Despite struggles at plate, SF Giants backstop is still supremely valuable

It is no secret that Patrick Bailey has been awful at the plate this season for the SF Giants. His .573 OPS is well below his .637 mark last year. His batting average is .216, and he's hit just three home runs. He has basically no power and does not get on base. In 2025, Bailey is doing just about everything wrong at the plate.

And yet, he has been worth postive bWAR this year. Bailey has contributed 1.1 bWAR to the Giants, making him the 13th most valuable player on the team in 2025.

SF Giants catcher Patrick Bailey still valuable despite bad offense

How is that possible? It's due to Bailey's defense, which cannot be considered anything other than elite.

The catcher has been incredible in 2025. Statcast gives him a fielding run value of 21, which is tied with Pete Crow-Armstrong for the best in baseball. He ranks in the 100th percentile against the rest of the league. In other words, there is nobody in baseball providing more defensive value than Bailey,

Taking a look at the advanced catching metrics, Bailey's baseball savant page is full of dark red. He's providing five block-above-average, ranking in the 82nd percentile. His caught-stealing above-average ranks in the 97th percentile. His pop-time of 1.87 also ranks in the 97th percentile.

Finally, Bailey continues to show he is an elite framer. For the third season in a row, Bailey ranks in the 100th percentile in framing.

There is no doubt about it, Bailey is the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. Despite his bat being a massive weakness, the Giants are willing to ride it out as long as Bailey can be the best defender in the game.

His framing is helping his starting pitchers more than any stat can quantify, and his elite ability to throw out runners on the base paths has helped prove Bailey is more valuable than we might think. Although the black hole he leaves in the lineup is unfortunate, he's good enough defensively that it's worth it.

It is ironic that he is responsible for the most exciting offensive highlight of the season for San Francisco with his walk-off inside the park home run. While his offense leaves a lot to be desired, it is tough to keep him out of the lineup due to what he provides behind the dish.

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