Giants Baseball Insider

San Francisco Giants Rising Star Among NL West WAR Projection Leaders

The NL West evaluated WAR leaders by team, ranking San Francisco Giants catcher as a major asset to the team.

Claire Boyer

Sep 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) throws to first base as relief pitcher Sean Hjelle (64) looks on during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) throws to first base as relief pitcher Sean Hjelle (64) looks on during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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Major League Baseball released projected Wins Above Replacement (WAR) leaders for each NL West team, naming San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey with the highest WAR of anyone on the team entering 2025.

Bailey was projected with a 5.1 WAR, a sabermetric statistic that takes into account a player's performance in many aspects of the game like batting, pitching, fielding and baserunning. In the 2024 season, Bailey recorded a .234/.298/.339 slash line with a fielding percentage of .997 in the same campaign.

Also during the 2024 season, Bailey led all catchers in the league with 20 defensive runs saved. But, he had a 1.8 WAR due to missing time with injuries.

In the first round of the 2020 draft, the Giants acquired Bailey 13th overall and have been reaping the rewards ever since. Bailey stood out in 2024 and earned a Gold Glove award, the first San Francisco catcher to do so since Buster Posey in 2016.

Of the five teams in the NL West, Bailey's WAR ranked third. He was behind the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (7.8 WAR) and the San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. (5.8 WAR). Stuck in the middle, Bailey ranked above the Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte (4.4 WAR) and the Colorado Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar (3.2 WAR).

There is little doubt that Bailey will be able to continue his defensive dominance throughout the regular season, but he will need to push that projected WAR closer to reality.

In past years, Bailey's batting abilities have taken dives in the latter portion of the season, driving down his offensive numbers. In his first two MLB seasons, he's never finished a season better than .234 at the plate.

As reported by MLB.com, Bailey has changed up his diet and is focused on improving his swing. These changes should become apparent in spring training as San Francisco prepares for the season.

The Giants came away from Saturday's spring game with a victory against the Texas Rangers. In that game, one of Bailey's potential backups, Sam Huff, hit a home run.

San Francisco skipper Bob Melvin said to MLB.com that the team looked prepared and was ready to work.

"Quite a few of them now live here and got here January 1st, so it’s felt like Spring Training for a while now," he said. "But to get everybody — pitchers and catchers and the positions players yesterday — a really good vibe on the first day was exciting.”

Good first-day vibes and continuing recognition in the polls could set the Giants up for a memorable 2025 campaign.

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Claire Boyer
CLAIRE BOYER

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