The Blue Jays can expect a wiser and more prepared J.P. Arencibia when Spring Training opens later this month in Dunedin, Fla.
Arencibia set the franchise record for home runs by a catcher last season, but it was his work behind the plate that he likes to talk about the most.
The 26-year-old knows what to expect not only from himself, but from his teammates and opposing hitters around the league. Familiarity has set in and the overall comfort level has risen.
"Another year of experience gives you the comfort of, 'This is my staff, these are the guys I'm going to work with, this is my job,'" Arencibia said recently. "It's been the year I've been most motivated ever to just get better in the offseason, training as hard as I've ever trained, to just get ready for the whole season."
Arencibia had arguably the toughest transition possible for any rookie looking to establish himself in the American League. As the No. 1 catcher, he was tasked with not only improving his own abilities behind the plate, but also learning an entire pitching staff.
That overall workload was compounded by also needing to spend time on the offensive side of his game. It can be a daunting task, but Arencibia was aided by the fact that he rose through the Minor League ranks along with some of the pitchers on Toronto's staff.
That eased Arencibia's learning curve, and while another year together will undoubtedly help matters even more, he thinks there's one thing in particular that should help his pitch selection behind the plate.
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