Veteran San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow, who played 14 MLB seasons, knows that the grueling 162-game schedule can take its toll on players, specifically citing catcher Patrick Bailey’s struggles last year when he appeared “gassed” late in the season. In his weekly appearance on KNBR’s Murph & Markus morning show, Krukow observed, “No position gets more exposed for a guy hitting the fatigue factor more than a catcher.” He emphasized that Bailey’s fatigue was evident not just in his at-bats but also in his defensive performance.
Despite winning a Gold Glove in 2024 during his second MLB season and starting strong at the plate with a .781 OPS before the All-Star break, Bailey faced significant challenges in the second half, batting only .170 with a single home run and a .433 OPS. Krukow expressed his hopes for Bailey to maintain his performance throughout the entire season, stressing the importance of being in better shape. “You’ve got to be able to do it for six and seven months… I want to see him in better shape,” Krukow remarked, questioning how Bailey would have fared if the season had extended into a seventh month.
Krukow’s observations are reasonable, especially given the Giants’ high expectations for Bailey. If he can avoid getting “gassed,” he possesses the potential to be a Gold Glove-caliber catcher with great offensive capabilities, a rare asset in the league.
A BOLD prediction for 2025? Patrick Bailey cements himself as a top 3 catcher in MLB. pic.twitter.com/D0CJKviQxX
— Sam Fosberg (@discussbaseball) January 28, 2025
