"Shohei Ohtani has got both" - Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe all praise for Dodgers superstar

Shohei Ohtani posted a historic first campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing with an array of individual honors. His former Los Angeles Angels teammate Logan O'Hoppe has said that the Japanese superstar is a supremely talented player but also works hard off the field to hone his skills.

O'Hoppe was the everyday catcher for the Los Angeles Angels this season and spent a year as a battery mate for Ohtani in his final year with the team. O'Hoppe described his firsthand experience of watching Ohtani prepare in training, on The Mayor's Office podcast on Tuesday. [18:11 - 19:59]

"Sho not only has that talent, but he works his butt off, too," O'Hoppe said. "You just see why he gets the results that he does, because he does work so hard, and how he's treating his body and how he is going about it. I haven't seen a lot of guys more detailed in their pregame stuff than he is.

"That's how I describe Sho; he's got both," he added. "He's got the talent, and he's got the work ethic."

Following his $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani became the first player to get 50 home runs and as many stolen bases in the same season. He was ruled out from pitching duties this year, as he was recuperating from an elbow surgery.

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Logan O'Hoppe discusses his experiences of catching for Shohei Ohtani

Logan O'Hoppe a catcher for Shohei Ohtani in Ohtani's final season with the Angels. (Image Source: Getty)

Shohei Ohtani made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 and won the American League Rookie of the Year, establishing himself as a genuine two-way superstar.

Logan O'Hoppe was playing his rookie season for the Angels last year when the Japanese phenom went on to claim his second AL MVP title. O'Hoppe described his time as the catcher behind home plate for Ohtani, on the aforementioned podcast:

"It was a whole lot of listening for the first couple of months," he said. "I don't say much at first, and then the more comfortable I get, the more things I see, and trust you build, then the more you start chiming in.

"But the first couple of starts with Sho, I don't think I said one word," he laughed. "I was just nodding my head, "Got it. Alright, alright." And then go through and just go into the game like, "Let's not mess this up. Let's go with what he wants.'"

Shohei Ohtani was named the National League MVP this year to become the second player to win the award in both leagues. He posted 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases during the regular season en route winning the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.