Emerging San Francisco Giants Star Must Put Ball in Play More To Overcome Slow Start

This slumping San Francisco Giants star needs to start making more consistent contact.

Apr 4, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) hits a double during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park. | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

There are many players who are contributing to the hot start of the San Francisco Giants this season.

One of the players who has drawn a lot of positive reviews is catcher Patrick Bailey.

Regarded as arguably the best defensive catcher in the game, he has done a wonderful job working with the team’s pitching staff, helping navigate them through games with successful results.

His pitch-framing is elite, he can control the running game and calls a beautiful game behind the plate.

Defense isn’t always appreciated as much as it should be, but Bailey is such a difference-maker in that regard; he has received a ton of praise. His All-Star candidacy will be built on what he accomplishes defensively.

But his case will be strengthened once he can figure things out at the plate.

In the early going, it has been a struggle for him. He has a .178/.245/.311 slash line through 49 plate appearances. His strikeout rate is abnormally high at 34.7%, as he has gone down on strikes 17 times already.

That has never been a concern for him previously, this could just be a rough patch he is working through. There isn’t a lot of swing-and-miss to his game at the plate, but he cannot consistently make contact currently.

That regressing to the mean would help get his numbers back on track somewhat.

But, the most encouraging thing with his hitting profile in the early going is that when he does make contact, he is hitting the ball with authority.

As shared by Grant Brisbee of The Athletic (subscription required), Bailey has the most balls hit over 95 mph this season, which MLB defines as hard hit. He has already racked up 12, which is more than even Jung Hoo Lee, who is amid an incredible breakout.

That is even more impressive when taking into consideration the lack of balls he is putting into play. 41.7% of his plate appearances thus far have been a strikeout or walk.

If he can start making contact with more regularity while maintaining the hard-hit percentages, his numbers are going to skyrocket.

According to Baseball Reference, he currently has a hard-hit rate of 46.4%, which would be a career high. He is putting the ball in the air as well, with a 50.0% fly ball rate.

Should that ratio hold up, some serious damage is going to be done at the plate. That will raise his overall profile, as just league-average production with the bat will make him one of the most valuable catchers in the MLB.