New San Francisco Giants Executive Praises Catcher

In a recent radio interview, San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey speaks highly of the teams catcher.

Sep 13, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) smiles during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants recently hired Buster Posey to be the new President of Baseball Operations and he has been making the interview rounds ever since his press conference. Most recently, he went on a local radio show on KNBR, 'Papa and Lund,' and praised the team's starting catcher, Patrick Bailey.

Bailey was drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft while Posey was still playing, although he opted out for the COVID season. Since retiring in 2021, he has been with the team and is likely familiar with Bailey as a player.

In his first full season as the Giants' starting catcher, the switch hitter played 121 games. He slashed .234/.298/.339 with a .637 OPS, eight home runs and 46 RBIs. However, his season was interrupted due to three stints on the injured list, two for concussions and one for an oblique injury.

However, Patrick Bailey's best asset is his defense. And that's exactly what Posey spoke highly of.

"His value behind the plate, we can measure that now and we can see how valuable he is, as far as pitch framing and throwing the ball down to second. I think in the first two years, he’s done a great job. I know -- knowing him a little bit -- he’s certainly disappointed that he’s faltered a little bit offensively the second half of the year, and sometimes it takes a while. It takes a while to understand, ‘What do I need to do from a physical standpoint ahead of time as far as in the weight room, or how many calories I need to be consuming?’ So, it takes some time to figure all of that out," the new executive said.

Bailey was a Gold Glove finalist his rookie year and continued to be an elite defensive catcher in 2024.

According to Baseball Savant, he was in the 98th percentile in caught stealing above average, 100th percentile in framing and 97th in pop time. Without a doubt, he is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and that will continue to be an asset to the Giants as they build.

"I think you don’t have to look any further than the pitching staff and when guys enjoy throwing to a catcher. That, from a catcher’s perspective, is the ultimate compliment," Posey continued.

Having a catcher of the caliber Bailey has shown behind the plate is one of the most important building blocks, no matter what they provide offensively. There is still room to grow with the bat, as the 25-year-old only played 28 games anove High-A, but for now, the glove is enough.