Daniel Susac is chipping away at Patrick Bailey's only argument to be in SF Giants lineup

Every time Daniel Susac gets a hit for the SF Giants, a small part of Patrick Bailey must die. The two-time Gold Glove winner has been the consummate professional and a good teammate as Susac has done nothing but hit the ball to begin his big league career, but Bailey has to know his playing time may go down if the rookie stays hot.

While Susac's bat has many fans demanding he get more starts at catcher, his strong defense behind the plate is certainly chipping away at the argument that the Giants need Bailey back there for his defense.

Daniel Susac's defense may be the reason he ends up getting more playing time

On Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, Susac showed off his cannon as he hosed a runner trying to steal second base from his knees.

It was an incredibly impressive throw and shows that Susac is no slouch back there even if he is not quite on the same level as Bailey yet.

While Bailey has won two Gold Gloves and is considered by some to be the best defensive player in the game, his defense has been a little subpar by his standards to begin the 2026 season. Obviously, that can change, but Bailey has not looked like himself behind the dish so far this season.

Unfortunately, he has looked like his usual self at the plate which is not a good thing. He is hitting .146 with a .205 on base percentage. Fans have come to expect poor offensive numbers from Bailey, but with Susac getting hits and gunning down runners on the bases it could become harder to justify starting Bailey most games over Susac.

So far, the Giants have limited Susac's starts to when they have faced left-handed starters. It has been a solid strategy as the rookie has seven hits in his first 11 at-bats with six of those hits coming off lefties.

In a telling move, manager Tony Vitello decided to pinch hit for Bailey with Susac in Saturday night's contest against Baltimore with right-handed closer Ryan Helsley on the mound. The move backfired as Susac grounded into a double play, but the fact that Vitello even used him in that spot shows that it is not just fans who are feeling Susac gives the team a better chance on offense.

The Giants are not set to face any left-handed starters in their three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds beginning tonight. However, Robbie Ray is set to take the ball on Tuesday night for San Francisco and Susac has caught each of his last two starts so maybe he will get his first start against a right-handed pitcher tonight.

Susac is clearly superior to Bailey on offense right now, but if he continues to show that the gap between he and Bailey defensively is not a chasm then that could certainly eat into Bailey's playing time.

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