"Valenzuela, touted as a defence-first catching prospect, has come as advertised since being promoted in early April. He's showcased a strong arm, good framing ability, and an advanced sense for game-calling while working with the team's pitchers. He's done his best work controlling the running game. He's thrown out eight of a possible 24 would-be base-stealers thus far, coupling a strong arm with an elite average pop time of 1.89 seconds to punish opposing teams for trying to take extra bases."
"Valenzuela's elite framing skills have already saved the Blue Jays four runs, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all qualified catchers. His emergence represents another organizational win for the Blue Jays, who acquired him in a seemingly throwaway exchange with the San Diego Padres at the 2025 trade deadline. Infielder Will Wagner, the player they parted with, may eventually become a quality big leaguer."
"It's hard to imagine where the Blue Jays would be right now without Valenzuela, given Kirk's injury and Tyler Heineman's struggles in all facets of the game. He's overcome some growing pains to emerge as a capable catcher in his first taste of MLB action. Brandon Valenzuela of the #BlueJays is now first in MLB in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) for catchers, which is calculated by evaluating pitch framing, preventing stolen bases, and blocking wild pitches."
The Toronto Blue Jays built a reputation for elite team defense, winning the American League Team Gold Glove Award in 2023 and 2024. Defensive performance has dipped in early 2026, but the catcher position has remained strong. Brandon Valenzuela, filling in for injured Alejandro Kirk, has shown a strong arm, effective pitch framing, and advanced game-calling with pitchers. He has controlled the running game by throwing out eight of 24 would-be base stealers, supported by an elite average pop time of 1.89 seconds. His framing has saved four runs, ranking in the 98th percentile among qualified catchers. His Defensive Runs Saved leads MLB for catchers, reflecting pitch framing, stolen-base prevention, and blocking wild pitches.
Read at Jays Journal
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