Logan O'Hoppe's spring resurgence offers hope, but Reid Detmers' shaky starts raise early season concerns for the Angels' pitching.
The Los Angeles Angels head into the new week with a 3-7 record in this year’s spring games after losing 3-4 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon. The wins and losses don’t mean much, but there have still been some notable stories coming out of Angels camp that could have a big effect on the 2026 season.
The first of which is a possible bounce-back campaign from catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Heading into 2026 after his worst season yet last year, this season is pivotal for a falling O’Hoppe. He recorded a 72 OPS+ while also being one of the worst defensive catchers in 2025, resulting in a -0.2 WAR.
This spring, O’Hoppe seems to be just as hungry for a bounce-back as Angels fans are. In 12 at-bats this spring, O’Hoppe has four hits, one of them a triple and two of them home runs. Though it’s a small sample size, it’s enough to bring some optimism back to the 26-year-old’s swing.
He’s shown much potential at the plate in previous years, hitting 14 home runs in just 51 games in 2023 and 20 the next year. Last season tanked his career OPS, but it still sits just below .700. O’Hoppe was great against left-handers, recording a .745 OPS against them in 2025. His .604 OPS against right-handers, however, is where O’Hoppe desperately needs to improve his game.
The Angels still have three years of team control on O’Hoppe, who they acquired in 2022 from the Philadelphia Phillies. If he has another season like 2025, there may not be much more hope to have in the catcher, but his spring is telling the story of a bounce-back in the making. Angels fans will be hopeful for the return of one of their favorite bats in 2026, especially if it keeps going like this.
On the other end, left-handed starter Reid Detmers is showing signs of a rough adjustment in spring this year. He’s returning to the starting rotation in 2026 after being moved to the bullpen in 2025, where he posted a 3.96 ERA in 61 appearances.
This spring, however, Detmers hasn't looked great on the bump. In his first start against the Texas Rangers, Detmers allowed four baserunners and three runs in 1 ⅔ innings pitched. In his second start against the Dodgers yesterday, the southpaw allowed five baserunners and two runs in three innings pitched.
His spring stats of a 9.64 ERA and 2.36 WHIP are concerning for the Halos, who are already thin in their starting rotation. So far, Detmers is looking to return to his 2024 production as a starter, when he finished with a 6.70 ERA.
It’s been less than a handful of innings for the 26-year-old this spring, but it’s still enough to raise concerns about their starter heading into 2026. There is, however, plenty of time to settle in for Detmers, who is still readjusting to being a starter again.