As Danny Jansen strapped on his gear and adjusted his glasses, John Schneider grabbed a bat and a helmet. Off they strolled to the batting cage behind the Dunedin Blue Jays’ clubhouse.



It was tutorial time for Jansen, the top-rated catcher in the Jays’ system. Schneider was Jansen’s manager at Dunedin; Jansen’s newfound traction at the plate would take him on a trip that spawned success at three levels in 2017.



On this day, however, Schneider’s lesson plan focused on the nuances of “reading” hitters, an important component of a catcher’s repertoire.



Schneider, 37, hasn’t done much with the bat since he retired as a minor-league catcher in spring training of 2008. One might argue that he didn’t do much with the bat during his six years as a player in the Toronto system either. He batted .206 (but did post a .340 on-base percentage).



But as a coach and manager, Schneider has displayed “a...