Jason Delay's Defensive Prowess Is A Genuine Game-Changer In Worcester

Jason Delay takes immense pride in his defensive capabilities. Since being taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2017 MLB Draft, Delay has put a focus on his glove, using his years of experience along with an incredible work ethic to make himself the best catcher he can be.

Currently serving as one of four catchers on the Worcester Red Sox, Delay has appeared in 58 games while hitting just .227/.328/.343 (78 wRC+) with 13 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 28 RBIs. That production is pretty much in line with what he's done in the majors throughout his career (69 wRC+), though no one has ever mistaken him for a true slugger. It all comes down to his work behind the plate, not at it.

Through the first half, the 31-year-old catcher tied for fifth in all of Triple-A in framing runs, sitting at a value of 3.48. For those unaware, framing runs is a metric that measures a catcher’s ability to turn borderline pitches into strikes, with 0.125 runs being added for each gained strike or lost. If Delay’s 3.48 was to be compared to catchers in the majors during that window, he would be sitting just outside of the top 10.

On top of that, he has been one of the top catchers in the minors when it comes to his success with the ABS system. An understanding of the strike zone along with years of experience helping him. Though, for Delay, sometimes winning an ABS challenge isn’t always a sign of great catching.

“To be honest, being good at challenges isn’t something I take a lot of pride in. Just because if I’m challenging pitches that are in the strike zone, that means I’m not getting them called [as] strikes. I would prefer to be good at receiving, good at framing. It’s been a strength of mine for years and it’s something I take pride in,” the veteran backstop explained.

It's obvious why he's prideful of his abilities. In 2022, when he appeared in 57 games with the Pirates, his framing value was at +4, only for the value to increase in 2023 where in 70 games he sat at +7.

Delay admits that entering each game he studies the umpire behind the plate to prepare for his own game calling and to be ready on the receiving end of the pitches being thrown to him. In his first 41 games behind the plate, he managed to steal 52 called strikes for his pitchers, the 11th-most in Triple-A. On the flip side, he lost only 36 called strikes, many that would be overturned through an ABS challenge.

“I do my own homework on the umpires, where their cold zones are within the [strike] zone, so I know going into any game,” Delay told a media scrum in Worcester. “I am looking at the iPad pretty much between each inning to see, like, that pitch I thought was close, did it clip? Was it out of the zone? Doing that for years now, that’s probably how I started to win the zone. And if it’s a close pitch, I’ll kind of look into the dugout and they have a lot of feedback too.”

“Delay’s a smart guy. Just smart in general, he’s a Vanderbilt guy, but the baseball IQ is there,” acting Worcester manager Iggy Suarez said. “That’s something he tracks on his own. When he challenges, if he’s going to miss it’s going to be pretty close and if he does miss, it’s a spot where we’re trying to grab a strike, stop an inning or take a chance. He’s coming in and asking, peeking in the dugout to see what the pitch was. And you can tell if he misses one, he’s kind of like ‘that could have helped us out.' I can only imagine how the pitchers feel knowing that [when] this guy rips a challenge, it’s going to probably be a strike.”

For Delay and fellow catcher Matt Thaiss, it isn’t just their on-field contributions that have paid dividends for the organization. Being a veteran catcher that spent multiple years in the bigs, Delay offers a viewpoint for the younger pitchers in Worcester hoping to make it to The Show themselves. The experience is comforting for the pitchers, knowing that they’re throwing to a catcher who has experienced the top level of competition. Delay provides an edge for the pitchers not just when it comes to calling a game, but also the preparation he does before the game.

“Just the way he prepares and how he goes about it, there’s no panic. Young catchers start panicking and call aggressively. Guys that have experience like Delay, whether he’s struggling at the plate or not, he’s gonna be dealing behind the plate. So, to have that experience at the big-league level will be good for guys,” Suarez explained.

And Delay has been good, helping both young pitchers and veterans alike each time he gets behind the plate. That experience and his defense could be beneficial to a playoff team come September, something that Delay might be thinking in the back of his head even if he won’t say it. As part of his contract he signed prior to spring training, he has one remaining opt-out clause remaining. The first was June 30, though he chose not to exercise it. The next comes on August 15, at a time where more teams may be inquiring about his defensive skills.

It would be easier to find a path to the majors as a defensive third catcher for the month of September, a role that could be alluring to the veteran backstop after spending nearly two years in the minor leagues. If the Red Sox want to keep someone like that in the organization, they may have to reward his defensive prowess with a trip to Boston.

Interested in learning more about the Boston Red Sox's top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!