Rangers' Danny Jansen Reveals What Helped Him During Early Career Struggles

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.

Texas Rangers Catcher Danny Jansen discusses the importance of building relationships with pitchers and how it helped him early on in his career.

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That grinding mentality proved critical for Jansen's survival in the majors. After debuting with Toronto in 2018 as the organization's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, his offensive numbers disappointed early on.

Through his first 181 games by the end of 2020, Jansen posted a .208 batting average with a .370 slugging percentage, well below expectations for a bat-first catcher.

His defensive work and ability to connect with pitchers kept him employed when his offense faltered. Jansen made it a priority to be the guy pitchers wanted throwing to them, building trust through consistent communication and understanding each pitcher's unique personality and needs.

Why Relationships Matter for Catchers

Danny Jansen | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

"So that's always something that I feel like early on, I wanted to strive to just be a great communicator, but also just, you know, to be, to build those relationships and I truly enjoy it. So yeah, I think that, you know, that's something that, you know, perhaps kept me around, especially when I was struggling a bit early on, but I always wanted just to try to be that guy behind the plate, you know," he added.

That approach has sustained an eight-year MLB career for the Wisconsin native despite never becoming the offensive force scouts projected. Rangers president Chris Young acknowledged the organization's struggles developing catchers internally, making Jansen's veteran presence and relationship-building skills particularly valuable for a young pitching staff.

Jansen will split catching duties with Kyle Higashioka this season as Texas looks to rebound after missing the playoffs in consecutive years following their 2023 World Series championship.

His relationship-building skills will be critical as the Rangers shift their focus to pitching heading into spring training, with a staff that includes Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. The same communication and trust that kept him in the league during tough times will now help Texas maximize its pitching talent in 2026.