Cronkite News offers an audio version of this story using an automated voice created by AI. Errors in pronunciation, pacing and intonation may occur. If you notice an error please contact cronkitenews@asu.edu.
PHOENIX – Long before MLB’s regular season begins, much of a catcher’s work happens in backfields, bullpen sessions and meeting rooms — places where trust is built before the first pitch is thrown.
For the Los Angeles Angels, that process has centered around one player: Logan O’Hoppe. But he is not working alone. Surrounding him are two former major league catchers who already know him — Kurt Suzuki and Max Stassi — forming a group built on familiarity and shared experience.
“I think the familiarity and as we all know, right, trust in this game is a huge thing and Logan’s been with us before,” said Suzuki, who played for five different MLB organizations before being named Angels manager in 2025. “He knows us personally and I think that just sped up the process.”
Suzuki, who played with Stassi and overlapped with O’Hoppe when he was first called up, said the relationship among the three allows for consistent communication – something he believes is critical for a young catcher trying to establish himself.
“I think with Max and how attention to detail he is, he’s young, he’s relatable,” Suzuki said. “I think all those things help any young player.”
It was a strong start to the season for O’Hoppe Thursday, who went 2 for 4 in a 3-0 victory over the Houston Astros.
For Angels general manager Perry Minasian, the decision to bring Stassi back to the organization as a catching coach was about more than just familiarity. It was about experience and the ability to communicate the position.
“Knowing Max and what he brings to the table day in and day out, how much he loves that position, his relationship with Kurt, and Kurt was obviously a big part of that,” Minasian said. “His relationship with Logan was kind of his career path, what he went through over the course of his career, and how we felt like he was the best man for the job. It covers a lot of bases, the technical side of things.”
Minasian said Stassi’s background as a defensive catcher and his relationships with pitchers made him a natural fit to help develop O’Hoppe.
“He was an outstanding receiver; he had a great rapport with his pitchers, so he combined all that,” Minasian said. “He was the perfect guy for the job, so we’re excited to have him.”
Stassi’s experience handling pitching staffs and focusing on the defensive side of the position is something the organization hopes will translate directly to O’Hoppe’s development. With two former major league catchers now guiding him daily, the Angels are emphasizing preparation, game-planning and consistency behind the plate — areas that often take young catchers years to master.
The Angels believe O’Hoppe, 26, has the potential to become a key piece of the organization moving forward, but the position he plays makes development more complicated than most.
“That position is really difficult, right?” Minasian said. “Rarely do you see somebody take that position and take off on both sides, whether it’s the catching side and the hitting side.”
Offensively, O’Hoppe has already shown flashes of that potential. Over his first few major league seasons, he hit 53 home runs, showing the kind of power that can make him a rare offensive contributor at a defense-first position. The challenge now, the Angels believe, is matching that production with consistency behind the plate.
Minasian said the Angels have seen growth from O’Hoppe not just physically, but in the way he prepares and handles the responsibilities that come with the position. The organization views this season as an important step in his progression as he continues to learn how to manage a pitching staff while also producing offensively.
“This is going to be basically his third year catching. He was hurt the first year, so I’m expecting him to be a big part of this thing and I’m bullish on Logan,” Minasian said.
The Angels are hoping that continuity — something not every team has at the position – will help O’Hoppe take the next step as the club attempts to rebound from the 72-90 record it posted last season. Suzuki believes the biggest step forward for O’Hoppe is consistency, not talent.
“I think for Logan, the tools are there, right? We’ve seen his tools,” Suzuki said. “I think it’s more the consistent messaging, the consistency of his work and how he goes about his business.
“This guy can be one of the great catchers in the game. Now it’s becoming consistent. I think that’s where Stassi comes into play.”
That development often happens through collaboration among catchers, something Suzuki described as a fraternity of sorts across the league. It’s a position built on shared information, where small details from framing techniques to pitcher tendencies are often passed down from veterans to younger players.
“It’s kind of like a brotherhood, like, respect for each other that we have, that bouncing ideas, talking baseball, that’s just kind of what the game’s about,” Suzuki said.
That idea of catchers helping catchers extends beyond one organization. Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, a former catcher himself, said development at the position requires strong support systems because of the workload and responsibility.
“It’s a really tough task to be a catcher in the big leagues,” Vogt said. “They have a lot of responsibilities. Their days are very full and busy, but we’re there to help them through it.”
The Angels are trying to build that support system around O’Hoppe with two coaches who have not only played the position, but played it with him.
O’Hoppe has said in previous interviews that having familiar faces around him has helped him grow into the role. He told reporters that working with Suzuki and Stassi made him enjoy catching even more because of the daily learning environment they created.
The role is a natural extension of how Stassi approached the game as a player. He said in an MLB Network radio interview that he has always enjoyed studying and teaching the catching position and helping other players learn it.
That combination of familiarity, communication and consistent instruction is what the Angels hope will help O’Hoppe take another step forward this season.
“I believe he’s going to be a big part of turning this thing around and playing the game,” Minasian said.
And for a position that touches every pitch, the Angels are betting that the voices O’Hoppe hears every day — familiar ones — will make the difference.
