Ron Washington Praises Logan O'Hoppe's Energy at Angels Camp

"He’s a class act," the 71-year-old manager says of the 24-year-old catcher.

Logan O'Hoppe only has 56 games of experience in Major League Baseball, but the Angels' catcher carries himself like a true professional.

Players gravitate towards him and his natural-born leadership abilities. He's always working with pitchers and dishing out advice. 

In short order, O'Hoppe has caught the eye and ear of new Angels manager Ron Washington, who wants his young backstop to relax.

“He’s a class act. I think I had to take a pin yesterday and push it in him to let some of the air out. That's just how eager he is, the type of person that he is. But I just wanted to make him understand we are in the process for Opening Day. Our process is not for anything going on in Spring Training.”

— Angels manager Ron Washington, via MLB.com

His energy and eagerness stems from a strong desire to help lead a franchise that hasn't made the postseason in nine years. He wants to be a key member of the team that helps turn it around.

When he was told about Washington's comments, he just laughed it off and said, "I don't know what it means, but I love it."

“I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year and none of us forgot what that was like. And we all talked a lot over the offseason to put a plan in place and change it going forward. Even on Day 1, I felt like we've been doing it for weeks. Just keeping in touch with one another and talking about the right things. So it's on the right track.”

Per Logan O'Hoppe via MLB.com

The first full-squad workout for the Angels on Monday, followed by the first Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, Feb. 24.