2 SF Giants players earn high praise from peers in anonymous player survey

SF Giants fans are well aware that third baseman Matt Chapman and catcher Patrick Bailey are superb defensive players. It appears that their MLB peers think the same based on a recent survey of major league players.

In the survey, Chapman and Bailey ranked fourth and fifth respectively in a survey about who the best defensive player in MLB is. Tied for first in the survey were second baseman Andrés Giménez of the Toronto Blue Jays and shortstop Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals coming in third. The full article can be read here.

SF Giants stars Chapman and Bailey clearly respected by peers

Following those three are Chapman and Bailey. The two both won Gold Gloves last season so they have earned national recognition for their defensive prowess, but it is always an honor when one's peers express admiration for their abilities with the glove.

It was Bailey's first career Gold Glove while it was Chapman's fifth. In the article, an anonymous National League relief pitcher is quoted as saying, "Overall defender, my brain keeps going to Chapman. You don’t win all those Gold Gloves – and the Platinum a couple times – by accident.”

Chapman made one of the most remarkable defensive plays in recent memory against the Mets last season when he made an unbelievable barehanded grab and threw out the runner at first in a do-or-die play to win the game. He is an absolute stud at third base and the Giants are lucky to have him there for the foreseeable future.

Bailey earned a lot of respect from his fellow catchers who noted how good he is at framing pitches and stealing strikes for his pitcher while he is behind the plate. Bailey does not have the strongest arm as a catcher, but his skill comes in getting the ball out of his hand as quickly as possible and being able to sling the ball from seemingly any arm angle. He too ended a game on a great defensive play back in 2023 when he picked off a runner who had taken a big lead off of first base.

Giants fans understand how lucky they are to be able to watch both Bailey and Chapman dazzle on defense so it is cool to see that their fellow players, even from different teams, also respect their defense. The Giants are going to need to be a strong defensive team in 2025 to be successful, so let's hope they both deliver another Gold Glove-caliber season for San Francisco.