Patrick Bailey Wins Fielding Bible’s 2025 Defensive Player Award

Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants has been honored as the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year by the Fielding Bible, marking his second win of this prestigious award. The announcement, made on Wednesday afternoon, comes as Bailey is also a finalist for the upcoming Gold Glove Award, where he is expected to secure his second consecutive honor in that category.

Record-Setting Defensive Performance

At just 26 years old, Bailey stands out in the field, joining the ranks of Ke’Bryan Hayes (2023) and Daulton Varsho (2024) as the only players to receive the Fielding Bible’s Defensive Player of the Year since its inception in 2023. Notably, he is the first catcher to earn this distinction, highlighting his exceptional contributions behind the plate.

According to Mark Simon, editorial operations lead at Sports Info Solutions, “Patrick Bailey has many ways of controlling a game as a catcher. He is a leader on the field with the way he supports his pitching staff defensively through pitch framing, stolen base prevention, and pitch blocking. He is a deserving honoree as Defensive Player of the Year.”

Bailey’s performance this season has been statistically impressive, recording one of the highest Fielding Run Values in Statcast history. Over the course of 132 games, he achieved a Fielding Run Value of +31, the most by any defensive player since 2018. His proficiency in pitch framing was equally remarkable, contributing +25 Catcher Framing Runs, which is again the highest total for a catcher since 2018.

Exceptional Skills Behind the Plate

In addition to his elite framing skills, Bailey excelled in preventing stolen bases, throwing out a career-high 27 players attempting to steal. His average pop time of 1.86 seconds ranked him alongside noted catchers J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies and Endy Rodriguez of the Pittsburgh Pirates as the best in Major League Baseball.

Should Bailey claim the Gold Glove Award this year, he would make history as the first Giants player to win back-to-back Gold Gloves since shortstop Brandon Crawford accomplished the feat for three straight years from 2015 to 2017.

As the 2025 season progresses, Bailey’s defensive prowess continues to set him apart, making him a key asset for the Giants and a player to watch as the awards season unfolds.