TEMPE, Ariz. — In the backfields of the Angels spring training complex, you will often find Logan O’Hoppe catching bullpens. Right next to him is usually Travis d’Arnaud, sometimes sitting on the ground with his legs crossed but always intently watching O’Hoppe’s every move.
The two have been joined at the hip since spring training started, with O’Hoppe, 25, peppering d’Arnaud, 36, with questions and d’Arnaud taking O’Hoppe under his wing to mentor and help O’Hoppe in his development.
“[Experience] is something that, obviously, you can't get until you go through it,” O’Hoppe said. “Being still relatively early in my career, I know that I need that by my side and I'm really grateful I have it.”
The connection between the two started when the Angels signed d’Arnaud to a two-year $12 million contract in early November. Before the signing was made public, d’Arnaud called O’Hoppe to express how excited he was to work with O’Hoppe and help him in his development. Since then, the two have been in constant contact over the offseason and have remained close once they reported for camp.
“I talked to him the most out of anyone this offseason, coaches included,” O’Hoppe said.
When asked about his relationship with O’Hoppe, d’Arnaud hesitated as he was trying to come up with the movie reference he had in mind. Although he said “Super Brothers,” everyone knew what he meant once d’Arnaud described the relationship as “Did we just become best friends?”
“It's like a big brother to a little brother,” d’Arnaud said. “We like to joke around a lot. He's had some great questions and I've been able to give him advice on what I've heard from my experiences and also from other Hall of Famers that I've heard. He's really easy to get along with and he has leadership qualities which I like to see too.”
O’Hoppe has been picking d’Arnaud’s brain about anything and everything this spring. d’Arnaud said that O’Hoppe has been asking “a lot of the right questions” and d’Arnaud is happy to be there for him.
Along with sitting next to O’Hoppe to watch bullpens, d’Arnaud is also closely paying attention to O’Hoppe and the other catchers during blocking and receiving drills, giving his input when he sees something that needs to be addressed or if someone asks him a question. O’Hoppe and d’Arnaud’s conversations are always two-way streets, especially in the bullpen.
“We're talking about different pitchers and things that have helped them,” O’Hoppe said about what d’Arnaud and him are discussing in the bullpen. “From my end, it's filling him in on the guys that he hasn't caught, and then from him, it's different things day to day that he's seen.”
One of the things that impresses d’Arnaud most about his young counterpart, is his ability to soak in information and apply it to the game. d’Arnaud said O’Hoppe can take criticism from either him or assistant pitching coach Sal Frasano and make quick adjustments.
d’Arnaud also said O’Hoppe is able to take ideas that he’s receiving from him and Frasano and communicate them to each pitcher individually. A trait that d’Arnaud says, is very hard to do. O’Hoppe’s ability to adapt and learn each pitcher as an individual so he can relay information specific to them instead of saying it one way to fix everyone is just one of the reasons why d’Arnaud believes he will be a great leader in the clubhouse.
“He's not afraid to speak up when he has something on his mind,” d’Arnaud said. “He's not afraid to lead a room or talk to anybody. He's not intimidated by anybody. He's able to take criticism the right way. Things that are very hard to find, especially with somebody with only two years in the show.”
The mentorship of d’Arnaud extends beyond the field for O’Hoppe. One of the biggest changes O’Hoppe has felt with himself is he has been in a better headspace this camp while working with d’Arnaud.
“His ability to balance having a good time and getting the work done that we need to,” O’Hoppe said impressed him most with d’Arnaud. “That's something that I'm always trying to get better at, like loosen up a little bit and he brings a great example of that. He's taught me a lot with that and I'm looking forward to learning more from him.”
The early returns on the addition of d’Arnaud are positive, and with four weeks until Opening Day, the on-field results remain to be seen. But for now, d’Arnaud will continue to closely watch O’Hoppe’s every move and O’Hoppe will continue to fire away various questions as they strengthen their bond.
