Unexpected star named Phillies’ breakout prospect of 2021

MLB names catcher Logan O’Hoppe Phillies’ breakout prospect of 2021

If you didn’t know Logan O’Hoppe‘s name before this year, we wouldn’t be surprised. After all, the Philadelphia Phillies catching prospect had been a 23rd-round pick in 2018.

But after this year, O’Hoppe is a prospect to watch, and is MLB.com‘s Phillies breakout prospect of the year.

O’Hoppe began the year by winning the Phillies’ Bill Giles Award, which is given to a minor-league spring training standout each year. He then skyrocketed through three levels of the farm, going from High-A to Triple-A.

Over 104 games during the minor-league season, O’Hoppe hit a combined .270/.331/.458 with a .789 OPS and 106 hits, including 19 doubles, a pair of triples, and 17 home runs. He scored 51 runs and drove in 58. O’Hoppe’s plate discipline was impressive, too; he drew 33 walks and only struck out 76 times.

Then, he got to the Arizona Fall League. Over 22 games, O’Hoppe hit .299/.440/.519 with a .959 OPS. His 23 hits included eight doubles and three home runs. He scored 19 runs and drove in 17. He also walked more (21) than he struck out (15).

O’Hoppe’s AFL success landed him at #17 on MLB’s Top 25 AFL Prospects list. He won the 2021 Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award, which is given to the AFL player “who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work and leadership.”

AFL pitchers and coaches have praised O’Hoppe for his positive energy, which is apparent when you watch footage of the young star in the making.

Heading into 2022, O’Hoppe now ranks #11th in the Phillies farm system, their top catching prospect. The Phillies have All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto under contract through 2025, and recently acquired backup catcher Garrett Stubbs from the Houston Astros, but O’Hoppe, whose big-league ETA is 2023, could very well become Realmuto’s backup backstop and eventually, his successor.