It’s still early in the season, but neither Shohei Ohtani nor Mike Trout have hit the most homers for the Los Angeles Angels. Logan Ohapi (23), a rookie catcher who recorded one more home run than two players, is continuing his rapid growth as the Angels’ team leader in home runs.
On the 12th (Korean time), Ohapi started as a catcher for the 9th hitter in the home game against the Washington Nationals, and contributed to the Angels’ 2-0 victory by hitting a solo home run in the left center in the 6th inning. As a catcher, he teamed up with starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani to record 7 scoreless innings and worked well with bullpen pitchers to lead a scoreless game.
According to Japanese media such as ‘Sports Nippon’,메이저사이트 Ohtani said of Ohapi after the match, “It’s great. He has long hitting power, and he also has decisive power in the game,” he said. He said, “I want to remove the burden or anxiety in defense as much as possible.”
This year, Ohtani is pitching well with 2 wins in 3 games as a pitcher and an average ERA of 0.47 with 1 run and 1 run in 19 innings. As main catcher Max Stacy was placed on the injured list with a left hip strain ahead of the season opener, he formed a battery with newcomer Ohapi for the first time, and he is showing better chemistry than expected.
Hitting is also better than expected. He’s still early in the season, having only played nine games, but he’s batting .25/8 (8-for-31) with four home runs and 10 RBIs for a .992 OPS. His 4 home runs surpassed Ohtani and Mike Trout (three above), the highest on the team. Hitting two of them on Ohtani’s starting day, he’s playing the role of ‘Otani’s helper’ in karate.
Ohapi, who was nominated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round with the 677th overall pick in the 2018 draft, showed steady growth in the minor leagues, although in the lower order. Prior to the trade deadline on August 3 last year, he immediately came to the Angels in exchange for outfielder Brandon Marsh. He was called up to the major leagues at the end of the season at the end of September and played five games.
Marsh, who was a trade partner, experienced the World Series after moving to Philadelphia, and this year is also active with a batting average of .407 (11 hits in 27 at-bats), 2 home runs, 7 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.393 in 9 games, but Ohapi’s growth is also unusual. He doesn’t miss the opportunity he got from Stash’s injury and gains experience as a starting pitcher, increasing the value of his existence as a catcher recognized by Ohtani.