SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On the first day of spring training, Buster Posey made it a point to chat with Patrick Bailey — one Gold Glove catcher to another. The Giants won three World Series titles in five years due in large part to Posey’s ability to lead a pitching staff. Posey wanted to let Bailey know that his primary responsibility was to do the same.
“It’s one of those things that’s really hard to specifically hard to put your finger on because it can change from day to day,” Posey said. “As much as anything, it’s understanding all of your pitchers’ personalities, being able to read the room, knowing when it’s time to push a little bit, knowing when it’s time to back off. It doesn’t really ever stop.”
The ability to guide a team’s starters and relievers will likely forever remain in the domain of the unquantifiable. That said, Bailey won the first Gold Glove of his career this past offseason by putting together an impressive statistical résumé.
Bailey not only led all catchers in defensive runs saved (20) and catcher framing runs (16), but he led all defenders in fielding run value (22). His tied J.T. Realmuto and Korey Lee for the best pop time in baseball (1.85 seconds) and finished second in caught stealing above average (nine).
“These guys all have a ton of faith in him,” said manager Bob Melvin. “There’s some guys that just rely on what he’s calling — and some veteran guys too. As a younger catcher, it’s kind of rare. There’s a lot of information now for guys to be up to speed, but he’s always up to speed. He takes it very seriously. You come into another year where you’re the starting catcher, you win a Gold Glove and something to kind of puff your chest out and take it to the next level.”
For all his defensive excellence, Bailey’s season was equally defined by another two-and-a-half months of second-half struggles.
Prior to the All-Star Break, Bailey had a .283 batting average and .784 OPS with seven home runs, being snubbed from the Midsummer Classic despite leading all catchers in WAR (3.8). In the second half, by contrast, Bailey had a .170 batting average and .434 OPS with one lone home run. During August, specifically, Bailey had a slash line of .063/.090/.078.
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Bailey’s rookie season followed a similar arc. Through two seasons, Bailey has played exactly 109 games in both the first half and second half, posting a .797 OPS in the former and .476 OPS in the latter.
While Bailey attributed his second-half struggles in 2023 to fatigue, he believes that last year’s woes in August and September were due solely to his swing.
“I would definitely result (the second half) being more of a swing thing and kind of going down a rabbit hole I shouldn’t have gone down,” Bailey said. “I was able to finish up strong in September. … Physically, I felt good. I think it’s just one of those things where you struggle a little bit at the plate and you start searching instead of trusting the swing.”
The catcher’s offseason routine remained mostly the same, a notable change being that he began using the meal service Elevated Meals to ensure he ate better quality food, a change that he believes has made a “big difference.” The catcher’s weight is similar to last season but assessed that he has “better weight,” adding that he feels more mobile and flexible compared to last season.
Regarding the swing, Bailey, a switch hitter, made a few tweaks as a right-handed hitter, noting that he’s trying to “use the ground better.”
Bailey assessed that last year, his right-handed swing was “super drifty” — his front foot would go down and his hips would sway towards the pitcher, leading to his upper half collapsing. The 25-year-old hopes the changes will allow him to be more stable and swing more efficiently. As far as the left side, Bailey said he’s trying to clean up his bat path.
“We’re going to rely on him a little bit more and he expects more out of himself,” Melvin said. “But first and foremost, it’s running a pitching staff and he understands it’s the most important part of his game.”
Murphy dealing with back spasms
Catcher Tom Murphy has been dealing with back spasms, according to Melvin, and received an MRI on Sunday. His timetable is unclear.
Murphy, who only played 13 games last season due to a left knee sprain, enters camp as the leading candidate for the backup catcher position.
Aside from Bailey and Murphy, the only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Sam Huff, who the Giants claimed off waivers from the Texas Rangers in January. Max Stassi, who hasn’t played in the majors since 2022, is in camp as well as a non-roster invitee.
