Ex-Wolfpack Star Patrick Bailey Turns Stellar Season into Gold
RALEIGH — NC State's proud history of former players doing big things at the MLB level continued as Sunday's Gold Glove announcements came out. At the catcher spot, ex-Wolfpack backstop-turned San Francisco Giant Patrick Bailey walked away with a second-straight Gold Glove for his work behind the plate.
He passed franchise legend and current president of baseball operations Buster Posey, who won his lone Gold Glove for his efforts in the 2016 MLB season. Bailey and starting pitcher Logan Webb became the first batterymates to win the awards since 2013, when Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina walked away with the Gloves.
How Bailey Won the Award
Former NC State catcher Patrick Bailey walking away from the 2025 MLB season with some hardware.
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) November 3, 2025
The San Francisco Giant wins a Gold Glove for his efforts behind the dish. @WolfpackOnSI pic.twitter.com/1ENK4UW3AE
Bailey, 26, became the first catcher in franchise history to win back-to-back Gold Gloves and the first in the MLB since Yadier Molina won eight straight from 2008 to 2015. While the catcher struggled as a hitter throughout the season, his elite defense made him invaluable to the Giants.
He finished the season leading all catchers with a +19 in defensive runs saved. He continued to prove himself as one of the sport's elite pitch framers, a skill that might be losing some of its importance with the introduction of the ABS challenge system during the 2026 season. Bailey also finished first with a +31 total in fielding run value, nine points higher than the next player.
Pure defensive dominance at the catcher position 🏆 pic.twitter.com/T3f2nXksoo
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) November 3, 2025
Since being drafted out of NC State in 2020, Bailey rose quickly through the Giants organization in large part due to his defensive prowess and ability. The catcher also won the 2025 Fielding Bible player of the year honors, in addition to the group's catcher of the year.
Bailey with the Pack
Bailey's impact on Wolfpack baseball exists even today. The catcher sent the team his trademark 'Jesus Won' shirts after wearing one during his heroic walk-off inside-the-park home run against the Phillies during the summer.
While with the Wolfpack, the catcher dominated the collegiate ranks and the ACC. He played three seasons in Raleigh, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 2018. In 131 games under coach Elliott Avent, Bailey hit 29 home runs, 106 RBIs and finished with a batting average of .302. In his sophomore season, the catcher had just five errors, already showing how capable a defender he would be at the next level.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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