Mets' James McCann excited to work with Steven Matz: 'I look for him to take a step forward'

When James McCann inked his four-year deal with the Mets in mid-December, it was expected that it would take some time for New York’s new backstop to get to know his battery mates.

But when it comes to a couple of Mets pitchers, McCann already has a leg up.

Speaking with Steve Gelbs on Wednesday night’s edition of Mets Hot Stove, McCann explained how he’s already worked with Steven Matz and Brad Brach in previous years, and he knows that relationship will be a huge help as he breaks in with his new staff.

“Steven Matz and Brad Brach, we actually train together in the offseason. We all live in the Nashville area, so I’ve been talking to them for years,” McCann said. “As teammates now, they’ve started to give me the rundown on just about everybody, and like I’ve said, I’ve been catching their bullpens so I kind of know them already.

“But I have reached out to a lot of the guys, mostly through text before the holidays. Now that we’re into the new year, I’ll be getting with guys more on the phone and just kind of talking to them and seeing where they’re at in their offseason training, seeing where they’re at heading into spring training and what they might be working on. Just little things like that, and that way, we kind of get those little introductory things out of the way so when we get down to Florida for spring training we can be off and running.”

With Matz in particular, McCann believes the lefty has the ability to reach his true potential. The 29-year-old is coming off a season he’d like to forget, as he went 0-5 with a 9.58 ERA and 1.696 WHIP in six starts (nine total appearances) in 2020.

But even before McCann began working with Matz during their Nashville offseasons, he could see glimpses of something special.

“Dating back to when he was a rookie, I remember sitting at home and watching him pitch in the World Series,” McCann said. “You just look at the potential that’s always been there and just talking to him and getting to know him as offseason training buddies, there’s so much room for growth for him on just the mental side of the game and preparing for a lineup and things that I feel like I’m going to be able to help him with, as far as doing his scouting report and knowing how his particular stuff plays against another lineup.

“And that’s something that sometimes it takes a pitcher a long time to understand. It’s also sometimes something that a pitcher may never get to. I’ve caught plenty of pitchers that don’t want to know anything about the opposing lineup and they have complete trust in the catcher and what the catcher puts down.

“So that’s something that I look forward to working with Steven on, just understanding his stuff, how his stuff plays against other hitters. But like I said, he’s still young and he’s had how many years of big-league experience, I look for him to take a step forward and I’m really excited to be able to work with him.

McCann looks to be a key piece of the Mets’ success moving into 2021 and beyond. The 30-year-old McCann spoke during his introductory press conference with the team about how he always prides himself first on his defensive abilities, but the 2019 All-Star selection hasn’t been a slouch at the plate either, as he slashed .289/.360/.536 with seven homers and 15 RBI in 31 games last season.

You can check out McCann's full interview with Gelbs in the video above.