SF Giants call up former first-round pick, place Joey Bart on IL
San Francisco Giants catchers have been getting banged up all season. As a result of the latest injury - Joey Bart's groin strain - the team's top pick from the 2020 draft is coming to the big leagues.
The Giants took Patrick Bailey out of North Carolina State with the 13th pick in the 2020 draft. Known for his glove and patience at the plate, Bailey won a Minor League Gold Glove as the best defensive catcher in the minors with the High-A Eugene Emeralds last year. He hit just .225, but he was 8th in the Northwest League in walks.
This year, Bailey has rocketed through the Giants system. He started the season with the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels, where he slashed 333/.400/.482 in 14 games, with ten walks and two home runs. The Giants promoted Bailey to the Sacramento River Cats on April 26, where he hit .216, but continued to draw walks, and hit two home runs.
Now he's made it to the big leagues, though perhaps not to stay - he's only had 120 plate appearances above single-A ball so far. His defense is likely already major league caliber behind the plate, however. Or at least his arm is.
He threw out 48% of attempted base stealers in San Jose in 2021, after throwing out four base stealers in one game for the Eugene Emeralds earlier in the year.
Bailey is the second Gold Glove-winning 2020 draftee to join the Giants in two weeks. Second-round pick Casey Schmitt came up May 9th, and in nine games, he has an OPS+ of 199 while also flashing the leather at third base.
While Bailey also has a strong arm, we're not sure he casually throws 94 MPH from behind the plate like Schmitt.
It's a sign that Farhan Zaidi and the Giants aren't letting issues of service time or a lack of minor league at-bats stop them from calling up their favorite prospects. Schmitt only had 161 plate appearances at Sacramento, and only 127 in AA. It's also a sign that they are prioritizing defense, and perhaps don't yet trust Blake Sabol's glove, despite his .330 average.
Who's next from the Class of 2020 to reach the majors? It might be No. 85 pick Kyle Harrison, who has 47 strikeouts in 26.2 innings with the River Cats. Of course, he's also walked 27 hitters. Susan Slusser reported the Giants were limiting Harrison's workload - he's thrown four innings in his last four starts - in order to save him for a possible callup.
Zaidi said, "We would rather they have their innings later in the year rather than early."
Regardless of how Bailey hits, Zaidi likes his all-around game and his maturity.
"Focusing on every aspect of the game, defense, offense, baserunning, I love seeing that.," he told Slusser. "I think that’s kind of a microcosm of his maturity as a player."
What might make Bart worry is that Bailey is one of Zaidi's first picks with the Giants. Bart is from the previous regime. With a slash line of .231/.286/.295 this year, Bart isn't exactly setting the bar high for Bailey's offense. Plus, Bailey is a switch-hitter, which is catnip for the matchup-loving Giants.
Welcome to the big leagues, Patrick Bailey! Try not to get hurt.
