Despite Daniel Susac's inspired play, Patrick Bailey is still 'the man' in San Fran

To say the San Francisco Giants have a luxury at the catcher's position would be an understatement. As the team president of baseball operations, Giants great Buster Posey, works to recreate the magic of his own playing days in the Golden Gate City, he knows everything behind the dish is in good hands with starter Patrick Bailey and reliable backup, Daniel Susac.

When you compare and contrast the two players, they compliment each other well. Both have their role and they've worked alongside each other to find success at the plate while being a steady hand as the backstop for a developing pitching staff. Bailey is an elite defender, having won two Gold Gloves, while Susac has shown he's got a little bit of extra pop in his bat. The combination gives San Francisco skipper Tony Vitello a lot to work with when it comes to making out his lineup card.

However, early on in the season, Bailey was struggling at the plate while Susac was soaring. It let some Giants fans to think a coup was in place and that the backup would soon move into the starting role - a discussion that drew hot debate from both sides.

While some argued it was time to make the change based on the early numbers, most fans felt like staying the course with Bailey was the right call at the plate. There were even some calls for Bailey to be traded, to clear the way for Susac to take over.

Bailey has proven himself

Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Daniel Susac (6) rounds third base on his way to score during the fifth inning of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Susac's play has definitely been admirable, and there's no denying that he was hitting over .500 at a time when Bailey was struggling to reach the Mendoza level. That opened the door for a discussion involving the value of the starter's defense vs. the backup's bat. Susac's spark as the squad was struggling sitirred a debate that pitted the glove that built the staff vs. the bat that might save the lineup.

Despite all the chatter, Patrick Bailey is still the man. He's starting to make good contact with the ball again. That was evidenced by his three-run shot to power the Giants past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-0, on Thursday. He's still just managed to hit .155 with one home run, four RBI, and a .429 OPS in 63 plate appearances. Nonetheless, Bailey continues to be the stalwart for the staff and the unquestioned starter, despite how the year began.

The San Francisco Giants took down the Dodgers again, getting Tyler Mahle’s best start yet with his new team while Patrick Bailey delivered another clutch home run in a 3-0 victory. https://t.co/CneB71w5gj
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) April 23, 2026

In the meantime, Susac is still having a great year on offense. He's batting .478 in 23 at-bats this season, but that's still not enough to have outplayed all the cards that Bailey's holding in his hands. And while the 24-year-old has shown improvement with the mitt, he isn't anywhere close to the Gold Glove-caliber competitor that Bailey is.

For now, the Giants should just count the two blessings they have at catcher. Susac and Bailey lock down the most important position on the field - albeit in two totally different ways. For a team looking trying to put together an blueprint for resurgence, they form a great building block a backstop.

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