Two guys who started the 2023 season in Richmond, outfielder Luis Matos and catcher Patrick Bailey, have gotten call-ups to the bigs with the San Francisco Giants.
Matos, who slashed .304/.398/.443 in 31 games in Richmond this season, was called up from Triple-A Sacramento after the Giants lost free-agent outfielder Mitch Haniger in Tuesday’s 11-3 win over St. Louis.
Haniger is likely out into mid-August after a pitch from Jack Flaherty broke his right forearm.
Matos, the #4 prospect in the Giants farm system, according to MLB.com, was tearing up Triple-A after getting the promotion from Richmond last month, slashing .398/.435./.685 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 24 games in Sacramento.
“I think it’s all right to talk about that silver lining,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said after Tuesday’s win. “Obviously, Matos has been swinging the bat really well. It’s an exciting moment for the organization, obviously coming on the heels of something that was really disappointing. But we’re obviously excited about what Matos can bring to the table when he ultimately makes his debut for us.”
Bailey has been with the big-league team since getting called up on May 19. The 2020 first-round pick out of North Carolina State played High-A ball in 2022, slashing .225/.342/.419 with 12 homers and 51 RBI in Eugene (Ore.), before starting 2023 in Richmond, slashing .333/.400/.481 in 14 games.
Bailey, the organization’s #11 prospect, seems to have surpassed Joey Bart, the #2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, as the Giants’ primary catcher.
Bart, once viewed as the heir apparent to long-time San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, was optioned to Triple-A after completing a minor-league rehab assignment last week.
Bart has struggled, to say the least, at the big-league level, slashing .215/.296/.364 with 11 homers and 25 RBIs in his rookie season in 2022, striking out a ghastly 112 times in 291 plate appearances.
Bailey, in 19 games in San Francisco this season, is slashing .323/.353/.585, with three homers and 19 RBIs in 70 plate appearances.
“Pat is not being called up to the Major Leagues as a fill-in,” Kapler said. “That’s no guarantee of staying. It never is. But we want him to show he can be a contributing member of the Giants and hit the ground running.”
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Chris Graham
