Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brian Serven has taken Spring Training by storm, leading all of MLB in RBIs with 8 in only 5 at-bats. The newcomer has come up big with runners on base, as seen in Serven’s 3-run dinger off of Pirates pitcher Sean Sullivan. If Serven continues to stand out and contribute to Blue Jays victories throughout Spring Training, he could seal that C3 spot over other candidates like Payton Henry.
The Brian Serven Experience
Brian Serven officially signed with the Colorado Rockies on June 16, 2016 and was outrighted to Rookie Ball with the Grand Junction Rockies. In 133 ABs in Rookie Ball, Serven put up a poor .525 OPS. However, he made his way to A in 2017 with the Asheville Tourists, and that’s where he began to show his offensive capabilities, tallying a .765 OPS in 199 ABs. In High A, Serven’s OPS increased to .814. After a 5-year MiLB career, the then-27-year-old catcher finally got his call to the big leagues.
On May 18th, 2022, Brian Serven made his MLB debut against the San Francisco Giants. Serven went 0-2 in his debut. However, on May 21, in his second career game, Serven crushed two home runs against the New York Mets. The righty ended his year with 6 HRs and a .593 OPS through 62 contests. Serven was also 87th percentile in framing during the 2022 campaign.
The following year, Serven’s playing time completely decreased. He put up a .304 OPS in a limited 11 games. At the end of the 2023 season, Serven was placed on waivers by Colorado. The Chicago Cubs scooped him up on January 5, 2024, but DFA’d him only 6 days later. With the departure of Tyler Heineman, the Toronto Blue Jays were iffy in terms of catching depth. The Blue Jays claimed Serven off waivers from the Cubs on January 16 and invited him to Spring Training in the following weeks.
8 RBIs in 3 Games?!
That takes us to the present day, with Brian Serven being the newest Toronto Blue Jay to excel in Spring Training. On February 24, 2024, Serven burst onto the scene in Toronto’s Spring Training debut. With the bases loaded, the catcher crushed an 88 MPH cutter from Phillies pitcher Michael Mercado to left field for a 104 MPH bases-clearing double.
If anyone thought Serven’s first impactful hit was a fluke, they’d be mistaken. In Game 3 of Blue Jays ST, Serven worked a 3-2 count against pitcher Sean Sullivan. After seeing 5 straight fastballs, the 28-year-old punished the 6th, roping it a whopping 413 FT to centrefield. Serven wasn’t done, as he came up again in the 8th inning with 2 men on. The right-hander roped a slider from pitcher Kade McClure into left field for a 93 MPH double, scoring 2 runs. Brian Serven’s 5 RBIs carried the Blue Jays to their first victory of 2024.
The Potential for MLB Playing Time
As Spring Training continues trucking along, Brian Serven has a legitimate shot at seeing MLB action in 2024, especially if one of Danny Jansen or Alejandro Kirk suffer an injury. Serven’s 8 RBIs through only 3 games is a feat that is extremely unprecedented, especially for a career .562 OPS hitter. With Serven being a solid catcher defensively and breaking out offensively early on in Spring Training, his abilities demonstrated should be utilized at the MLB level in 2024.