Bailey gets MLB debut late in Giants' 4th straight win

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants continued to lean into their burgeoning youth movement on Friday, calling up catcher Patrick Bailey -- their 2020 first-round Draft pick -- from Triple-A Sacramento prior to Friday night’s series opener against the Marlins.

Bailey, who is ranked the club’s No. 11 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is expected to help the Giants withstand the loss of Joey Bart, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain.

Bailey, a 23-year-old switch-hitter out of North Carolina State, wasn’t in the starting lineup against reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, but he entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the seventh inning, catching relievers John Brebbia, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers over the final three innings of the Giants’ 4-3 win at Oracle Park on Friday night.

Known as an elite defender behind the plate, Bailey showed off his framing skills by helping to steal a third strike for Brebbia, who punched out Jorge Soler on a 3-2 slider for the final out of the seventh. Bailey made his debut in front of his wife, Leigha, who wiped away tears as she held the couple’s baby daughter, Briella.

Manager Gabe Kapler said he was impressed by Bailey’s “confident” and “relaxed” demeanor, adding that Bailey looked “like he belonged.”

Bailey didn’t get a plate appearance on Friday, but he is expected to make his hitting debut on Saturday afternoon, when he will catch Logan Webb in his first career Major League start.

“Full of a lot of emotions,” Bailey said before the game. “It’s definitely a dream come true. I’m looking forward to getting it going.”

Bailey’s arrival -- which came only 10 days after the promotion of fellow 2020 draftee Casey Schmitt -- headlined a flurry of moves for the Giants, who also placed right-hander Ross Stripling on the 15-day IL with a back strain and added right-handed reliever Ryan Walker to the 26-man roster.

To clear spots on the 40-man roster for Bailey and Walker, the Giants designated outfielder Cal Stevenson for assignment and placed Heliot Ramos on the 60-day IL with a right oblique strain.

It’s been a fast rise for Bailey, who opened the season at Double-A Richmond but was quickly moved up to Triple-A Sacramento after batting .333 with an .881 OPS and two home runs over 14 games. He cooled off after making the jump to Triple-A, hitting only .216 with a .670 OPS over his first 14 games with the River Cats, but the Giants still viewed him as the best option to replace Bart due to his defensive prowess and his familiarity with the club’s pitching staff, which he honed after appearing in four consecutive big league camps.

Bailey won the Minor League Gold Glove Award behind the plate in 2022 and has drawn praise for his ability to catch, throw, block and frame. While his bat isn’t as well developed, his premier glove should give him a chance to stick at the Major League level and serve as a nice complement to Rule 5 Draft pick Blake Sabol, who caught Anthony DeSclafani on Friday.

“Pat is not being called up to the Major Leagues as just a fill-in for Joey,” Kapler said. “He’s been called up to the Major Leagues because we think he’s ready to help us win baseball games. That’s no guarantee of staying in the Major Leagues, it never is, but that’s where we are right now on it. We want to give him an opportunity to show that he’s ready to be a contributing member of the Giants, help us win games and perform.”

Bailey said he hopes to draw inspiration from Schmitt, who is hitting .400 (16-for-40) over his first 10 games and delivered a two-out, two-strike RBI single to cap the Giants’ decisive three-run rally against Alcantara in the sixth.

“It was definitely encouraging to see Casey come up here and do so well,” Bailey said. “At the same time, my motto this year is just being where my feet are and trying to compete wherever that is. I’m pretty happy it’s right here, right now.”

The Giants will also get their first look at the 27-year-old Walker, who turned heads after logging a 0.89 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 20 1/3 innings in 15 appearances at Triple-A Sacramento. A 31st-round Draft pick out of Washington State in 2018, Walker mixes a mid-90s sinker with a nasty slider and is known for his deceptive crossfire delivery.

“As a 31st-round pick, you feel like you have to work so much harder,” Walker said. “You have to do everything perfect. They’ve got to see a lot of value in you. It was kind of tough in the early years. But I’ve just been building confidence throughout the years. After last year and coming into this year with camps and Spring Training, going to Triple-A, that just kind of helped me realize, ‘Hey, we’re really close and it could happen at any moment.’ I’m just glad I started the way I did. We’re here, and I couldn’t be more thankful.”