Blue Jays: Looking at the catching ranks throughout the system

TORONTO, ON – JULY 04: Danny Jansen #9 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits his second home run of the game in the fourth inning during a MLB game against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on July 04, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

1. Danny Jansen – Toronto Blue Jays – MLB

Drafted in the 16th Round of the 2013 draft, Danny Jansen was never thought of as a high end prospect and many questioned if he would even be a MLB level catcher. Then prior to the 2017 season Jansen put on a new set of glasses and things took off. He started the season playing in High-A ball with Dunedin where he batted .369, and by the end of the year he was in AAA Buffalo.

Over three levels of baseball, Jansen batted a cool .323 and crushed out ten home runs on the season, three more than his previous four seasons combined. Jansen was called up to the Blue Jays late in 2018 where he started 31 games and got a small taste of big league action, which led him into the 2019 season.

It is well known that Jansen struggled early in this season with his batting, but he has been able to turn it around over the last month. However, his biggest strength is his catching ability. Jansen gives a big target for pitchers and has been able to throw out 34% of the base runners, while only allowing three passed balls.

2. Gabriel Moreno – Lansing Lugnuts – A Ball

An international free agent in 2016, Gabriel Moreno decided this last year that he would fully commit to baseball as his career and the Jays couldn’t be happier. Moreno has just 120 minor league games to his resume, but the 19-year old has been very impressive.

While many his age, if they are playing pro ball, are in the Rookie League, Moreno has already advanced to Lansing where he is batting .364 with 19 extra base hits (seven home runs) over 48 games. What is more impressive is that the youngster has just five passed balls while throwing out 34% of the base runners this year. Last year Moreno batted .359 between two levels of Rookie Ball with 23 extra base hits. If Moreno keeps advancing like he has, he will likely see New Hampshire next year with the possibility (although unlikely) of Buffalo.

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