The Angels’ offensive numbers are downright ugly. They’ve struck out 167 times with just 19 walks over their last 15 games. That’s a strikeout-to-walk ratio that would make any hitting coach cringe.
Manager Ron Washington echoed O’Hoppe’s sentiment about player accountability while defending his coaching staff.
“Once they leave what’s being told to them and step in the batters’ box, it’s totally up to them,” Washington said. “We can’t hit for them. All we can do is give them the work, get them in the right direction, and they’ve got to take care of the rest. It’s not happening right now. And it’s not just one or two people. This is up and down the lineup.”
O’Hoppe’s willingness to shoulder blame speaks to his character. The 24-year-old has quickly established himself as a cornerstone for the franchise’s future, bringing both defensive skills behind the plate and a mature approach to leadership.
The Angels have slipped to 12-15 during this offensive drought. What’s particularly concerning is how their strikeout problems have spread throughout the lineup like a contagion. It’s not just one or two struggling hitters—it’s a team-wide issue that’s torpedoing their ability to generate consistent offense.
What makes this slump especially frustrating is that the Angels have shown flashes of potential. The talent is there, but the execution has vanished during this recent stretch. They’ll need to rediscover their plate discipline soon if they hope to climb back into contention in a competitive AL West.
