Logan O’Hoppe looking forward to MLB Futures Game, unfazed by trade talk

ST. LOUIS — Logan O’Hoppe keeps a journal in which he makes notes about pitchers and jots thoughts and observations. He isn’t alone. Other players in the Phillies’ farm system do it, too. It isn’t mandatory, but it’s become a fairly common practice.

The other day, O’Hoppe was writing about how he feels when he’s hitting well, like the four games in May when he smashed five home runs or the 32-game stretch from April 28 to June 8 when he reached base at a .451 clip.

“I actually wrote in my journal that when I’m going good, my focus is more so on how I’m feeling internally,” O’Hoppe said by phone Sunday night. “And when I’m not going good, it’s a lot about results and external things I can’t control. I know it sounds cliché, but I try to take every day for what it is and that usually helps me keep my mind on what’s important and stay away from all the other chatter.”

» READ MORE: Let's make a deal: Trade proposals for the Phillies to land another hitter, starting pitching help

It can be difficult to mute the outside noise this time of year, especially for a top prospect whose path to the majors appears to be blocked by, say, the highest-paid catcher in baseball. The trade deadline is three weeks away, J.T. Realmuto’s contract runs through 2025, and the rumors are about to start flying.

O’Hoppe’s name is bound to come up. Maybe a lot.

But scouts and Phillies officials agree that O’Hoppe is uncommonly mature for a 22-year-old with four seasons of minor league experience. And true to form, he thinks he has a solution for distractions that may arise between now and Aug. 2.

“Turn off my phone,” he said with a laugh. “That definitely helps. You get texts about it just like anyone would. But I luckily have a circle of people in my corner that, our mutual love is so strong that we don’t even talk about baseball. We talk about anything. I stick to talking to those people.”

» READ MORE: Phillies must find a current and future starting pitcher at the trade deadline | David Murphy

Besides, it’s not like O’Hoppe has much time to consider where he fits on the Phillies’ depth chart behind Realmuto, who makes $23.875 million per year.

O’Hoppe is catching almost every day for double-A Reading and batting .276/.392/.525 with 14 homers and a .917 on-base plus slugging in 221 at-bats. And later in the week, he and Reading lefty Erik Miller will leave for Los Angeles to represent the Phillies in the annual Futures Game, part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities at Dodger Stadium.

It’s a dream for O’Hoppe, who said he can recall watching the Futures Game when he was 16 and telling his parents, “I want to do that one day.” His twin sister, Melanie, has always wanted to visit Dodger Stadium. When the schedule came out and he realized the Futures Game would be played there, he said, “I think I’ve got a shot if I play well.” Sure enough, Melanie will be part of his rooting section Saturday.

“That’s probably the biggest reason I’m so excited,” O’Hoppe said, “the one that makes me the most happy.”

» READ MORE: Logan O’Hoppe has always been a catcher, and that won’t change with the Phillies

There are other reasons. The National League prospects will be managed by Delaware County native Mike Scioscia, a longtime Dodgers catcher before his 19-year run as manager of the Los Angeles Angels. The opportunity to meet Scioscia and maybe pick up a catching tip is high on O’Hoppe’s to-do list.

The Futures Game also represents a triumph of sorts for O’Hoppe, a 23rd-round draft pick out of St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip, N.Y. The odds are against late-round picks from the Northeast making it to the big leagues. But O’Hoppe starred in the Arizona Fall League last year, recently cracked Baseball America’s top-100 prospects list (No. 92), and is about to appear on the stage with baseball’s most touted young players.

“Coming from New York and being a later-round pick, that was always like a chip on my shoulder,” O’Hoppe said. “Getting this news, it just makes me so grateful.”

» READ MORE: How the Phillies have turned around their maligned bullpen by emphasizing specific pitches

But O’Hoppe said he’s “not totally satisfied” with his season. He has shaved his strikeout rate from 17.3% last year to 16.6%, but believes he can still swing at better pitches. He wants to manage the game more artfully behind the plate, although he’s more confident than ever in his blocking skills. He also recently got over a virus (not COVID-19) that kept him out for nearly two weeks.

“I feel like there’s much more in the tank, to be honest with you,” O’Hoppe said. “I’m looking to have a better second half.”

Regardless of what happens before the trade deadline.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t think about it. I do,” O’Hoppe said. “Yes, we want to succeed in double A and we want to have success in the minor leagues, but that’s not our end goal. Our end goal is to produce at the big-league level. The end goal is always in mind. I think that fuels me when I go throughout my day.”

The Futures Game will bring him one step closer.

» READ MORE: The Phillies have baseball’s hottest catching prospect. What does that mean for the trade deadline? And J.T. Realmuto? | David Murphy

One day after Ranger Suárez (back spasm) threw a bullpen session, interim manager Rob Thomson said it’s “still possible” that the lefty will start Saturday in Miami. ... Utility infielder Johan Camargo (knee) will continue his rehab assignment at triple-A Lehigh Valley over the next few days. ... Andrew Bellatti (1-3, 3.14 ERA) will be the Phillies’ opener Tuesday night in Toronto. Kevin Gausman (6-6, 2.86 ERA) will likely start for the Blue Jays.