There's a lot going around about what constitutes a failed prospect, people are saying 'oh does that mean Jackson Holliday's a bust' or 'mmm, Pete Crow Armstrong isn't doing what this specific scout said he'd do years ago', and frankly it's really unfair. These guys are still young, we don't know if it's circumstantial, or if Holliday just needs to bake for a while. Look at Gunnar Henderson, he wasn't a success immediately, but he certainly got there.
But I also wonder what Joey Bart thinks about this. Because in 2020, he was given the golden opportunity, as Buster Posey sat the season out, Tyler Heineman was the starter, and the door was wide open for the longtime Giants catching prospect to take command. And he didn't. And then the following year he was out for the season. And then the year after that he hit .215 and they had to start Curt Casali some more. Every single time Joey Bart was given the opportunity to succeed, he flat out refused to. We may never find out why. It could be circumstantial, it could be the translation from the minors to the majors, it could be nothing. But someone who looked like a surefire hero for a team that was looking to replace a legend, wasn't.
The death nell for Bart, and the reason he's currently caught behind two catchers in Pittsburgh, was that the moment Bart proved that he wasn't the man, the man arrived. Patrick Bailey. Great catcher, can hit for contact. Goodbye Bart.
I think the reason why Bailey has worked so well for these Giants teams is because he fits with this team's strategy. This is not only a team that gets big hitters with big contracts, but lots of nuts'n bolts guys that came from nowhere and work efficiently, and Bailey's in the latter category. But that's what happens, you can have Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman getting up there, and right behind them you have a fifth string middle infielder from the Yankees organization, a former Mets utility man who can hit for power now, a guy I saw playing for Norfolk who's suddenly figured it all out, a former Twins also-ran who now only gets hits when it's dark, and the former top prospect who took years to develop but now can't stop hitting. And Bailey's right at the center of that, he's hitting .292 with 24 RBIs in 52 games. He can hit, he's a durable catcher, and the fans love him. And he doesn't feel like a consolation for not getting Bart, because Bart wasn't even that multifaceted even when the hype was upon him.
The Giants are down a bit right now, perhaps because they're without so many big pieces like Jung-Hoo Lee, LaMonte Wade, Yaz, the back half of the rotation, etc. They do have a lot that works, but there's three rotation spots that have numerous question marks on them, and it's essentially whoever's around. Spencer Howard's starting games for this team. Is it worth calling up Hayden Birdsong [UPDATE 12 HRS LATER: !!!] or Carson Whisenhunt? Do they go with Mason Black again? Do we know when Snell, Cobb or Ray will be back. This especially is killing this team, because you can see they're trying, and Logan Webb's terrific as usual. But man have injuries dulled the point.
I really hope these guys can get some people back in July. Because they honestly could compete, and they could go for a wild card spot. They just need more people who know what they're doing.
Coming Tonight: It's so weird that this guy's been seriously considered by buyers this deadline season.
No comments:
Post a Comment