As Pirates' oldest player, Jacob Stallings embraces role of breaking in backup catchers

Before his first spring training, Jacob Stallings was warned by David Price that the way to earn respect was by working hard and keeping his mouth shut, so the catcher adopted that as his mantra.

That approach has changed dramatically for Stallings. Now 31, he is the oldest player on the Pittsburgh Pirates, and someone who is asked for everything from his advice on pitchers to directions around Pirate City.

“I don’t know if I feel like the old guy,” Stallings said, with a laugh Thursday on a video call from Bradenton, Fla. “I’ll go with the experienced guy.”

A Gold Glove finalist who was voted the Roberto Clemente Award winner as team MVP by the BBWAA in 2020, Stallings has earned respect from Pirates teammates for his preparation, pitch calling and framing and strong defensive play behind the plate, not to mention his smarts and self-deprecating sense of humor.

Through the trades of Josh Bell and Jameson Taillon, Stallings now ranks as the second-longest tenured Pirates player, behind only right fielder Gregory Polanco. For the second year in a row, Stallings is tasked with giving three new catchers a crash course on how to handle the Pirates’ young pitching staff.

Stallings led the NL in innings caught (345 1/3) and assists (22) while playing in 42 games last season. So it was no surprise on the first day of practice for pitchers and catchers — Wednesday’s workouts were moved indoors because of rain — that manager Derek Shelton made Stallings’ job abundantly clear: “Jake’s our starter and will be our starter.”

“We rely a lot on feedback,” Shelton said. “Guys coming in, throwing for the first time. You can watch it. You can talk to him. You can look at the metrics but being able to talk to specifically (the catchers), the fact that they have caught in the big league, what guys are doing, what the ball is moving like and to Jake himself, he had a hell of a year last year.”

Shelton has been an outspoken advocate for Stallings’ Gold Glove candidacy, saying he had an “unbelievable year” and deserved to win the award. The Pirates manager, a former minor-league catcher himself, also personally challenged Stallings to take charge of games and be more of a leader on the field. They also share the common bond of being coach’s sons, as Shelton’s father Ron was a Hall of Fame high school baseball coach in Illinois while Stallings’ father Kevin was major-college basketball coach at Illinois State, Vanderbilt and Pitt.

“The one thing I really appreciate about Jacob Stallings and I am very aware of being a coach’s kid … he wants very direct, honest feedback,” Shelton said. “And, at times last year, I gave it to him and the growth areas that I challenged him on, I thought he did a really nice job with.”

Stallings has assumed a bigger role by taking it upon himself to give tips to backup backstops Michael Perez, Tony Wolters and Joe Hudson. The Pirates claimed Perez off waivers from Tampa Bay in late October and signed Wolters and Hudson to minor-league deals with non-roster invitations to spring training.

“It’s definitely a different role, for sure, (but) it’s one that I’m comfortable with,” Stallings said. “So much of baseball is respecting the guys who have been there and done that and who have had success. … The leadership piece has kind of fallen on me, by default but as I’ve become the starter and gotten more experience, with that comes respect from teammates and other guys. It’s something I really enjoy doing.”

It’s not something Stallings really was expecting to do at this age, especially after the Pirates designated him for assignment in May 2019 and outrighted to Indianapolis. But Stallings dedicated himself to defense, studying the staff and opposing batters and took advantage when Francisco Cervelli was injured and Elias Diaz struggled.

“I probably would have told you I would be coaching at this point in my life if you had asked me a few years back,” Stallings said, “so it’s something that I really enjoy.”

Both Perez and Wolters see Stallings as a treasure trove of information and plan to pick his brain for thoughts on everything from the pitchers to the in-game mentality of the Pirates’ coaching staff. Perez has been watching video in preparation but knows the conversations with Stallings will be vital to his transition.

“I recognize that I’m jumping into something that everyone is running through,” Perez said. “I know it’s gonna be a lot of work, but I’m going to be diligent and connecting with our pitchers, getting more familiar with them and make sure to be impactful to them.”

Wolters has been searching the Pirates’ roster online, matching names with faces and adding key words to jot down notes on them about things like where they like a target. Wolters said he and Stallings even have a fishing date planned so that they can spend time talking about the pitching staff.

“From being around them so far, I think they’re all really good guys and defensive oriented guys — which excites me, because I’ll pick their brains on those types of things,” Stallings said. “Frankly, those conversations have already started, so it’ll be good.

“They’ve already asked me a lot of questions about pitchers, and I’m sure that will continue because those relationships are really important. With young guys, they definitely need more guidance on whether it’s navigating through a game or preparation for a game. It’s definitely something I need to do, not only for the catchers but for the pitchers in the organization so that we can get these pitchers improved and develop and help them reach their potential, for sure.”