Since his MLB debut in 2023, Patrick Bailey has been — without a doubt — one of the best defensive catchers in the majors, as backed up by his consecutive Gold Gloves the last two seasons.
And on Friday, MLB analyst Mike Petriello took the recognition one step further, declaring the Giants backstop the current No. 1 defensive player among all major leaguers.
“If you look at [Bailey], he’s been in the league for three years — wasn’t even here the full year the first time — he has led in Statcast Fielding Run Value every single year,” Petriello explained on MLB Now. “That’s three years running.
“I know the bat isn’t there, but that’s not what we’re talking about. Elite framer, elite blocker, actually has improved his blocking … . He’s elite.”
.@mike_petriello‘s Top 10 Defensive Players Right Now:
1. Patrick Bailey
2. Pete Crow-Armstrong
3. Ceddanne Rafaela
4. Denzel Clarke
5. Ke’Bryan Hayes
6. Bobby Witt Jr.
7. Alejandro Kirk
8. Jacob Young
9. Nico Hoerner
10. Steven Kwan pic.twitter.com/yKcwJz7mvb
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) January 31, 2026
For additional context on just how dominant Bailey has been in the Fielding Runs Value stat, he has +79 runs in his three MLB seasons. The next closest player, Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, comes in at just +50 runs.
Much of Bailey’s dominance in this metric is a result of his framing, which accounts for 65 of the 79 runs. Of course, with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system being added full-time in MLB for the upcoming season, it remains to be seen whether that neutralizes the effect of Bailey’s framing.
However, Bailey also ranks highly in other fielding aspects behind the plate. His +16 throwing runs are five more than any other catcher since his 2023 debut; Bailey has thrown out 55 attempted base stealers in that frame with a 29-percent caught stealing rate.
And finally, as Petriello noted, Bailey’s blocking — which was once a weakness — now ranks above average, too. After recording -2 blocking runs in his rookie season, he improved in that category to an even 0 in 2024 and +1 in 2025.
So even if Bailey’s framing isn’t as impactful in 2026, he still should remain one of the top defensive catchers — and overall players — across MLB.
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