Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen struggled mightily at the plate early in his career, posting a .208 average through his first few seasons. The Wisconsin native recently opened up about what kept him in the majors during those difficult times.
Jansen discussed his approach during a recent appearance on the Badger State Ball podcast. The 30-year-old backstop, who signed with the Rangers on a two-year deal worth $14.5 million in December, revealed that building relationships with pitchers became his lifeline when his bat wasn’t producing results.
“But I think as a catcher with pitchers, you know, you ever, they all have different personalities, right? Like they have different personalities, but you build that relationship where you trust each other. You’re able to have, whether it’s tough combos or just combos in general, you know, that they got your back, you got their back and it makes the job, you know, all worth it because you get beat up back there, but when you’re grinding with the boys, you know what I mean? Like your friends and guys that you build a relationship with, it’s awesome,” Jansen said.