TAMPA — The only thing Danny Jansen had been threatening to hit was rock bottom.
Mired in a 1-for-27 slump to start the season with the Rays, the 29-year-old catcher stepped to the plate in the fourth inning Friday needing a blooper, a bleeder, a seeing-eye single — anything — to dispel what must have been keeping him up at night.
On the first pitch he saw from Braves pitcher Bryce Elder with one aboard, Jansen blasted a towering two-run homer to left to break a tie.
He wasn’t done. Jansen went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and helped starter Taj Bradley navigate a 32-pitch first inning to allow just one run over six innings in the Rays’ 6-3 win at Steinbrenner Field.
“It felt great,” Jansen said. “I mean, it’s part of the grind, and it’s not going to stop. That’s how baseball is, right? It honestly helps that I’ve started slow before. I’ve honestly been there. Not the ideal start, but I have constant belief in myself and from my teammates. It definitely helps.”
Every major-league player goes through slumps, which is as common as a cold. But when you start the season the way Jansen did after being considered a huge offensive upgrade the Rays needed, it’s certainly magnified.
“I’m a good guy to ask. I know all about 1-for-(27),” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It didn’t work for me, but Danny Jansen is a heck of a player, and his track record shows he’s going to make the necessary adjustments.
“Now I’m sure, you know, your mind could start spinning. Look, 1-for-(27), I didn’t realize that, but whatever it is to start the season, I would say it’s even more challenging mentally than if you do it in month three or four. It can get overlooked pretty quick. So, I’m happy he got to move on from that and remind himself that he’s a really good player.”
In fact, Cash said prior to the game that he believed Jansen was close to breaking out and had barreled up about four balls that came close to going out of the park.
“I’m a little bit surprised, because I feel like his at-bats have been better than what the stats line shows,” Cash said at the time.
Remember, Jansen is the guy the Rays hoped would make everybody forget about light-hitting backstops such as Alex Jackson, Rene Pinto and Francisco Mejia.
What happened Friday is what the Rays had in mind when they signed Jansen to a one-year, $8.5 million contract. The deal includes a $12 million mutual option for 2026 with a $500,000 buyout.
But how can a guy so comfortable behind the plate lose his way when he steps to it in the batter’s box?
“This game is mental, right?” Jansen said. “I’ve been there before. I know I’ve broken out of it, so I know it’s going to happen. I’ve just got to keep believing in myself and realizing I don’t have to chase swings. It’s more about chasing good at-bats, not hits. That’s something I’ve learned through time.”
Jansen wasn’t done following his fourth-inning homer. He drove in a run with a single in the sixth and another RBI with a ground-rule double in the eighth.
“I’d rather have it now than later,” Jansen said of the slump. “I’ve definitely throughout my career gone through stretches, and I’d like to say I’ve learned stuff through those stretches. It doesn’t make this any easier. It’s not the ideal start, but this is such a fun clubhouse here. Having to catch and be part of the staff, help the team win ballgames, is my favorite part of catching, honestly.”
Even during his batting slump, Jansen has done a terrific job handling the Rays pitching staff, blocking balls in the dirt and throwing out runners.
Friday, he helped coax Bradley out of a 32-pitch first inning in which only one Brave crossed the plate. The right-hander settled down and did not allow another run, going six innings and yielding five hits with seven strikeouts. He didn’t walk a batter ...
