Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
The Backstop: Tanner’s Choice Paying Off for Bulldogs
June 03, 2021 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Once a pro prospect as a pitcher, Tanner is now shining on the opposite side of the plate.
STARKVILLE – There's an air of confidence that surrounds Mississippi State's Logan Tanner. Put your eyes on the Bulldog catcher and it won't be long before you notice Tanner playing with a swagger, fueled by a belief he can and will get the job done.
It was that self-assurance that put Tanner at MSU in the first place. Before he joined the Bulldogs, Tanner seemed to be on his way to being a professional pitcher with MLB scouts frequently desiring the services of his high-powered right arm. And as Tanner gets set to play in his first-ever NCAA Regional this weekend in Starkville, it's incredible to think about how his life could've gone such a different direction if not for his total conviction that he could excel behind the plate.
"Pitching was more of a side deal for me in high school," Tanner said. "It was a bonus. I've always loved to catch and play every day."
Nowadays, Tanner speaks of his pitching days as though it were only a hobby. Back then though, his talent on the mound had both eyeballs and mitts popping.
Armed with a mid-90s fastball that could reach into the upper 90s, Tanner had all but paved his path into professional baseball. Brandon Davis – Tanner's high school coach at George County High in Lucedale, Mississippi – recalled scouts inquiring about Tanner during the 2019 MLB Draft.
"It was a circus," Davis remembered. "During draft day, I had probably three teams I remember distinctly calling me saying, 'Will you just ask him? Does he want to go to the mound? Because if he goes to the mound, we'll draft him today.' And this is like [early on in the draft]. It's not on day three."
But Tanner's heart remained set on being a backstop. And there was one place he wanted to do it above all others.
"I've always been a State fan since I was younger," Tanner said. "It's always been my dream school. When they offered, I couldn't turn it down."
And so he didn't. Tanner bet on himself and became a Bulldog so he could continue to grow as a catcher.
Despite being incredibly strong behind the plate defensively, there wasn't much professional interest in drafting Tanner as a catcher out of high school. There were concerns about just how much he'd hit. As for Tanner, he didn't share those worries.
"He just told me, 'Coach, I want to go prove that I can hit because (some professional teams) don't think I can,'" Davis said. "Now he's proven he can swing the bat."
Indeed Tanner has become an offensive force. Headed into the Starkville Regional, Tanner is hitting .287 with a team-high 11 home runs. Not to mention he's produced highlight after highlight defensively with strong receiving skills and an arm that can gun down even the swiftest of baserunners.
Tanner's efforts recently landed him on the Southeastern Conference's All-Newcomer team honoring freshmen that played their first season during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. It seems safe to say that when it came to his belief he could hit and play every day with success, Tanner was right.
"I've always caught and been known defensively, even in high school," Tanner said. "But definitely the hitting part has come a long way this year for sure."
MSU assistant coach Kyle Cheesebrough continues to be impressed with Tanner's growth. It's improvement that is obvious on the offensive side given the numbers, but Cheesebrough has loved seeing Tanner's development behind the plate.
"A lot of people don't realize he's one of the best receivers in the country," Cheesebrough said of Tanner. "The statistics and analytics piece can really back up how good LT has been behind the plate, which is exciting. The receiving and the throwing are two of his best qualities behind the plate. Another thing, especially going from his [true] freshman year into this year, is that he has been an unbelievable blocking catcher and being able to stick his nose in there and say, 'Hey, I have to be willing to take the grunt work a little bit more. I have to get my body in front of some of these balls.'"
Cheesebrough hasn't at all been caught off guard with how Tanner has progressed. In fact, the first time he ever laid eyes on Tanner not long after head coach Chris Lemonis and company joined MSU following the 2018 season, Cheesebrough knew Tanner was special as a catcher.
"I can remember the first time that I saw LT catching a bullpen," Cheesebrough recalled. "He was warming up a pitcher before the game started. I look over and see him catching and I'm like, 'Wow, this guy is really good.' So I immediately called (assistant coach Jake Gautreau) and was like, 'Jake, there's no way Logan Tanner is getting to campus. This guy is too good.' And I hadn't even seen him catch in a game yet…I knew we were going to have a real talent behind the plate."
Tanner continues to make Cheesebrough's words prophetic. He has settled in and is beginning to make a name for himself as one of Mississippi State's top all-around catchers ever.
Now as for his pitching talents, the Bulldogs did give that a look back in the fall of Tanner's freshman year, but again, Tanner's heart is anchored on the backside of the dish.
"I don't know that his passion is on the mound," Cheesebrough said of Tanner. "I think that's always his secondary thing. For him, catching and being a position player and being offensive is what he wants to do."
So that's precisely what Tanner does. And when asked if he ever thinks about what might've happened if he'd have pursued pitching, well, Tanner doesn't have to think about that long.
"Not much," Tanner said. "I have fun playing every single day. I like doing that more than throwing once a week."
Tanner's confidence and gamble on himself continues to pay off in real time. And his story has really only just begun.
