CLEVELAND — Patrick Bailey didn’t hide his excitement after stepping off a plane and joining the Cleveland Guardians.
Bailey, who came to Cleveland in a trade for Matt Wilkinson and a first-round compensatory pick, talked to the media mere minutes after arriving at Progressive Field on Saturday, May 9.
And the 26-year old couldn’t wait to get things going.
“I feel like a kid on Christmas eve,” he said. “I’m ready to get going and see what’s under the tree.”
The Guardians have known about Bailey for a long time and know exactly what they’re getting in the first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft (No. 13 overall).
What Patrick Bailey thinks of catching for the Guardians
Bailey’s Defensive Runs Above Average (DEF) of 102.4 is the highest in MLB since 2020, according to Fangraphs.com. Bailey (102.4) and veteran Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges (81.3) hold the highest DEF ratings in MLB since 2021.
Add that to an historically strong Cleveland pitching staff and fitting in with the Guardians shouldn’t be that difficult.
“I’m ready to get out there,” Bailey said. “I’ve been waiting to play with Hedges my whole career. To be able to work with him and learn from him. I’m super pumped.”
What are some of the concerns Patrick Bailey has with the Guardians
Bailey is not worried about learning what all 13 pitchers on the Guardians staff like.
“It’s communication and making the effort to talk to the coaching staff and the pitching staff,” he said. “Obviously, there are a ton of resources around here. I was trying to do a little bit of research here on the flight and get a head start. At the end of the day, when I catch them it’s getting a feel for them. You like this target. You don’t like this target. You like this call. You don’t like this call.”
For now, Bailey’s biggest worry is grabbing a phonebook.
“I’m just trying to get a feel for everybody,” he said. “I’ve got no chance of getting everybody’s names right. This place is incredible. It’s beautiful. It has every resource anyone could ask for.
“… The best thing I can do is show that I care, show that I want to get to know them and what makes them tick, what cues they need on the mound. At the end of the day, go out and play, and let my game earn that respect as well.”
Patrick Bailey models his game after Yadier Molina
Bailey is a big fan of Yadier Molina.
Molina played all 19 of his Major League seasons with the Cardinals and was a 10-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner and two-time World Series champion.
Bailey already has two Gold Gloves to his name.
“I always admired how he went about his game,” Bailey said. “It always came so easy to him. It’s something I always try do. His reputation as a game caller and game manager.”
Patrick Bailey’s hitting plans for the American League
Bailey is well aware of his .146 batting average this season and knows he’s a career .224 hitter.
That said, he’s only two-plus seasons removed from his time with the Richmond Flying Squirrels where he batted .333 with two home runs, 10 RBIs and an .881 OPS at the start of the 2023 minor league season.
“That’s something that we’re still working on,” Bailey said. “I’m just trying to get confident in the swing in the cage to take out onto the field. I’m excited to get a fresh start here.
“I’m super confident in my ability to hit. I know I’ve shown spurts of being a really good hitter. I’m confident that swing will show up.”
Brad Bournival can be reached by email at bbournival@usatodayco.com and is on X at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Patrick Bailey excited to make impact with Guardians after trade