Giants’ Bailey named NL Gold Glove finalist, looks to join rare club

Giant’s Bailey Named NL Gold Glove Finalist, Aiming to Join Exclusive Group

SAN FRANCISCO — In August, Patrick Bailey jokingly acknowledged that he was keeping track of his rookie games played to qualify for a Gold Glove Award. Now, after two months, Bailey finds himself with a real chance to win the award and become the first rookie catcher in nearly 30 years to be recognized as the best defender in the NL.

On Wednesday, Bailey was announced as a finalist for the NL Gold Glove Award at catcher, along with Gabriel Moreno from the Arizona Diamondbacks and J.T. Realmuto from the Philadelphia Phillies. Bailey stood out as the only nominee from the Giants this season, with Thairo Estrada being a notable omission.

Selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, Bailey was called up on May 19 and immediately showcased his defensive prowess behind the plate. Despite only starting in 84 games, he proved to be one of the league’s top defensive catchers, ranking among the leaders in various advanced metrics.

Statcast data revealed that Bailey led all MLB catchers in strike rate and catcher framing runs, with an impressive 16 framing runs. In addition, he ranked second in the NL in average pop time and Defensive Runs Saved. Bailey’s arm strength was evident as he threw out 25 runners and excelled in Baseball Savant’s caught-stealing metric, trailing only Gabriel Moreno, another finalist.

The Giants recognized Bailey’s impact behind the plate and often brought him in to close out games, making him the first Giants catcher since 1979, and the first MLB rookie since 2007, to record the final out in multiple games.

If Bailey is able to surpass Moreno and Realmuto, he will join the likes of Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench as one of the rare rookie catchers to win a Gold Glove Award, with Miami’s Charles Johnson being the most recent in 1995.

“It would be incredible,” Bailey expressed in an interview on “Giants Talk.” “That’s what I’ve been known for, and something I take the most pride in. Whether it happens this year or in the future, it would be one of my proudest achievements.”

Estrada’s notable defensive improvement in 2023 gave him a strong chance at the Gold Glove, as he led all MLB second basemen with 20 Outs Above Average (OAA) compared to having no OAA in 2022. Estrada also topped FanGraphs’ comprehensive defensive metric for second basemen.

The finalists for second base are Ha-Seong Kim from the San Diego Padres, Nico Hoerner from the Chicago Cubs, and Bryson Stott from the Philadelphia Phillies. Mauricio Dubon, who was traded partially due to Estrada’s progress, is a finalist in the American League.

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