Jaso self-professed math nerd
BRADENTON, Fla. — John Jaso hasn’t read “Moneyball” or watched the movie adaptation of Michael Lewis’ bestseller from 2003.
That is surprising for a couple of different reasons.
Jaso is a self-professed math nerd. He likely would be teaching advanced high school mathematics today if he weren’t a first baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Moneyball, on many levels, was about mathematics — or sabermetrics, the advanced study of baseball statistics, to be precise — and how Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane used the numbers to help his low-budget team become a consistent contender by finding players undervalued by other organizations.
The Athletics concentrated on acquiring hitters with high on-base percentages and Jaso fits that bill with a .361 mark over his seven-year career. He reached base at an outstanding .380 clip last year in 70 games and 216 plate appearances during an injury-plagued season with the Tampa Bay Rays.
However, Jaso does know Scott Hatteburg, who was one of the central figures of the book and film.
“I played in Oakland for two years and I had the chance to get to know him,” Jaso said. “He’s a really good guy.”
The Pirates are hoping Jaso can become this decade’s version of Hatteburg.
In an attempt to portray how Beane thought outside the box, Lewis wrote extensively about the Athletics’ pursuit of Hatteburg as a free agent following 2001 with the novel idea of converting a catcher with a high on-base percentage into a first baseman.
Hatteburg had never played first in his first seven seasons in the major leagues. Jaso has logged exactly five innings at the position in the big leagues.
Jaso began his career as a catcher until doctors recommended he switch positions following the 2014 after sustaining repeated concussions. He spent last season primarily as a designated hitter for the Rays while playing a bit of left field.
However, Jaso is up to the challenge of learning a new positon after signing a two-year, $8-million contract as a free agent in the offseason. The left-handed hitter is likely to platoon with Michael Morse at first base.
Jaso was surprised when his agent informed him that the Pirates had interest in signing him as a first baseman. Yet, the 32-year-old was also intrigued about having a new adventure in his career, fitting for a fascinating fellow who wears his hair in dreadlocks, loves to travel the globe and play the guitar.
“It’s an exciting thing for myself and just a great blessing the Pirates have thrown my way,” Jaso said recently at the Pirates’ spring training camp. “I’m just kind of taking it day by day and I want to do the best I can with it. I’m working hard, listening to the coaches and I’m trying to learn as much as I can.”
Jaso has been diligent in working on his defense. He began the transition in January during the team’s minicamp at Bradenton and continued working out at Pirate City regularly in the weeks leading up to the beginning of spring training.
“The biggest challenge of all is going to be the more game action I see and the more of those screaming one-hoppers that’ll be coming at me,” Jaso said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a concern, but it’s something I’ll have to get used to.”
First base is usually where teams stick their less-gifted defenders.
Witness the Pirates’ move of Pedro Alvarez across the diamond from third base late in the 2014 season after he developed a mental block when it came to making routine throws. Yet, Alvarez still made 23 errors last season, more than double any other major league first baseman.
However, as bad as Alvarez looked playing it, there is more to being a first baseman than catching throws from the other infielders. Jaso is learning the intricacies of the position.
“The challenge is kind of learning your place out on the field,” Jaso said. “Also, there’s bunt defense, there’s where you’re going to play on relays from the outfield as the ball’s coming home, that kind of part of the game.
“I feel like I have a little bit of an edge on that just coming from the catching position, because as a catcher, you’re well aware of where everybody is kind of supposed to be at and you’re kind of yelling at people to get to certain places, so the transition with that is a little bit easier, I would say, than if I was a left fielder trying to become a first baseman.”
The Pirates, though, acquired Jaso primarily for his on-base percentage as they attempt to reach the postseason for a fourth consecutive year. He has hit just 37 home runs in his career, one less than Alvarez hit during the 2013 season when he tied for the National League home run lead.
“He’s someone we’ve had interest in acquiring for a number of years,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “We’ve always liked his skill set and the thought of him possibly being a solution at first base has been on our radar for a while.”
In the movie version of Moneyball, Beane and Athletics infield coach Ron Washington pay a visit to Hatteburg’s home to convince him to sign with Oakland make the transition to first base.
That scenario did not play out this winter with Huntington and Pirates infield coach Nick Leyva, though. In real life, only the very top free agents receive home visits from club officials.
“My agents took care of all of the contract stuff,” Jaso said with a smile. “I’m not a Hollywood kind of guy.”