TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels players – not just pitchers and catchers – were scattered across practice fields, bullpen mounds and batting cages Tuesday afternoon.
All of that would have been totally routine for spring training, except it was actually a day before the first “official” workout of the spring.
Normally on “reporting day,” players have their physicals and a few stragglers might play catch in shorts and T-shirts, but the fields are largely vacant.
“Physical day is always the worst because you’re home at 11 and have nothing to do for the rest of the day,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said after catching bullpen sessions and hitting. “It’s nice to have a workout today. We’re all hitting the ground running.”
O’Hoppe had a broad smile on his face as he described the “completely different feel” around Angels camp as they begin the 2024 season.
Left-hander Patrick Sandoval agreed it felt like the start of something new.
“I’ve been on here for about a month and there’s been a lot of guys coming in,” Sandoval said. “The vibes here are really good. The guys are ready to work. I think the just the overall vibe around the guys of getting our work in is a little bit different this year for some reason.”
One obvious difference is that the Angels no longer have Shohei Ohtani. Certainly, no one would suggest that losing the most talented player in the majors is a positive change on the field, but the lack of the spotlight that followed Ohtani no doubt changes the atmosphere around the team.
There were just three reporters at Tuesday’s workout, instead of 50. The expectations from outside are minimal, which is just fine with the players, who are still full of confidence and looking to prove they are better than last year’s 73-victory disappointment.
“I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year,” O’Hoppe said. “None of us forgot what that was like. We all talked a lot over the offseason. We…
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