Toronto Blue Jays 2019 season preview: Guerrero Jr. highlights revamped Infield
By Austin Owens
Danny Jansen, Catcher
Just a few years ago, Jansen was the 29th ranked prospect in a Blue Jays system that wasn’t as strong.
Fast forward to today and the catcher is the 65th best prospect in all of baseball, the third best on the Jays, and likely to see the bulk of playing time behind the plate for the Jays this season.
Jansen made his major league debut in August of last season. He would play 31 games down the stretch for the Blue Jays, slashing .247/.347/.779 with six doubles, three home runs, and eight RBIs.
The Blue Jays embraced their impending youth movement by giving Jansen and Reese McGuire more starts down the stretch while sitting veteran Russell Martin.
With the team moving Martin to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason, it’s Jansen’s show now. Along with McGuire – who was an underrated piece of the Fransisco Liriano trade – the Jays have themselves a solid pipeline for catchers.
Luke Maile, Catcher
With Martin seeing his fair share of time on the disabled list over the past two seasons, Maile has been able to get some extra reps in.
The Blue Jays claimed the 28-year-old off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays just a few days into the 2017 campaign. In his first season north of the border, he played in 46 games while serving as the backup. That total jumped to a career-high 68 games in 2018, when the team was resting Martin at least once a week.
Last season, Maile hit .248/.333/.366 with three homers and 27 RBIs. He also had a 2.2 WAR, according to FanGraphs.
The majority of the starts will go to Jansen this year, but manager Charlie Montoyo should be very comfortable to throw Maile, who he coached previously during his time with the Rays, in games.