Patrick Bailey

Patrick Bailey's Biography

Patrick Bailey, an acclaimed American professional baseball catcher, currently plays for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on May 29, 1999, in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bailey’s journey to the Major League began at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, where he played as a successful catcher for the school’s baseball team and as a member of the U-18 United States national baseball team. His awe-inspiring senior-year performance, where he achieved a .510 batting average, a .561 on-base percentage, a .947 slugging percentage, and marked 33 runs batted in over 96 at-bats, led to him being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 37th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. However, he declined the offer, deciding to fulfill his commitment to play college baseball at North Carolina State University instead.

Bailey’s stellar performance continued into his freshman year at NC State, where he earned several acknowledgments, including AC Freshman of the Year, ACC Second Team, and various Freshman All-American honors. Post his successful season, Bailey played for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League and represented the United States on the collegiate national team.

In his sophomore year, Bailey achieved a .989 fielding percentage and modest batting statistics. He was named to the All-ACC First Team, ABCA’s Atlantic All-Region Team, USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, and third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Bailey was a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award as the nation’s best catcher. He also got the chance to play for the United States collegiate national team for the second time that summer.

Before the 2020 college baseball season was cut short due to the pandemic, as a junior, he achieved a .296/.466/.685 line in 54 at bats. Bailey was picked by the San Francisco Giants in the first round with the 13th overall selection of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. After signing a hefty bonus of $3.8 million with the Giants, Bailey’s chance to play minor league was stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rising star made his professional debut with the Eugene Emeralds, post which he appeared with the San Jose Giants, leading to an impressive .322 batting average, seven home runs, and 24 RBIs over 47 games. Bailey’s successful season drew him an opportunity to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions, where he was named to the Fall Stars Game.

Bailey continued his journey with the Eugene Emeralds for the 2022 season, where he registered a .225/.342/.420 slash line in 267 at-bats over 83 games. He led the league with seven sacrifice flies and caught 30% of attempted base stealers, thus earning him the title 2022 MiLB Gold Glove. He was also an NWL post-season All Star and an MiLB.com organization All Star.

Bailey started the 2023 season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels and was subsequently promoted to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In the same year, he was selected to the 40-man roster and was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. Bailey marked his MLB debut by hitting his first major league home run in a 7–5 win over the Miami Marlins. His season was defined by record-breaking pop times in the Statcast era and successful pick-offs, placing him among the top performing catchers of 2023.

Patrick Bailey’s journey from a high school baseball player to a professional MLB player has been marked by commendable performances and continuous growth. His accolades and statistics reflect his dedication to the sport, making him a notable figure in Major League Baseball.