As Major League Baseball clubs reconvened last July to prepare to begin a pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Logan O’Hoppe found himself an opportunity he never expected to get.
A former 28th-round pick in the 2018 draft, the young catcher was invited to join the Philadelphia Phillies player pool at “summer camp” at Citizens Bank Park to ramp back up ahead of the 60-game campaign. O’Hoppe had never played full-season ball as a professional. Yet, next thing he knew, he was catching alongside big leaguers such as All-Star J.T. Realmuto and working with the major-league coaching staff.
O’Hoppe understood he had much to learn from those around him in Philadelphia.