PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Pittsburgh Pirates had a void to fill at first base after they decided not to tender power-hitting but defensively erratic Pedro Alvarez a contract extension this past offseason.
The solution the Pirates came up with was to offer 32-year-old John Jaso, a converted catcher and Chula Vista native who had never played first base, a chance at the position.
So far in the 2016 season, that solution has worked out exceedingly well.
The Pirates plugged the left-handed batting Jaso into the top spot in the batting order against right-handed pitchers, and he has hit the ground running both offensively and defensively.
A former catcher who was forced to give up playing that position after sustaining repeated concussions on balls that were foul-tipped off his mask at home plate, Jaso has taken to the first base position like a fish to water.
While sporting a .276 batting average (with 63 hits in 228 plate appearances with 13 doubles, four home runs, and 22 runs batted in) during his first 63 games with the Pirates, Jaso has also shored up a position which had been a defensive liability for the Bucs.
He committed just three errors in his first 476 chances this season.
“I like it,” Jaso said recently at PNC Park about his shift to first base. “With continued work and experience, I’m feeling more comfortable over there every day. It was exciting for me to get the opportunity to play first base, and I’m having a lot of fun with it. I’m happy that I’ve had the opportunity to do it.”
So, undoubtedly, are the Pirates, who have benefited from Jaso’s quick bat and discerning eye at the top of their lineup card.
Matt Joyce — a former teammate of Jaso’s with the Tampa Bay Rays who has also infused a spark of offensive energy into the Pirates this year — has enjoyed watching Jaso ply his craft both in the field and at the plate this season.
“I’ve played with Jaso for a long time now, and I’ve had the distinct pleasure of enjoying his company,” said Joyce, who already has eight home runs in a limited role with the Pirates this season. “Jaso’s done a great job since coming over here. To be thrown into a position that you’re not used to, first base, and to take over that leadoff role, he’s been fantastic both defensively and offensively.
“I think everybody here is really proud of the way he’s made the transition,” Joyce said. “He’s a great asset to this team.”
Defensively, Jaso said he had to break the habit of holding his glove in the catcher’s position when adjusting to first base.
Offensively, he has always tried to maintain an even keel at the plate.
“I treat every at-bat the same, whether it”s the leadoff at-bat in the game, or whether it’s the ninth inning and we’re in a game that is tied or we’re down by a run,” said Jaso, who attended Southwestern College. “I try to keep the same mind-set at the plate. That way, I’m not going up and down emotionally.”
Concussions cut short both Jaso’s 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Oakland Athletics, and last year he appeared in only 70 games while serving exclusively as a designated hitter in his second tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays, batting .286 with 70 hits, including five homers and 22 RBI, in 185 plate appearances.
Jaso said that the prospect of playing first base with a Pirates team that has experienced much success over the past three seasons swayed his decision to come to Pittsburgh.
“Last year I didn’t catch, and the two years before that, my seasons ended with the concussions,” Jaso said. “My days as a catcher may be over, but the Pirates kind of lured me over here with the opportunity to play first base. That, and all the good things I’ve heard about this organization, are the two things together that made the decision to come here an easy one for me.”
So far this season, Jaso hasn’t disappointed the Pirates and the Pirates haven’t disappointed him.
“I feel great here,” Jaso said. “I love these guys, this is a dynamic baseball team and the facilities here (at PNC Park) are awesome. This is a great field to play on and I’m very happy here.”
JOHN JASO FILE
Age: 32
Height/weight: 6-2, 205
Bats: Left. Throws: Right
Career: This is Jaso’s eighth season in the major leagues, and he has now played with the Tampa Bay Rays (two tenures), Seattle Mariners, and Oakland Athletics, as well as the Pirates. Prior to this season, Jaso had batted .263 in 550 Major League games, with 37 homers and 204 RBI. This year with the Pirates, he has batted .276 in his first 63 games, with four homers and 22 RBIs.
Personal: Jaso is married (wife, Shannon), and he comes from good baseball lineage. Jaso’s maternal grandfather, Michael Bajo, was a pitcher in the Chicago White Sox Minor League system in 1941. Bajo gave up his baseball career to become a physician.
John Hartsock is a sports writer with the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror who covers the Pittsburgh Pirates, among other duties. He can be reached at jhartsock@altoonamirror.com.
