Tyler Heineman's .410 OPS is Headed to Anaheim: Why the Angels Are Betting Big on Defense
Alright, 12s, what a night for our M's! Another W in the books, taking down the Orioles 3-0. Cal Raleigh was doing his thing, Julio Rodriguez flying around, just pure Seattle baseball! While we're celebrating, guess what's happening down south in Anaheim? Our AL West 'friends' the Angels just made a move that has me scratching my head a bit, scooping up catcher Tyler Heineman off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays after their game Wednesday.
Halos' Catcher Calamity and a Defensive Gamble
The Halos are in full-blown catcher crisis mode right now, man. Sebastian Rivero and Travis d'Arnaud are both on the injured list, and Logan O'Hoppe has even had his own stint there this season. They absolutely needed a body behind the dish, like, yesterday. O'Hoppe, who's been kinda 'meh' with the stick over the last two years, actually started picking things up in 2026. He’s pushing a decent .659 OPS for the season, and it’s been well above .800 just in June! But defensively? That's where Heineman is supposed to step in, especially with the state of their current catching corps.
Trade on Every Game with Kalshi
Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.
Heineman's Glove vs. His Bat: A Tale of Two Stat Lines
Heineman's not new to this waiver wire dance, having bounced between the Blue Jays and other clubs, doing three separate stints with Toronto. His bat this year? Tough to watch. In 33 games, he's got a paltry .410 OPS, just one lonely homer, and six RBI. Brutal, right? But here's the kicker, the reason the Angels grabbed him: his defense is legit! We're talking a plus-seven fielding run value, three blocks above average, three caught stealing above average, and a plus-four framing value. This dude is a wizard behind the plate!
Contrast that with O'Hoppe, whose defensive numbers are, well, not exactly winning any awards. Minus-nine blocks above average and a minus-seven framing value puts him among the worst catchers in MLB. So yeah, the Angels are clearly making a desperate bet, prioritizing that elite glove, hoping Heineman can shore up a big defensive weakness for them right now.
So, the million-dollar question: will Heineman stick around in Anaheim once the other guys heal up? It's absolutely gonna come down to his bat. A .410 OPS isn't cutting it. He'll need to pull that up closer to league average, maybe around .600, to justify his spot, even with that incredible defense. His first chance to prove he belongs is tonight, as the Angels kick off a four-game series against the Athletics on the road at 6:40 p.m. Pacific.
Meanwhile, we've got our M's riding high after that sweet 3-0 shutout against the Orioles! That's the kind of pitching and timely hitting we love to see from Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and the whole crew. Let's keep that Emerald City energy going strong! This season is just getting started. We'll be here for every single pitch. Go M's!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.