Brandon Valenzuela is making John Schneider's catching picture a lot harder to ignore.
The rookie did not arrive with much hype outside Toronto's system, and he was clearly behind Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman on the depth chart when the season opened.
Now that has changed. Through his first 25 MLB games, Valenzuela owns a .222 average, a .300 on-base percentage, and a .429 slugging percentage, good for a 105 wRC+.
That matters because very few rookie catchers hit enough to stay above league average right away. Valenzuela has done that while also giving the Blue Jays some real defensive value behind the plate.
His overall value already jumps off the page. Sportsnet's breakdown noted that his 0.7 fWAR ranked third among Blue Jays position players at the time of publication, which is not something anyone expected from a third catcher type in April.
The bat still comes with warnings. His strikeout rate sits at 28.6 percent, his whiff rate is 30.2 percent, and his chase rate is 34.2 percent, all signs that pitchers can still get him out if he starts expanding too often.
But there is real thump in there, too. Valenzuela's hardest-hit ball this season was 111.4 mph, and only 10 catchers with at least 25 batted balls had hit one harder.
Brandon Valenzuela's glove may be the biggest reason to believe
This is where the case really gets strong. Valenzuela has only caught 175 major-league innings, yet he had already posted 5 Fielding Run Value, which ranked eighth among all MLB position players at that point.
That kind of number in a small sample needs caution, but it matches the reputation he brought with him. He was already viewed as a strong receiver and a catcher who handled a pitching staff well before he ever got to Toronto.
The framing has been loud. Only Patrick Bailey rated better in framing runs, a major sign that Valenzuela is already stealing strikes in meaningful spots.
He has also controlled the running game better than most catchers. Even after a rough stretch against Tampa Bay, he had still thrown out 31.8 percent of runners, well above the MLB average of 23.7 percent.
The arm supports it. His 1.89 pop time ranked 10th among 62 catchers with at least 5 steal attempts against, and his 84.9 mph throwing velocity ranked ninth.
That is why this story matters for Toronto beyond one hot run. Valenzuela may still have swing-and-miss issues to sort out, but power from both sides and real defensive skill behind the plate is a valuable mix.
He does not need to become Alejandro Kirk overnight to matter. Right now, Brandon Valenzuela already looks like more than a fill-in, and the Blue Jays suddenly have a catcher who may deserve a much bigger place in the conversation.
Should Brandon Valenzuela stay the Blue Jays' backup catcher when Alejandro Kirk returns?
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