At various points in the past three weeks, Jonathan Lucroy has had a Midas touch with Texas Rangers.
At least that's been the hype surrounding the All-Star catcher since he was acquired just ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline.
Lucroy has been a defensive whiz, framing pitches for strikes that previously were balls and cutting down on opponents' running games.
He has slugged home runs, often in big spots, providing offense from a position that had slumped.
The pitchers, including Yu Darvish, have said they have more confidence throwing pitches called by Lucroy, and he has made them all better.
Not only is Lucroy the best Rangers catcher since Ivan Rodriguez, but he also pulled to the side of a road last week and helped a stray dog deliver a litter of puppies _ in the midst of a driving rainstorm, no less. OK, so that's not true, but the hyperbole fits.
Lucroy has been portrayed as a player who has done it all and done it at an elite level since the Milwaukee Brewers dealt him and Jeremy Jeffress for a package of three highly regarded prospects.
Lucroy's value isn't being oversold, either.
"I think he has had an impact, yes," manager Jeff Banister said. "He's had an impact on both sides. You're not underselling. You're not overselling. I think you're stating the truth. Our guys have thrown well to him, and you see the confidence in how they pitch."
Expect Lucroy to be behind the plate for the Rangers' next four games after he sat Sunday and the team enjoyed an off day Monday ahead of a two-game series at Cincinnati that begins Tuesday.
Tireless and selfless, the 30-year-old has refused the credit when things have gone well for the Rangers in games he has caught. The Rangers were doing really well before they acquired him, he quickly reminds, and he is just trying to do his part.
Yet, the Rangers are 9-5 with a 3.28 ERA in the games he has started. He has gunned down four of only eight base-stealers, including two Saturday night at Tampa Bay. At the plate, he has seven home runs, 14 RBIs and a .717 slugging percentage in 53 at-bats.
Like the good ones do, Lucroy separates his defense from his offense. When the gear is on, whatever he has done at the plate is distant memory. When he's got a bat in his hand, his defense is the last thing on his mind.
But the great ones prepare at another level than the rest, and the Rangers believe Lucroy is in that group.
They see his work when they don't see him at all, as he's sitting at a computer watching video of opposing hitters and searching for a way to get each one out.
"It's not fun," said Lucroy, an All-Star this season and in 2014. "It's not fun at all."
They see his work at pitchers meetings and when he meets with the starting pitcher before each game, as he speaks confidently and preaches conviction.
"I want my teammates to trust me behind the plate," Lucroy said. "I don't want them to be on the mound questioning the calls I make. I want them to be convicted and throw. Conviction is a huge thing in pitching."
But it's a two-way street, and at this point it has to be. On a new team, with almost an entirely new pitching staff and in a new league, Lucroy wants to learn from his new teammates' experiences and learn from them.
He said no one has put up a stop sign when he has tried to pick their brains, and that pitching coach Doug Brocail and bullpen coach Brad Holman have been "unbelievable" in helping him make the transition from the National League.
The Rangers' top two starters have sung the praises of Lucroy's preparedness, and that's saying something.
"He's probably one of the best I've ever seen," left-hander Cole Hamels said.
Hamels is a big believer in the pitcher-catcher relationship, from his days in Philadelphia when he was paired with Carlos Ruiz for almost every start. They could almost read each other's mind, Hamels said, and that will take time with Lucroy.
But they're getting there.
"You have to be in certain situations, and most of the time it's not good situations," said Hamels, who has a 2.63 ERA in the four starts caught by Lucroy.
"I think we've had some good games so far, so we're taking into consideration both our knowledge and experience and we're able to utilize it in a good way. His knowledge I'm going to trust, and I know he's going to trust mine in certain situations."
Darvish has been particularly choosy when it comes to who has caught him. He has no choice now, and in only three starts has seen the difference that Lucroy makes framing pitches.
But there is also as a high level of trust in Lucroy's pitch calling that Darvish usually holds in reserve.
"I've seen him in the clubhouse early, always studying, so it gives me trust about the pitch calls," said Darvish, who has a 2.33 ERA in four starts working with Lucroy. "He frames the ball well, so borderline pitches are called strikes. For me, that's a big thing."
Lucroy said that a heightened level of work ethic arose in 2012, when he started the year raking only to be injured. When he returned, he discovered that he wasn't as smart as he thought he was.
He had taken the game and his success for granted, and it wouldn't happen again.
He made it a point to become as unselfish as he could. If that meant watching videos until his eyes crossed or starting a day game after a grueling night game, so be it.
"In my personal experience, playing unselfishly makes you more successful," Lucroy said. "Part of being unselfish is putting the time in. If you're not doing it, someone else is."
While the hours alone at a computer might stink, the end result is worth it. And for each time a teammate or coach praises him, his motor revs a little more.
"If anything, it makes me work harder," Lucroy said. "I want to keep that trust."