"This is the reason why he showed up here," Cheesebrough said of Tanner. "You play on the biggest stage. You develop. And when you produce and your skill set keeps getting better, I truly believe in my heart he has the opportunity and the ability to be a first-rounder [in the MLB Draft] next year. I'm excited to see where he goes as his game continues to grow."
It was that self-assurance that put Tanner at MSU in the first place. Before he joined the Bulldogs, Tanner seemed to be on his way to being a professional pitcher with MLB scouts frequently desiring the services of his high-powered right arm. And as Tanner gets set to play in his first-ever NCAA Regional this weekend in Starkville, it's incredible to think about how his life could've gone such a different direction if not for his total conviction that he could excel behind the plate.
"Pitching was more of a side deal for me in high school," Tanner said. "It was a bonus. I've always loved to catch and play every day."
Nowadays, Tanner speaks of his pitching days as though it were only a hobby. Back then though, his talent on the mound had both eyeballs and mitts popping.
Armed with a mid-90s fastball that could reach into the upper 90s, Tanner had all but paved his path into professional baseball. Brandon Davis – Tanner's high school coach at George County High in Lucedale, Mississippi – recalled scouts inquiring about Tanner during the 2019 MLB Draft.
"It was a circus," Davis remembered. "During draft day, I had probably three teams I remember distinctly calling me saying, 'Will you just ask him? Does he want to go to the mound? Because if he goes to the mound, we'll draft him today.' And this is like [early on in the draft]. It's not on day three."
But Tanner's heart remained set on being a backstop. And there was one place he wanted to do it above all others.
"I've always been a State fan since I was younger," Tanner said. "It's always been my dream school. When they offered, I couldn't turn it down."
And so he didn't. Tanner bet on himself and became a Bulldog so he could continue to grow as a catcher.
Despite being incredibly strong behind the plate defensively, there wasn't much professional interest in drafting Tanner as a catcher out of high school. There were concerns about just how much he'd hit. As for Tanner, he didn't share those worries.
"He just told me, 'Coach, I want to go prove that I can hit because (some professional teams) don't think I can,'" Davis said. "Now he's proven he can swing the bat."
Indeed Tanner has become an offensive force. Headed into the Starkville Regional, Tanner is hitting .287 with a team-high 11 home runs. Not to mention he's produced highlight after highlight defensively with strong receiving skills and an arm that can gun down even the swiftest of baserunners.
Tanner's efforts recently landed him on the Southeastern Conference's All-Newcomer team honoring freshmen that played their first season during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. It seems safe to say that when it came to his belief he could hit and play every day with success, Tanner was right.
"I've always caught and been known defensively, even in high school," Tanner said. "But definitely the hitting part has come a long way this year for sure."
MSU assistant coach Kyle Cheesebrough continues to be impressed with Tanner's growth. It's improvement that is obvious on the offensive side given the numbers, but Cheesebrough has loved seeing Tanner's development behind the plate.
"A lot of people don't realize he's one of the best receivers in the country," Cheesebrough said of Tanner. "The statistics and analytics piece can really back up how good LT has been behind the plate, which is exciting. The receiving and the throwing are two of his best qualities behind the plate. Another thing, especially going from his [true] freshman year into this year, is that he has been an unbelievable blocking catcher and being able to stick his nose in there and say, 'Hey, I have to be willing to take the grunt work a little bit more. I have to get my body in front of some of these balls.'"
Cheesebrough hasn't at all been caught off guard with how Tanner has progressed. In fact, the first time he ever laid eyes on Tanner not long after head coach Chris Lemonis and company joined MSU following the 2018 season, Cheesebrough knew Tanner was special as a catcher.
"I can remember the first time that I saw LT catching a bullpen," Cheesebrough recalled. "He was warming up a pitcher before the game started. I look over and see him catching and I'm like, 'Wow, this guy is really good.' So I immediately called (assistant coach Jake Gautreau) and was like, 'Jake, there's no way Logan Tanner is getting to campus. This guy is too good.' And I hadn't even seen him catch in a game yet…I knew we were going to have a real talent behind the plate."
Tanner continues to make Cheesebrough's words prophetic. He has settled in and is beginning to make a name for himself as one of Mississippi State's top all-around catchers ever.
Now as for his pitching talents, the Bulldogs did give that a look back in the fall of Tanner's freshman year, but again, Tanner's heart is anchored on the backside of the dish.
"I don't know that his passion is on the mound," Cheesebrough said of Tanner. "I think that's always his secondary thing. For him, catching and being a position player and being offensive is what he wants to do."
So that's precisely what Tanner does. And when asked if he ever thinks about what might've happened if he'd have pursued pitching, well, Tanner doesn't have to think about that long.
"Not much," Tanner said. "I have fun playing every single day. I like doing that more than throwing once a week."
Tanner's confidence and gamble on himself continues to pay off in real time. And his story has really only just begun.
"This is the reason why he showed up here," Cheesebrough said of Tanner. "You play on the biggest stage. You develop. And when you produce and your skill set keeps getting better, I truly believe in my heart he has the opportunity and the ability to be a first-rounder [in the MLB Draft] next year. I'm excited to see where he goes as his game continues to grow."
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