Defense a lock, Bailey targets season-long consistency at plate

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- All offseason, Patrick Bailey enjoyed a piece of hardware he¡¯s never had. In fact, no Giants catcher had earned a Gold Glove in almost a decade.

Bailey, the 13th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, became one of 14 first-time Gold Glove winners after leading all catchers last season with 20 Defensive Runs Saved. He also ranked first in catcher framing, second in catchers' caught stealing above average and third in average pop time.

The 25-year-old Bailey became the fourth Giants backstop to earn a Gold Glove and the first since Buster Posey in 2016.

¡°It¡¯s a dream come true,¡± Bailey said Wednesday in Scottsdale. ¡°[My defense] is something I¡¯ve always taken a lot of pride in. To be able to get rewarded for my work sitting behind the plate means a lot.¡±

Bailey has had more on his mind this offseason than just his defense, though.

In his first two years in the Majors, Bailey¡¯s bat has twice cooled off in the season¡¯s second half. Last year, the switch-hitter hit at a .283 clip in the first half but dipped to .170 after the All-Star break. The drop-off was eerily similar to 2023, when Bailey followed a .293 first-half average by hitting .188 after the break.

Rock solid behind the plate, Bailey is looking to stay consistent in the batter¡¯s box by the time the Giants hit the stretch run this season.

¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure out the best way to go about it,¡± Bailey said of balancing the mental approach to hitting with mechanics. ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m trying to make sure that my swings are in the place where I want them to be. They feel good so far.¡±

One area Bailey changed up to better condition his body for a long season of catching was his diet. He even hired a service to prepare healthy meals.

¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d say bad habits, but just kind of not controlling the oils the foods cook in, the quality of the meat to get the protein I need,¡± he said. ¡°I really cleaned that up.¡±

Camp notes

? The rest of the infield continues to feel out the early days of Spring Training in Scottsdale.

Newly signed shortstop Willy Adames, who in December inked a seven-year, $182 million contract that stands as the richest in Giants history, jumped out of the gate on the first day of position player workouts Tuesday with a single and a home run in his first two swings of live batting practice.

¡°A lot of guys just go up there and take early on, especially the first day,¡± Giants skipper Bob Melvin said. "The last thing you want to see on the first day is live pitching. His first swing was a base hit, his next swing was a homer. It really is not the most important thing in the world, yet when you get a guy like him who¡¯s a huge sign for us, and all of a sudden he¡¯s hitting homers on the first day of camp, it¡¯s kind of cool.¡±

? Tyler Fitzgerald, who slashed .280/.334/.497 with 15 homers and 17 steals in 96 games for San Francisco last season, is poised to be the club¡¯s everyday second baseman in 2025. A minor lower-back injury will keep him out of spring workouts over the next few days.

¡°He¡¯s feeling much better today,¡± Melvin said Tuesday.

? On the mound, righties Logan Webb, Carson Ragsdale and Hayden Birdsong were scheduled to throw live BP Wednesday. In terms of how the rotation might shake out by the time Cactus League games open when the Giants face the Rangers in Surprise on Saturday, Melvin knows who will be up first, but for now, he's mum.

¡°I do,¡± Melvin smiled when asked if he knew. ¡°Let¡¯s get there first. We¡¯ve got some [live BP] today, and we¡¯ll see how guys respond.¡±

? Tuesday marked a spring milestone when the clubhouse had everyone together for the first time, although it was hardly the first activity for the Giants in Arizona.

¡°A lot of guys reported early,¡± Melvin said. ¡°Pitchers are usually here throwing ¡¯pens, but position players have been here for a while. Quite a few of them now live here and got here January 1st, so it¡¯s felt like Spring Training for a while now. But to get everybody ¨C pitchers and catchers and the positions players yesterday ¨C a really good vibe on the first day was exciting.¡±