When the Blue Jays welcomed pitchers and catchers to Spring Training in Dunedin, Fla., in February, there were many new faces among the crowd of arms after the organization took strides to remedy the pitching woes it faced during the 2019 season.

After acquainting themselves with some of the newest members of the pitching staff, catchers
Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire and pitching coach Pete Walker offered their early observations of the men behind the arms.

These are their takeaways, pitchers listed in alphabetical order:

On Chase Anderson, a rotation member currently day to day with an oblique strain:
Jansen: “He’s intelligent, knows what works for him, knows himself and he’s open to communicating. There’s an open willingness to work with each other and take each other’s input. And I like his changeup.”

McGuire: “He’s definitely an all-around pro, on and off the field, and a good leader in the clubhouse. His routine has obviously been developed over the years, being more of a veteran player -- he definitely knows what it takes to get himself ready for games and also takes care of his recovery as well.”

Walker: “He’s a hard worker, good work ethic with tremendous upside.”

On Anthony Bass, back-end bullpen arm:
McGuire: “He seems like a guy who’s hungry to be better and he’s excited for the season. He’s going to be one of our veteran guys coming out of the bullpen and he’s got great stuff. His pitches are definitely on the elite level and he’s one guy I really look forward to working with this year.”

Walker: “He’s a great addition. He’s Sam Gaviglio with power in a way. He has a sharp slider and sinker that work well in the late innings. He’ll pitch high-leverage situations for us and he’s a huge addition to the bullpen.”

On A.J. Cole, bullpen candidate:
Jansen: “A.J.’s ‘Cool Cole.’ He’s smooth. Nothing fazes him. He’s going to go out there and give you everything, he’s going to compete. He’s another guy who has a lot of different pitches, he’s been around, and he’s another guy I like to pick the brain of.”

Walker: “He’s a pleasant surprise. He’s got power to his game, he’s made a few adjustments, added a cutter. He’s got a funky arm action that hitters don’t pick up and he’s a guy who could contribute significantly this year.”

On Rafael Dolis, back-end bullpen arm:
Jansen: “Another power guy; another guy I’m excited to get behind the plate. He’s a nice dude, a gentle giant.”

Walker: “He’s unreal. The fact that we got him so reasonably inexpensively in today’s game with the success he had in Japan is amazing. He’s got power, he’s got a plus split-finger fastball that he learned in Japan and I’m hoping that plays over here.”

On Justin Miller, bullpen candidate:
Jansen: “Miller knows himself. He knows what he wants to do. He’s got a plan and he’s convicted. He’s a funny guy too.”

Walker: “He’s interesting. He throws strikes, he’s got a fastball that plays and an improved slider. He’d been through some injuries last year and he’s over those, so he’s another guy I feel good about.”

On Brian Moran, bullpen candidate:
Jansen: “Funky delivery, with the rise ball. His ball moves a ton.”

Walker: “Funky left-hander who’s intriguing and he’s tough for left-handed hitters to hit. If he can get righties out, he can help us out at the Major League level for sure.”

On Tanner Roark, rotation member:
Jansen: “The intensity really shows with him. He’s another guy with a lot of pitches, and his ability to go to all four quadrants with conviction is really going to help him.”

McGuire: “I like the way he pitches. He’s very quick with his work. He’s got great feel for all his pitches, and I like his splitter a lot, his split changeup. It seems like a pitch that he can get swing and misses on, as well as weak contact. And he moves the fastball around. Pitchers who don’t have the luxury of a 97, 98-mile-an-hour fastball, they really have to be more meticulous about their pitches and be more of an artist on the mound, and I definitely see that with Tanner and see his competitiveness.”

On Hyun-Jin Ryu, ace of the staff:
Jansen: “He’s a horse. He’s going to go out there, and if his stuff’s not working, he’s got pitches he can control right out of bed [in] his changeup and his curveball.”

McGuire: “He is obviously on a level of career and playing of his own. He takes care of business and he’s always doing something productive, and his work is meticulous and energizing.”

Walker: “He brings stability to the rotation, and watching him up close now and his changeup and the way he changes speeds, he’s a pitcher first. He knows how to control bats and makes adjustments as good as anybody I’ve seen.”

On Shun Yamaguchi, a candidate to start or end up in the bullpen:
Jansen: “He’s a funny guy. The thing with him is he’s come [from Japan] to play in the Majors for the first time and he’s got to adapt to different aspects of the game. He’s very open to learning, open to communicating, and another guy who’s going to take off. He’s got five or six different pitches, different variations of slider, curveball, so once we zone in on what’s going to be successful for him, he’s going to be great.”

McGuire: “He’s constantly trying to look for things to educate himself on and his pitches are really good. He’s got really good command, and once he dials that in, he’s going to realize that his stuff is just as good over here and he’s going to be able to get outs for sure at this level.”