Patrick Bailey

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Patrick Bailey

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Biographical Information[edit]

Switch-hitting catcher Patrick Bailey was drafted 13th overall in the 2020 amateur draft, by the San Francisco Giants. He was the first catcher to be selected, and like the vast majority of first-round picks that year, was coming out of a college program, in his case North Carolina State University. It was his second time being drafted, having been taken in the 317th round of the 2017 amateur draft coming out of high school, where he had been a member of the USA junior national team in 2016. In college, he had batted .288 or more in each of his three seasons (with 2020 being cut down to less than 20 games by the COVID-19 pandemic) with a total of 29 homers.

His first professional season came when the minor leagues re-started in 2021, with the Eugene Emeralds of the High-A West. He also played briefly for the ACL Giants Black that year, as well as with the San Jose Giants of the Low-A West. He hit just .185 at the highest level, but did much better with the other two teams, finishing at .265/.366/.429 in 82 games, with 61 runs, 25 doubles and 9 homers. In 2022, he spent a full season with Eugene, now in the Northwest League, and hit .225/342/.420 in 83 games. He hit 14 doubles and 12 homers and drove in 51 runs. He was named a league All-Star following the season, received a Gold Glove for his fielding prowess, and was also named a Giants organizational All-Star.

He started the 2023 season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels in the AA Eastern League. After hitting .333 in 14 games, he was promoted to the Sacramento River Cats of the AAA Pacific Coast League. In another 14 games there, he hit .216 before getting the call to the Show for the first time. He made his debut on May 19th as a late-game defensive replacement against the Miami Marlins, then got his first start, plate appearance and base hit all in the same game the next day as he went 1 for 3 in a 1-0 loss to the Marlins. His first hit was a single off Tanner Scott while batting right-handed in the 8th inning. He soon claimed the Giants' starting job behind the dish and his arrival coincided with a major improvement in the team's performance as it became relevant in the postseason race, in a move reminiscent of the radical improvement shown by the Baltimore Orioles after the arrival of top prospect Adley Rutschman the year before.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Maria Guardado: "Bailey makes 1st start count with 1st big league hit: Webb K's 7 while dealing with low back tightness, exits after 6 innings", mlb.com, May 20, 2023. [1]
  • Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru: "The rookie catcher quietly fueling Giants' playoff push", mlb.com, August 17, 2023. [2]

Related Sites[edit]

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