The Yankees keep losing catchers and somehow keep dominating the position
The Yankees traded catcher Alex Jackson to the Orioles on Saturday morning for international bonus pool money and either cash or a player to be named later. It's the kind of minor move that barely gets noticed. But it says a lot about how the Yankees develop catchers—and why so many of them are thriving somewhere else.
Advertisement
Jackson didn't come up through the Yankees' system, but he spent time in it. After coming over from the Reds with Fernando Cruz in the Jose Trevino trade, he got a chance to work with catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, the same catching coach who helped mold Jose Trevino and Kyle Higashioka into major league regulars.
New York Yankees teammates Jose Trevino and Austin Wells in 2024Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Now, he joins a growing list of former Yankees catchers who are contributing around the league.
Trevino is starting for the Reds.
Higashioka has a steady role in Texas.
Luis Torrens has carved out a nice spot with the Mets. He is hitting .217/.614 OPS, 2 HR, 14 RBI, and has a .630 caught-stealing rate (9 of 21). Of course he is credited with solid framing and a 2.79 catcher ERA, fourth-best among regular backstops
Carlos Narvaez, who made his debut last seasons hitting .274/.787 OPS, with 7 HR and 28 RBI across 67 games for Boston
Even Red Sox manager Alex Cora had to admit it this week on Power Alley: 'I hate to admit it, but [the Yankees] are the best at turning out catchers right now.'
Cora's not wrong.
Swanson was brought in before the 2020 season to try and help Gary Sanchez become a better catcher. He teaches catchers to receive with one knee down on the ground and frame pitches with minimal movement.
Advertisement
He helped turn Trevino into an afterthought into a an All-Star in 2021.
Not every guy sticks in the Bronx, but a lot of them stick somewhere. Jackson may not have cracked the lineup, but like others before him, he leaves more polished than he came in.
Ironically, the Orioles were in need of a catcher because Sanchez is dealing with a knee injury.
Related: Yankees Add Experienced Third Baseman Amid Infield Concerns
Related: The Yankees Are Not Firing Aaron Boone No Matter the Noise
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
11 minutes ago
Yanks' Cody Bellinger hits 3rd home run of game against Cubs, an inning after being robbed
NEW YORK -- Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn't sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again. 'I didn't know at first,' he said. 'For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.' Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won fifth straight games following a a six-game losing streak. Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP. He spent 2023 and '24 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million. He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multi-homer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall. 'I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,' Bellinger said. 'But it was a good catch.' 'Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,' Bellinger added. A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder's glove. 'I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they'd probably look at it and get it overturned," Tucker said. "I've probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone's hand or whatever but I don't know if anyone's ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.' Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row. 'The fan just beat to the spot," Crow-Armstrong said. "He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.' Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3. 'Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,' said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. 'I've seen PCA rob so many homers. He's a freak athlete out there.' Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs. He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice. 'No, no, no revenge,' he said. 'Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn't seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call. 'He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger' over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it," Boone said. 'Belly's loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood." Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse. He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger's teammates could sense the significance. 'It's always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,' Boone said. 'To perform right away against them I'm sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.'
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nets' group for 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, revealed
Nov 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; The Brooklyn Nets NBA Cup logo at center court before tip-off against the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The post Nets' group for 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, revealed appeared first on ClutchPoints. The NBA revealed its groups for the 2025-26 Emirates Cup, also known as the in-season tournament, on Wednesday. There will be no shortage of competition for the Brooklyn Nets during this year's tournament. The Nets will compete in East Group B alongside the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic. Advertisement The Nets' group is one of six that make up the annual tournament. Each group consists of five teams from the same conference, randomly selected based on their win-loss records from the 2024-25 season. Brooklyn will face each team in its group once. Teams that finish with the best record in each group automatically qualify for the knockout round. The best second-place team in group play from each conference will also advance to the knockout round as wild cards. NBA reveals Nets' group for 2025 Emirates Cup Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images East Group B presents one of the most difficult in this year's in-season tournament. While they lost Jayson Tatum to an achilles tear, the Celtics boast a high-level roster stacked with experienced veterans. Meanwhile, the Magic and Pistons are up-and-coming teams who have added to their rosters over the last calendar year. The 76ers are coming off an injury-ravaged season but have a star-studded roster and just welcomed a dynamic rookie in VJ Edgecombe. Advertisement The Nets failed to advance past group play in the NBA's first two in-season tournaments. Still in the early stages of a rebuild, they could have trouble stacking up with the rest of their group again this year. FanDuel Sportsbook set Brooklyn's initial over/under win total at 20.5, the second-lowest in the NBA. The Nets parted with veterans Cam Johnson and D'Angelo Russell this summer and welcomed Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann via trades. They will have an influx of inexperienced rookies after making an NBA-record five first-round selections in the 2025 draft. This year's Emirates NBA Cup will tip-off on Oct. 31. Related: Michael Porter Jr. breaks silence on bombshell Nets trade Related: Thanasis Antetokounmpo drops major declaration on Kevin Durant trade to Rockets
Hamilton Spectator
17 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Yanks' Cody Bellinger hits 3rd home run of game against Cubs, an inning after being robbed
NEW YORK (AP) — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn't sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again. 'I didn't know at first,' he said. 'For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.' Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won fifth straight games following a a six-game losing streak. Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP. He spent 2023 and '24 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million. He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multi-homer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall. 'I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,' Bellinger said. 'But it was a good catch.' 'Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,' Bellinger added. A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder's glove. 'I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they'd probably look at it and get it overturned,' Tucker said. 'I've probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone's hand or whatever but I don't know if anyone's ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.' Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row. 'The fan just beat to the spot,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.' Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3. 'Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,' said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. 'I've seen PCA rob so many homers. He's a freak athlete out there.' Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs. He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice. 'No, no, no revenge,' he said. 'Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn't seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call. 'He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger' over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it,' Boone said. 'Belly's loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood.' Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse. He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger's teammates could sense the significance. 'It's always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,' Boone said. 'To perform right away against them I'm sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.' ___ AP MLB:
