April 26, 2026
Catcher Willie Maclver made his organizational debut today, going 1-for-3 as a DH in game two of Triple-A Buffalo’s double-header vs. Columbus.
“I like it so far,” said Maclver. “Today was beautiful, everyone was like it’s cold, but I thought it was nice. The guys in the locker room have been great to me, the coaching staff has made it relatively easy. Coming on a double-header, on a Sunday isn’t always easy for guys but they have made me feel at home. I’m excited to be here.”
Acquired via a trade with the Texas Rangers on Friday in exchange for cash, Maclver talks about what was on his mind when he heard about the news.
“Learning a new pitching staff was the first thing on my mind,” explained Maclver. “I need to get to know these guys pretty quickly to help them succeed. Initially, I have to do everything I can on my own to make sure I’m prepared to catch all of the pitchers. The other thing was being traded to the Blue Jays’ which was exciting. They’re a great organization, and they have a good history of winning. Obviously, Toronto is a great place, as is Buffalo. I’m excited to be here.”
Maclver started to work with the pitchers during game one of the double-header by catching the bullpens.
“From catching the bullpens in game one to talking to some of the starters on the bench, it seems like there’s a really good group here,” Maclver said of the pitchers. “I look forward to getting out there and battling with them.”
Getting his first hit in the organization, as a DH during game two of the double-header was memorable for Maclver.
“The hitting guys did a good job of giving me a general scouting report on the pitcher,” stated Maclver. “They gave me a good idea of what to look for during the at-bat. At the end of the day, if I’m executing my approach, I’ll be fine. I’ve been doing it long enough to know when I’m good and when I’m bad. I think it’s good for me to go up there with an external focus and finding a good pitch to hit.”
Maclver takes pride in his defense and game calling ability.
“My number one pride is my defense and being someone you can trust behind the plate,” said Maclver. “I’m someone who generally cares about the pitching staff and putting up zeros. I love zeros and I love shutouts.”
“There’s a lot that goes into calling a good game,” Maclver added. “It’s knowing the other hitters, knowing your pitchers. It’s mixing those things together, what are my guys strengths, what are their guys weaknesses; it’s seeing if those two things click, so we can make things work.The scouting reports I seen today were very thorough and I like that because I’m very thorough, too. A big part of calling a game is having a feel for the game, a feel for the hitter; all of that takes time. Developing that as a catcher is probably one of the biggest things, just figuring out how to read hitters and feel what the pitcher is feeling.”
The signing of Maclver gives the organization more catching depth, as he has major league service time.
Playing 32 games with the Athletics’ in 2025, Maclver reflects on his MLB debut.
“It was the best day of my life,” explained Maclver. “Just the combination of all of the hard work and sacrifice that people around me have made – that was great. To be able to debut in Sacramento which is close to where I’m from was awesome.”
Maclver expects to start catching games for Buffalo later this week.
“I assume I’ll be back there a few games this week,” stated Maclver. “Hopefully I can ramp it up a little more in the upcoming weeks. I’ll catch however many games they want me to catch. I love catching.”
Welcome to the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization, Willie Maclver!