Only seven players in the Big West conference currently have a home run total in the double digits. Last season, 11 hitters achieved the milestone. In each of the last two seasons, a Cal Poly catcher has been represented on the exclusive list, both reaching the mark as first-year Mustangs after transferring to Cal Poly in the offseason.
After Jack Collins powered up for 13 homers in his one year at Cal Poly last season, Ryan Tayman is adding to the strong lineage of Mustang catchers with his season thus far.
In the last three seasons, Cal Poly has had a different catcher each year, each with a different backstory and productive stints as a Mustang. Before Tayman and Collins transferred over in their respective years, Ryan Stafford held it down as Cal Poly’s backstop.
Stafford was a career .334 hitter in three seasons at Cal Poly, catching the eye of the Baltimore Orioles, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. The lineage, however, goes far beyond the Orioles farmhand.
The Mustangs have had an All-Big West first- or second-team catcher 10 of the last 13 years, creating a standard behind the plate that continues to get passed on throughout Head Coach Larry Lee’s historic stretch as head coach.
Lee’s career at Cal Poly began in 2002, and he’s worked with a myriad of catchers throughout his time with the Mustangs, recruiting the bulk of them. When evaluating a catcher prospect, high school or college, one trait is non-negotiable to Lee.
“He has to be able to receive. He’s got to be able to catch the ball,” Lee said.
It sounds elementary that a catcher needs to be able to catch the baseball. But emphasizing receiving and throwing at the position has shaped how Lee builds his team.
“I always thought we had an advantage when it came to the catching position … it’s the most important defensive position on the field and a high-end catcher does so much for you,” Lee said. “If you have a catcher that is not a good defender, it’s very visible.”
For Lee, offensive production is simply a bonus from the catching position, not a top priority. Despite his defensive emphasis, Cal Poly has seen strong offensive seasons from their catchers over the years, with Tayman being the latest example.
In the last two seasons, that offensive output has been found through the transfer portal, helping catchers looking for a change of scenery to unlock their potential. Collins spent one year at Long Beach State after completing two seasons at Saddleback College. In his lone year as a Dirtbag, Collins hit .143 in 21 at-bats.
Unbothered by the on-field results, Cal Poly gave Collins a shot, and it paid off. He started all 62 games at catcher last season and led the team in extra-base-hits, earning him an undrafted free-agent contract with the Texas Rangers at year’s end.
Needing to replace Collins’ value, Lee and the staff again turned to the transfer portal in the offseason. Tayman, a Grover Beach, Calif. native, came up in conversations right away.
Lee admitted they didn’t recruit Tayman aggressively enough out of high school, and so this offseason, they didn’t want to miss out on him a second time. Cal Poly Pitching Coach Seth Moir had recruited Tayman while serving as an assistant at San Jose State, and despite Tayman’s commitment to Cal, that prior relationship gave the Mustangs a chance to reconnect years later.
Similar to Collins, Tayman was underutilized at Cal, serving primarily as a backup catcher and designated hitter in his two seasons as a Golden Bear. Looking for a destination where he could catch every game, Cal Poly was the perfect fit.
“Coming home actually wasn’t like the biggest part of it,” Tayman said. “It was just more the coaches understood my situation. [Cal Poly] gave me the best opportunity to catch every day and to develop, and [Lee is] one of the best coaches in the nation.”
When Tayman arrived on campus for Fall camp, he was not nearly as polished as he is today. Tayman worked closely with catching coach Logan Denholm, improving behind the plate daily. Meanwhile, progress with the bat was following a similar trajectory.
“There was a point about a third of the way through our fall practices that everything clicked … you could see his talent coming out,” Lee said. “Offensively, he went to a different level also. So it doesn’t always happen like that, but for Ryan, it did.”
If Tayman’s play didn’t already say enough, the intangibles sealed his starting catcher role for good.
“His work ethic is as good as anyone that I’ve had,” Lee said. “He’s open-minded, he’s smart, he has a great baseball IQ, he communicates, he’s tough, and he works really well with pitchers. He’s the total package.”
Being a well-rounded player at a premium position bodes well for playing beyond college, and Tayman has firmly placed himself on that radar.
“Ryan’s made himself into a pro prospect,” Lee said. “He profiles as a professional.”
A big part of what makes Tayman so valuable doesn’t come from his glove or bat. A strong relationship with the pitching staff doesn’t show up in the box score, yet remains a critical part of a catcher’s makeup.
Tayman is able to relay information he gathers from the game to the coaching staff at a high level, creating a layer of trust for everyone involved. For Tayman, this trust is paramount.
“The pitcher needs to be able to trust that he can throw any pitch at any moment in the game,” Tayman said.
When the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand, it’s up to Tayman to handle the rest. Details like pitch framing, blocking, and controlling the running game all fall on Tayman and can make a massive difference in a ballgame. Controlling the baseball and limiting “90’s” are the most important parts of catching, according to Tayman.
Defense may come first, but a catcher still has to hit. Tayman showed flashes with the bat at Cal, but never reached his true capacity. Under the microscope of Cal Poly coaching, Tayman made mechanical adjustments at the plate that are paying dividends. But the bigger shift was one between the ears.
“I think I used to be a little bit more mentally rattled if things didn’t go my way. But now it’s more, you know, I have a leash. They trust me,” Tayman said.
Regardless of how things go at the plate on a given day, Tayman knows he’s putting on the catcher’s gear the next game, a feeling of comfort that manifests itself in the box.
Being mentally tough is something that the program preaches, resulting in a resilient culture that Tayman has felt since his arrival.
“[The] first time I got here, [I] could tell the culture is special,” Tayman said. “Coaches are awesome. I’ve loved every second.”
Hitting well over .300 while leading the team in extra-base-hits, OPS, slugging percentage, RBI, and total bases, it’s safe to say Tayman’s season has been a success. It may come as a surprise to a spectator, but these success stories are expected for Cal Poly Baseball.
“That’s just what we do. We develop, and always have,” Lee said.
Behind the plate at Baggett Stadium, the names change. The results don’t.