Giants prospect Joey Bart had many eyes on him before Buster Posey chose not to play in the MLB 2020 season last week. Bart’s performance in camp since then has drawn even more, including a home run to one of the deepest parts of Oracle Park in Friday’s intrasquad game.
The confidence of the Giants’ brain, including manager Gabe Kapler and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, has maintained the entire time that Bart will not be on the opening day list. Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly noted earlier this week that Bart’s serve time certainly has something to do with the decision, pointing to a stipulation in the MLB return-to-play deal that a rookie just needs to be out. from the major league roster for six days. assuming that the 60 game season is completed during the coronavirus pandemic, in order to accumulate one year of service time. If the season doesn’t complete, that number drops and Bart is one year closer to free agency.
But Bart’s play at camp means it is only a matter of time before joining the team, Giants third-base coach Ron Wotus said Friday.
“Young players are evaluated right now, but they are also evaluated last year, and at this point in their career, it wouldn’t hurt to gain more experience,” Wotus told Mark Willard, replacing KNBR “Papa & Lund” on Friday (Jacob Hutchinson of H / T KNBR). “Now that I have said that, anything is possible. I don’t know what is being said out there if he’s going to be at the club or not, but he certainly has the ability, and he’s right at the plate, to help this ball club. So, I anticipate, whether it starts with us or not, it will be with us very, very soon and it will help this ball club. ”
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Bart has made 556 plate appearances since the Giants selected him No. 2 overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, including 338 in High-A and Double-A in 2019. He slashed .278 / .328 / .495 last season. , hitting 16 at home runs alongside 48 RBI.
The 23-year-old receiver has played past his years at camp, receiving praise from multiple veteran teammates in his interviews with journalists. Despite publicly winning praise from his older teammates, Wotus said the Giants’ veterans still remember treating Bart like any other behind-the-scenes rookie.
“He’s so talented,” Wotus said of Bart receiving compliments from his veteran teammates. “He’s been a little close to the boys. Believe me, they still attack him and give him the business like all young people do … [But when] you can play, you can play, and he has a great advantage and he’s improving all the time. “
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The Giants are slated to start the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 23. Six days later, they would host the San Diego Padres in their first home series of the season at Oracle Park.
Bart won’t start the season with the Giants, but most observers’ eyes will stay on their best prospect to see if they get a call to the big leagues. Wotus doesn’t seem to think they’ll wait long.
