CATCHING UP
Being the main man behind the plate means big adjustments for Jays rookie Danny Jansen,
The baseball speak for Danny Jansen’s role with the Blue Jays sounds at once inconspicuous and high-profile.
The 24-year-old is “the guy” behind the plate now. The Russell Martin-shaped safety net is gone and the catching responsibilities — controlling a pitching staff, game-calling, defence — are coming at him thick and fast.
Jansen wants to keep things simple: block some balls, throw a runner or two out and, above all else, keep his pitchers on track.
“That’s the whole goal, just be the consistent guy, never on highlight reels, never on (blooper) reels, just be the guy,” he says.
That means bringing the same attitude and confidence to the park every day. He can’t risk letting a pitcher feed off his own bad day.
“You have to be that calm presence, because when stuff’s hitting the fan and everything’s going haywire, it seems likes an island out there. You’ve got to be the guy out there that’s a rock, that’s going to be simple and a big presence with the body and just like, ‘Hey, it’s just you and me.’ ”
Learning to stay even-keeled is something Jansen believes comes with experience, something he lacks in his rookie season. He tries to make it up with preparation, going over information morning and night, talking all the pitching matchups through with his starter, pitching coach Pete Walker, bullpen coach Matt Buschmann and major-league coach John Schneider.
He relies on Schneider, whom he has known since 2013 and considers a father figure, to help keep himself intact personally. He also gets guidance from fellow catcher Luke Maile, who has a veteran presence about him as he embarks on his fifth year in the majors.
“You get that preparation in and then in that moment you can be the guy to be relied on,” Jansen says.
For the past two seasons in the minor leagues, Jansen could also be relied on at the plate. He hit .323 across three levels in 2017 and .275 in 88 games at Triple-A Buffalo last year. The numbers earned him a reputation as an offensive catcher, though he is not a fan of that label.
“I can hit, I know I can,” says Jansen, off to a slow start this season with a .160/.236/.180 batting slash line. “I can contribute offensively with the bat but that’s never been my main focus.”
When Jansen is hot at the plate, he is hitting line drives for extra bases and punishing miscues with the occasional home run. The Jays are working on getting him to load up on his back leg when he swings, but they are aware it will take some time for Jansen to adjust to everything that is being thrown at him. The hitting will come.
“There’s so much off-speed now, you’ve got to adapt to it (and) you’ve got to be able to lay off that chocolate mousse, as we like to call it, that high heater, Jansen says. “It’s so good but it’s so bad for you.”
Jansen will be the first to tell you he has struggled at the plate but his solid defence keeps him sane. His purpose is way bigger than what he does with the bat. “In the grand scheme of things, you go 0-for-4 but your team wins, you do well behind the plate, you do what you’re supposed to do behind the plate, you keep composure, it doesn’t matter,” he says. “That’s a win.”