Former SF Giants top prospect has earned starting role with new team

The SF Giants have finalized their Opening Day roster, but looking around the league it is interesting to see that San Francisco's former top prospect, Joey Bart, is now the starting catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates going into the season.

The Giants drafted Bart with the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. From the moment he was drafted, he carried the unfair burden of being Buster Posey's presumed replacement. He showed promise in the minor leagues and was, some would argue, rushed up to the big leagues during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season which Posey decided to sit out.

He struggled that season which may have shaken his confidence. His premature call-up provides a cautionary tale for the Giants with their current top prospect.

Former SF Giants top prospect Joey Bart finding stability with Pirates

Bart just never really found his footing with the Giants. In 2021 with Posey back and having a resurgent year he did not really play at all. Then in 2022, after Posey's surprising retirement, he was the starting catcher on Opening Day but struggled and was sent down to the minors for a bit.

2023 saw the Giants sign veteran Roberto Perez who was the Opening Day catcher over Bart before going down with an injury. That season saw Patrick Bailey prove his mettle both with his bat and as a defender which made it clear that he was the true successor to Posey, not Bart.

Out of minor league options going into the 2024 season, the Giants traded Bart to Pittsburgh. Since joining his new team, Bart has looked like a changed ballplayer. In 80 games and 253 at-bats, he slashed .265/.337/.462 with 13 homers and 45 RBI. It was a breakout year, and he is looking to build upon that in 2025.

The Georgia native looked good at the plate in spring training, racking up 14 hits and three home runs in 40 at-bats. Now, Bart enters the season at the top of the catcher depth chart in Pittsburgh. There are other young catchers in the organization who may end up challenging him for playing time, but as of right now he is the main guy behind the dish.

Some Giants fans may be upset that the Giants moved on from Bart given his resurgence, which is fair. But it may just be a case where Bart needed to go to a new team and escape from the daunting expectations that came with being a first-round draft selection.

Plus, the fact that the Giants still have a Gold Glove-caliber catcher in Bailey makes Bart's success sting far less. It is nice to see Bart doing well even if it is not in a Giants uniform. Let's just hope he does not have too many, or any, revenge games against San Francisco this season.