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Familiar faces: LA Angels use continuity to help guide catcher Logan O’Hoppe
Riley Reisner, Cronkite News
March 27, 2026
Cronkite News offers an audio version of this story using an automated voice created by AI. Errors in pronunciation, pacing and intonation may occur. If you notice an error please contact cronkitenews@asu.edu.PHOENIX – Long before MLB’s regular season begins, much of a catcher’s work happens in backfields, bullpen sessions and meeting rooms — places where trust is built before the first pitch is thrown.
For the Los Angeles Angels, that process has centered around one player: Logan O’Hoppe. But he is not working alone. Surrounding him are two former major league catchers who already know him — Kurt Suzuki and Max Stassi — forming a group built on familiarity and shared experience.
“I think the familiarity and as we all know, right, trust in this game is a huge thing and Logan’s been with us before,” said Suzuki, who played for five different MLB organizations before being named Angels manager in 2025. “He knows us personally and I think that just sped up the process.”
Suzuki, who played with Stassi and overlapped with O’Hoppe when he was first called up, said the relationship among the three allows for consistent communication – something he believes is critical for a young catcher trying to establish himself.
“I think with Max and how attention to detail he is, he’s young, he’s relatable,” Suzuki said. “I think all those things help any young player.”
It was a strong start to the season for O’Hoppe Thursday, who went 2 for 4 in a 3-0 victory over the Houston Astros.
For Angels general manager Perry Minasian, the decision to bring Stassi back to the organization as a catching coach was about more than just familiarity. It was about experience and the ability to communicate the position.
“Knowing Max and what he brings to the table day in and day out, how much he loves that position, his relationship with Kurt, and Kurt was obviously a big part of that,” Minasian said. “His relationship with Logan was kind of his career path, what he went through over the course of his career, and how we felt like he was the best man for the job. It covers a lot of bases, the technical side of things.”
Minasian said Stassi’s background as a defensive catcher and his relationships with pitchers made him a natural fit to help develop O’Hoppe.
“He was an outstanding receiver; he had a great rapport with his pitchers, so he combined all that,” Minasian said. “He was the perfect guy for the job, so we’re excited to have him.”
Stassi’s experience handling pitching staffs and focusing on the defensive side of the position is something the organization hopes will translate directly to O’Hoppe’s development. With two former major league catchers now guiding him daily, the Angels are emphasizing preparation, game-planning and consistency behind the plate — areas that often take young catchers years to master.
The Angels believe O’Hoppe, 26, has the potential to become a key piece of the organization moving forward, but the position he plays makes development more complicated than most.
“That position is really difficult, right?” Minasian said. “Rarely do you see somebody take that position and take off on both sides, whether it’s the catching side and the hitting side.”
Offensively, O’Hoppe has already shown flashes of that potential. Over his first few major league seasons, he hit 53 home runs, showing the kind of power that can make him a rare offensive contributor at a defense-first position. The challenge now, the Angels believe, is matching that production with consistency behind the plate.
Minasian said the Angels have seen growth from O’Hoppe not just physically, but in the way he prepares and handles the responsibilities that come with the position. The organization views this season as an important step in his progression as he continues to learn how to manage a pitching staff while also producing offensively.
“This is going to be basically his third year catching. He was hurt the first year, so I’m expecting him to be a big part of this thing and I’m bullish on Logan,” Minasian said.
The Angels are hoping that continuity — something not every team has at the position – will help O’Hoppe take the next step as the club attempts to rebound from the 72-90 record it posted last season. Suzuki believes the biggest step forward for O’Hoppe is consistency, not talent.
“I think for Logan, the tools are there, right? We’ve seen his tools,” Suzuki said. “I think it’s more the consistent messaging, the consistency of his work and how he goes about his business.
“This guy can be one of the great catchers in the game. Now it’s becoming consistent. I think that’s where Stassi comes into play.”
That development often happens through collaboration among catchers, something Suzuki described as a fraternity of sorts across the league. It’s a position built on shared information, where small details from framing techniques to pitcher tendencies are often passed down from veterans to younger players.
“It’s kind of like a brotherhood, like, respect for each other that we have, that bouncing ideas, talking baseball, that’s just kind of what the game’s about,” Suzuki said.
That idea of catchers helping catchers extends beyond one organization. Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, a former catcher himself, said development at the position requires strong support systems because of the workload and responsibility.
“It’s a really tough task to be a catcher in the big leagues,” Vogt said. “They have a lot of responsibilities. Their days are very full and busy, but we’re there to help them through it.”
The Angels are trying to build that support system around O’Hoppe with two coaches who have not only played the position, but played it with him.
O’Hoppe has said in previous interviews that having familiar faces around him has helped him grow into the role. He told reporters that working with Suzuki and Stassi made him enjoy catching even more because of the daily learning environment they created.
The role is a natural extension of how Stassi approached the game as a player. He said in an MLB Network radio interview that he has always enjoyed studying and teaching the catching position and helping other players learn it.
That combination of familiarity, communication and consistent instruction is what the Angels hope will help O’Hoppe take another step forward this season.
“I believe he’s going to be a big part of turning this thing around and playing the game,” Minasian said.
And for a position that touches every pitch, the Angels are betting that the voices O’Hoppe hears every day — familiar ones — will make the difference.
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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