Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants has been recognized as the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year by Fielding Bible, marking a significant achievement in his burgeoning career. This accolade comes as Bailey is also in contention for his second consecutive Gold Glove Award, highlighting his exceptional performance on the field.
Bailey’s Stellar Defensive Skills
At just 26 years old, Bailey has distinguished himself as a leading catcher in Major League Baseball. His recognition by Fielding Bible adds to a growing list of accolades, making him one of only three players to receive this honor since the award’s inception in 2023. Alongside Ke’Bryan Hayes (2023) and Daulton Varsho (2024), Bailey stands out as the first catcher to claim the title.
Mark Simon, editorial operations lead at Sports Info Solutions, praised Bailey’s multifaceted approach to controlling games. “Patrick Bailey has many ways of controlling a game as a catcher. He is a leader on the field with the way he supports his pitching staff defensively through pitch framing, stolen base prevention, and pitch blocking. He is a deserving honoree as Defensive Player of the Year,” Simon stated.
Impressive Statistical Performance
Bailey’s 2025 season has been statistically remarkable, as evidenced by his performance metrics. Over the course of 132 games, he achieved a Fielding Run Value of +31, the highest recorded by any defensive player since 2018. His ability to frame pitches effectively was also notable, as he accumulated +25 Catcher Framing Runs, setting a new benchmark for catchers in the same timeframe.
In addition to his framing prowess, Bailey also showcased his skills in preventing stolen bases. He recorded a career-high 27 caught stealings and maintained an average pop time of 1.86 seconds. This performance tied him with J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies and Endy Rodriguez of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the fastest pop time in the majors.
If Bailey secures the Gold Glove Award this season, he will become the first Giants player to win the honor in consecutive years since Brandon Crawford achieved the feat three times from 2015 to 2017.
As Bailey continues to impress both on and off the field, his contributions are not only recognized statistically but also valued by his teammates and coaching staff, further solidifying his reputation as one of the premier catchers in baseball today.
