Patrick Bailey Discusses Draft Preparations, Pro Prospects
Patrick Bailey was projected to be a first-round Major League Baseball draft pick when the 2020 college season began.
Despite the season being cut short after 17 games because of the coronavirus pandemic, the junior catcher did nothing to hurt his stock. He hit .296 with a team-leading six home runs -- two of them grand slams -- and 20 RBI while continuing to play his strong defensive game.
He is projected to go somewhere between 10th and 20th overall in the draft, which is scheduled to be held on June 10-11.
Wednesday, Bailey held a Zoom conference with members of the local media to discuss the shortened season and his draft prospects. Here is some of what he had to say:
"I’ve been fortunate. I’ve been staying in Raleigh and I’ve got a place to work out and hit. I’ve been able to stay in shape and keep swinging it a little bit. Outside of that, I’ve been playing a lot more golf and hanging out with my fiancee a lot.
How are you handling all the uncertainty since your season was cut short?
"It’s definitely weird, but it’s something since knowing that the draft is going to happen that hasn’t been too prevalent. I’ve just kind of been thinking about the draft more than anything. After the draft, and hopefully I can get picked up by somebody, I’ll get dialed in for what’s the next step for draft guys and the pro guys and all of that."
Have you been able to take live batting practice or off a tee?
"A little bit of both. I’ve been hitting with Kyle Wilson, who’s the Triple-A hitting coach for the (Durham) Bulls now. He played at State, so that’s been a lot of fun and really good for me to do. There’s some local guys around that have had some live (at bats) that I’ve stepped in and hit a little bit."
What have the Major League scores talked to you about in your conversations with them?
"Typically the strength for me is the defensive side of the game with commanding a pitching staff and calling a game and being silent back there. Hitting, they see a switch hitter that has a little bit of pop from both sides.
"The thing that I’ve been working on and teams have wanted to see me progress through is just the hitting ability. That’s something that even though it sucks that the season is over, that’s something that I’ve been able to work really hard on these past few months without playing games. Just working on my swing and trying to get it dialed in."
Will the current uncertainty dampen any of the excitement over hearing your name called in the draft?
"I don’t think it will be any less magical. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid playing tee-ball. It’s kind of the starting flag to my dream of playing in the major leagues. I think it will be a pretty special moment still."
When did you first start to realize you had the ability to play baseball professionally?
"It was probably after my sophomore year of high school. That was my first year at Wesleyan (Christian Academy in Greensboro) and I had a pretty good year. That summer I started getting recruited by local schools. That’s kind of when I figured that I had some talent and I could continue to play this game for awhile."
What if anything have you been able to work on during the time since the season ended?
"There’s been some mechanics stuff, especially with my left-handed swing. I felt like my hands kind of got tied back towards my shoulder and I kind of had to cast out to start my swing and pull off with the front shoulder. I’m just trying to clear space for my hands to work and just trying to get more direction. I’m trying to get the barrel in the plane and keep it in the plane as long as possible through the zone. That’s something we’ve been focused on right now."
What kind of adjustments do you think you have to make once you start playing pro ball?
"I think at certain levels you have to make adjustments to the style of play and the level of play. Obviously coming in from a really good high school and really good travel program, it helped me through that. There were still some adjustments that I had to make early on in school. I think I’ll definitely have to make adjustments at the next level, but that’s something I proved I was able to do at NC State. I don’t think things will really be that much different at the next level."
How many teams have contacted you?
"There’s been around 10 or 11 teams that have reached out and do what we’re doing right now. It’s been cool to get to know those organizations, but there’s not really any team in particular."
How difficult was it to have your season cut short and have you had any contact with your State teammates since you dispersed?
"That was definitely probably the hardest part with everything going on and everything being canceled. It never really sunk in with me until everybody started going home. That’s when I was like ‘dang, this is over. I might not ever play with these guys again.’ It was one heck of a ride. I really enjoyed the relationships that we built. Obviously we’ll stay in touch and keep building those relationships, but that was the toughest part when everybody started leaving."
What are you looking forward to most in pro ball and what are you going to miss most about the college experience?
"I think what I’m looking forward to the most is just continuing to be around baseball guys. You learn from everybody, and that’s one thing I’ve enjoyed about NC State. Just the amount of knowledge and information that I’ve learned there.
"I think I’ll continue to develop and learn new things through pro ball and being around different people. Just building more relationships with different guys. That’s the thing I’ll miss the most about NC State. The atmosphere the fans brought and just the relationships you’re able to build with your peers."