SF Giants: The Bart vs. Bailey Debate After The 2021 Season

SF Giants: The Bart vs. Bailey Debate After The 2021 Season

Bailey's 2021 Season

Bailey actually started his 2021 season on a strong note with a seven-game hitting streak right off the bat. Unfortunately, he went ice-cold after his first seven games where he batted just .147 with only one home run in 120 plate appearances and a 25.8% strikeout rate. During his cold streak, he also missed a week of action with back stiffness in the middle of June. When Ricardo Genoves was called up to Eugene in the final week of June, Bailey was struggling so much offensively that the Giants demoted Bailey not to San Jose but to the Arizona Complex League in what also could be treated as a rehab stint for his back.

When Bailey was ready to go once again, he was sent not to Eugene but to Low-A San Jose with the hopes of playing in a better hitting environment against worse pitching would help regain his confidence back. After a so-so first month with the team where he batted .259 and a .738 OPS, Bailey turned it on in the final two months of the season where he batted .353 with a 1.080 OPS, eight homers, and just a 19.2% strikeout rate. Bailey was added to the Arizona Fall League roster after the strong finish to his season and he held his own against some of the best competition batting .292 with a .792 OPS but a 30.4% strikeout rate.

Based on the film study, Bailey showed signs of being out of shape early this season. He struggled to rotate his hips whenever he swings and he swings without much gusto, he looks passive at the plate at times, and his defensive work, mainly his receiving and blocking, was nowhere near as good as when he was in college (12 passed balls allowed and more than a handful could've been corraled wild pitches). As the season went on though, he got himself to shape and he was starting to become more assertive at the plate and started swinging with authority in the final months of the season. His defense also looked better but there are still times where his throwing would come to question (32.7% caught stealing rate but more than a couple of errors on errant snap throws to first base).