Patrick Bailey Strengthens an Area Where the Guardians Struggled to Start 2026

The Cleveland Guardians struggled to get in a groove with ABS early in the year, but Patrick Bailey has helped bolster that area.

Jul 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey (16) celebrates his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Cleveland Guardians began the 2026 MLB season, they were one of baseball's worst teams at ABS challenges.

And while those at the plate haven't gotten much better at using the system effectively, even with time, those behind the dish certainly have.

When the front office made a move to land two-time Golden Glove Award-winning catcher Patrick Bailey, they put the organization on notice that they highly value defensive-first catchers. Not only that, but someone who can command the backstop, too.

Fortunately, he has done that and more.

Jul 23, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey (16) checks on umpire Charlie Ramos (50) after Ramos was hit by a pitch during the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bailey has become a fixture behind the plate while splitting time with veteran Austin Hedges. Entering the week following the trade deadline, Baseball Savant's advanced metrics graded him in at least the 80th percentile in caught stealing above average, framing and pop time. His 1.86-second pop time ranks in the 97th percentile, once again placing him among baseball's elite defensive catchers.

While being able to throw out batters and frame pitches is important, so is being able to use the ABS effectively.

This season, Bailey ranks as the ninth-best catcher in the game at utilizing such efforts. He currently holds a 56% success rate, which is good enough for a clip of 51 correct challenges on 91 total attempts.

Ahead of Bailey are Logan O'Hoppe, Shea Langeliers, Nick Rotes, Austin Wells, Dillon Dingler and Hunter Goodman; however, none of them have as many attempts as Bailey does. The only two catchers with more attempts and a higher success rate are Tyler Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins' Victor Caratini.

Being able to balance wanting to challenge a bunch of pitches with being selective is tough, especially for younger catchers. Bo Naylor, who played in the big leagues for the Guardians at the start of the season, is the perfect example.

Across 13 challenges, Naylor went 5-for-13, posting a measly 38% correct rate.

While, with a bit more time, he probably could have gotten that number up to something more stomachable, using the ABS correctly can be game-changing. Teams can't just trot out onto the diamond and waste opportunities like that.

Getting an efficient performance from Bailey behind home plate doesn't immediately solve all the issues the Guardians have, though. Every player, both behind the plate and at the plate, still has to get better at judging pitches, especially borderline calls.

When the postseason rolls around, it may end up being the difference-maker for a team attempting to spark momentum or shut it down.

For a Guardians team that has left the trade deadline better than when they entered it, capitalizing on the little things like ABS will be exactly what gives this team that extra edge over the rest in a highly competitive American League Central.