The Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox got into a heated pregame confrontation last week that reportedly had something to do with sign stealing, and new details that have emerged may help explain what was going on.
Players and coaches on both sides began jawing at one another prior to last Wednesday’s game between the Angels and Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. Angels pitcher Tyler Anderson appeared to start the feud by saying something to Red Sox first base coach Jose Flores.
A report then suggested Anderson accused Flores of stealing signs during Anderson’s start against Boston, which was last Monday night. Anderson allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings in in L.A.’s 7-6 win in that game. The right-hander gave up only run run through four innings before things fell apart for him in the fifth.
Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe may have been tipping
If Flores was stealing signs and relaying them to hitters, the big question is where he was getting the information. Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe may have inadvertently been giving it out.
Jimmy O’Brien, a.k.a. Jomboy, went through all of the footage from Anderson’s start against the Red Sox and seems to have uncovered the catalyst behind the confrontation. He noticed that there was a point in the game when Flores began standing perfectly still near first base when Anderson threw a fastball but began walking toward home plate just before the pitcher delivered a changeup.
Flores seemed to discover that O’Hoppe had a significantly different setup behind the plate when he was getting ready to catch a fastball versus a changeup. The walking toward home plate may have been Flores’ way to communicate which pitch was coming to right-handed batters, who have a clear view of first base.
You can watch the full breakdown from Jomboy:
Red Sox and Angels have a shouting match after a coach was relaying the pitcher's signs, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/Fjb0sFdORM
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) June 7, 2025
Was it illegal?
It does not appear that Flores or the Red Sox used any type of technology to assist them in stealing signals. Instead, Flores or someone else in Boston’s dugout discovered that O’Hoppe was tipping pitches. Teams are always looking for evidence of pitch-tipping to give themselves an advantage.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been at the center of sign-stealing scandals dating back to when he was an assistant coach with the Houston Astros, but don’t expect MLB to get involved in the latest drama. O’Hoppe and the Angels simply need to do a better job of not giving information away.
