MLB Insider Jeff Passan gives huge praise to San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey - "He's already the best defensive player in baseball"
MLB Insider Jeff Passan is a huge fan of San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey's game. Passan has come out with his 2023 MLB season awards, naming Bailey as the one player scouts can not stop talking about.
Passan was impressed with how a rookie catcher could look so locked in behind the plate. He calls a good game for his pitchers, frames well, can block anything near him and has a tremendous arm.
Notably, it is Bailey's arm that sets him apart from other catchers in the league. He has gunned down 24 runners trying to swipe a bag, which is the most in the National League.
"He's already the best defensive player in baseball," said Jeff Passan.
An anonymous scout even went as far as to say that Bailey reminds him of Yadier Molina. To be compared to arguably one of the greatest catchers, Bailey must be doing something right.
Passan is not the only one who recognizes Patrick Bailey as the best defensive player in the game. San Francisco Giants announcers Dave Flemming and Hunter Pence argued he is the best in the league and should win the Gold Glove Award.
Bailey is getting all of this praise while not even having played a full season yet. He was called up in May this year, taking the baseball world by storm.
Bailey and the Giants have their work cut out for them
The Giants have battled all season long. While they have no hope of catching the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lead the division, they can make the postseason in the Wild Card.
At the time of writing, the Giants are two games behind the Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds, who are tied for the final NL Wild Card spot.
Bailey and Co. will have their work cut out for them, given the competition that faces them to end the regular season. They finish their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks before taking on the Dodgers.
After that, the Giants face the San Diego Padres and the Dodgers again to close out the regular season. San Francisco must be at their best because they only play one team with a sub .500 record.
It will be interesting to see if the Giants have enough to finish strong and find their way into the postseason.