The San Francisco Giants saw their franchise player, Buster Posey, retire after the 2021 season.
It was a huge hit for them, both on and off the field, as he was seen as a spiritual leader.
He is leaving a huge void to fill behind the plate, but luckily, the Giants have an excellent prospect there to take over: Joey Bart.
The 25-year-old catcher has four hits in 12 at-bats during spring training play, good for a .333 batting average and a 1.166 OPS in the early going.
He also has a couple of home runs, showcasing the power that could, one day, make Giants fans feel they won’t miss Posey so much.
Alex Pavlovic, who covers the Giants for NBC Sports Bay Area, said that the young backstop is impressing in spring training.
“The Joey Bart homer today was crushed. A very important spring for him, and he’s checking every box,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
The Joey Bart homer today was crushed. A very important spring for him, and he's checking every box (via @SFGiants) pic.twitter.com/0FdrCjfBMH
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) March 30, 2022
Big Shoes To Fill
It’s important for him to “check every box”, as Pavlovic says, because fans probably expect more than just the occasional homer.
The Giants need a catcher that makes the pitching staff feel comfortable, and any offensive contributions are a bonus.
Fortunately, Bart’s upside is more than just occasional power.
Last year, he slashed .294/.358/.472 in 67 Triple-A games, a solid output that earned a two-game cameo in the big leagues.
Of course, he had already made his MLB debut in 2020, but it didn’t go terribly well (.233/.288/.320 in 111 plate appearances).
He may not hit for the highest batting averages, but has power and knows how to handle a staff.
He will start the season in a timeshare with fellow catcher Curt Casali, but the ideal scenario for the Giants has Bart running away with the job.
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