Here’s what happened in his first bespectacled season, in 2017: He began the year in A-ball, and after a couple of quick promotions, he ended it in AAA with a final slash line of .323/.400/.484 across all levels. Jansen had 10 home runs in 104 games. Those numbers are solid on their own, but compared to his previous season, they’re plain ridiculous.

This year, Jansen is batting .275/.390/.473 through 88 games, with 12 home runs. Both his OBP and slugging percentage ranked in the league’s top 10 through the end of July — his OBP ranked fourth overall. “I take full credit for his improved eyesight, and the fact he’s hit .330 since then,” Rowley says, with a smile. The pitcher admits, though, he didn’t anticipate quite this level of improvement from his friend. “I mean, I always knew he was a great player, but to say you expect somebody to hit .320 over two years is a little bit unreasonable.”

It’s also unreasonable to assume it’s entirely the glasses that deserve credit for this offensive improvement. Jansen has a different approach at the plate, too. He stopped imitating big-league swings, for one. “I did change other things, like my mentality,” he says.

But he knows a good story when he lives one, too. “The glasses thing is crazy, and I do owe a lot of why I’m here to the glasses,” he says. “I get why people want to talk about it.” There’s a pause, and then Jansen laughs. “I mean, being able to see clearly is kind of huge.”