John Jaso
From BR Bullpen
John Edward Jaso
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 205 lb.
- School Southwestern Junior College
- Debut September 6, 2008
- Born September 19, 1983 in Chula Vista, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Catcher John Jaso was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 12th round of the 2003 amateur draft and began his pro career with the Hudson Valley Renegades that summer.
Jaso was regularly used as the Rays' leadoff hitter during 2010, a rarity for a catcher in today's game. He was not the prototypical lead-off man, given his lack of outstanding speed, but manager Joe Maddon liked his ability to draw walks and get on base, setting the table for the sluggers who followed in the Rays' line-up that season. He got to play semi-regularly, hitting .263 in 109 games with a .372 on-base percentage, as Kelly Shoppach and Dioner Navarro both hit below .200. Shoppach hit even worse in 2011, but Jaso also saw his batting average and on-base percentage fall significantly.
Jaso was traded to the Seattle Mariners on November 27, 2011, in return for P Josh Lueke.
