Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela's defense continues to impress

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela (59) takes a throw to the plate but not in time to stop Miami Marlins third baseman Javier Sanoja (8) from scoring in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela's defense continues to impress

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated May 28, 2026 10:30 PM ET

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Toronto Blue Jays rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela has demonstrated his defensive prowess behind the plate. The 24-year-old has made gutsy pickoff throws that have demonstrated his strong and accurate throwing arm.

His most recent pickoff throw was in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles. With two outs and an 0-1 count, Louis Varland threw a fastball for a strike.

Valenzuela followed by successfully throwing out Pete Alonso to end the inning. The Blue Jays went on to secure a 2-1 lead and defeat the Orioles.

When it comes to Valenzuela's defensive upside behind the dish, he contains a quick release with his strong throwing arm that reaches a velocity of 84.9 mph.

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— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 29, 2026

Brandon Valenzuela's defensive upside is hard to ignore

The kid continues to solidify himself as a top-notch defensive force, with a knack for spot-on throws that happen within a blink. This has contributed to run prevention where we have also seen him throwing out base stealers on a consistent basis.

His caught stealing rate of 31.8% is above the league average of 23.7%. In addition he ranks in the 96th percentile with a field running value of 6.

He also has illustrated solid framing and pop time among defensive catchers in MLB. He ranks in the top 10 with a pop time of 1.90 seconds. Rest assured, he's making it difficult for John Schneider to send him down when Alejandro Kirk returns from the IL.

But aside from his solid defensive production, he also has shown strong plate discipline. Valenzuela has more walks than strikeouts since April 29 (13 walks to 11 strikeouts). Overall, he is showing he deserves to remain on the roster as a surprise defensive standout.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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