Joey Bart

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #2 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: After dealing with a pair of broken bones in his hands in 2019, Bart, whom the Giants chose with the second overall pick in 2018, was invited to the team’s alternate training site in 2020 and made his big league debut ahead of schedule while the team tried to fill the hole left by stalwart catcher Buster Posey opting out of the season during the pandemic. Bart returned to the big leagues briefly in 2021 but otherwise spent the season at Triple-A, where he attempted to get back on a normal development track.
  
  Scouting Report: One of the problematic parts of Bart’s game revolved around closing a hole on the inside part of the plate. He made strides in that regard this season, hitting .280 on pitches on the inner third. That’s a steep drop from the numbers he produced on balls on the outer third, but a respectable number nonetheless. He shows plenty of impact potential when he connects and is likely to be a power-over-hit player once he reaches San Francisco for good. Evaluators both internally and externally saw improvement from Bart on defense, especially when it came to receiving. He allowed just six passed balls all season and caught 32.6% of attempted basestealers. Opposing evaluators noted he could stand to show better leadership qualities and body language behind the plate.
  
  The Future: With Posey retired, Bart’s pathway to the big leagues is wide open. He should compete for the starting job on Opening Day.
  
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #2 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Running: 40. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Bart parlayed an excellent career at Georgia Tech into becoming the second overall pick in the 2018 draft. He made a splash in his pro debut, but suffered two hand injuries in 2019. He broke his left hand during the regular season and his right thumb in the Arizona Fall League, both the result of errant pitches. The Giants made Bart part of their 60-man player pool in 2020 and installed him as regular catcher after calling him up on Aug. 20.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bart is a big, strong hitter who can impact the ball with tremendous force, but he still needs refinement. He struck out nearly 37% of the time in the majors as pitchers quickly learned to attack him with hard stuff inside before finishing him with breaking balls out of the zone. Bart has trouble catching up to velocity inside because of the way he moves his body while loading his swing. Bart has a strong arm and quick release but threw out just 18% of basestealers in the majors, which can be somewhat attributed to learning a new pitching staff on the fly. He’s a strong blocker and receiver and a surprisingly swift runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bart’s major league debut came before he was ready. He will start 2021 in the upper levels of the minors to continue polishing his game.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #2 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: After three stellar seasons at Georgia Tech, Bart found himself in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Tigers snapped up Auburn righthander Casey Mize in that spot, and the Giants were happy to select Bart a few minutes later. Since moving to pro ball, Bart has steadily proved himself an excellent prospect on both sides of the ball. He dealt with a pair of hand injuries in 2019 that cost him significant chunks of the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When healthy, Bart shows few flaws. He puts the bat on the ball often and has the strength and bat speed to produce potentially plus power, especially to the pull side. He has a hole on the inner half that he'll need to close if he's to be an average big league hitter. If he does that, he could be an all-star. Behind the plate, Bart has a quick exchange and release and plus arm strength that should help him erase would-be basestealers. He also shows strong abilities to block and receive and call games.
  
  THE FUTURE: The injuries limited Bart to 89 games between the regular season and the AFL, which delays his big league debut a little. When he does get there, potentially in the middle of 2020, he has all the makings of a player poised to receive the torch from Buster Posey.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #1 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Coming out of Buford (Ga.) High in 2015, Bart ranked No. 183 on the BA 500 but fell to the Rays in the 27th round in large part due to his strong commitment to Georgia Tech. In Atlanta, Bart was following in the footsteps of former major league backstops Jason Varitek and Matt Wieters, who also attended Georgia Tech. A career .321/.407/.544 hitter for the Yellow Jackets, Bart led the Atlantic Coast Conference in hitting (.359) as a junior in 2018, when he was named ACC player of the year, ACC defensive player of the year and was selected as a first-team All-American. Bart became the highest MLB draft pick in Georgia Tech history when the Giants selected him with the No. 2 overall pick and subsequently signed him for $7.025 million--the largest signing bonus for a position player in draft history.
  
  Scouting Report: Bart is the Giants' clear No. 1 prospect, and he has the chance to impact the game in a myriad of ways. At the plate, Bart projects for plus, all-fields power. Scouts were impressed with Bart's ability to tap into his raw power without completely selling out in games, and he hit 13 home runs and 14 doubles in just 45 games in the short-season Northwest League. With Bart's track record of hitting in the ACC, and then his successful, albeit brief, pro debut, evaluators feel confident grading his hit tool as at least above-average, with the potential to become a plus hitter. Defensively, Bart has a plus arm, and it grades out even better for its accuracy than it does pure arm strength, of which there is plenty. He routinely records sub 2.0-second pop times, and the Georgia native was lauded by scouts throughout his collegiate career for calling his own games behind the plate. Bart has just fringe-average speed, but he showed the athleticism and lateral quickness needed to be considered an above-average receiver with the ability to routinely block tough pitches in the dirt.
  
  The Future: Bart will likely start his first full season of pro ball in high Class A San Jose. Bart will forever be compared to Buster Posey, the catcher the Giants drafted the last time the organization had a top-five pick. Even if the Giants decide to move Bart along slower than Posey, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Bart in San Francisco by the end of the 2020 season. If all goes well in San Jose at the beginning of 2019, Bart could be promoted to Double-A Richmond by midseason.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #5 prospect in 2018 draft
  Bart became the first player ever drafted out of Buford (Ga.) High when the Rays selected him in the 27th round of the 2015 draft, but Bart chose to instead attend Georgia Tech, following in the footsteps of major league backstops like Jason Varitek and Matt Wieters. Since then, Bart has established himself as the top catcher in the 2018 class by a wide margin and there are more than a few people wondering if he's the best catcher to come through the program--high praise considering the talent and major league success of Varitek and Wieters. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Bart has all the tools necessary to become an above-average defensive catcher at the pro level. He has a strong arm that's at least above-average and likely plus, as well as strong and quiet hands, footwork that's online to his target during throws and exceptional game-calling abilities for an amateur. Prior to this spring, scouts questioned Bart's effort behind the dish, but the recent feedback has been exceptional. When he's locked in and focused, he looks the part. Offensively, Bart has plus raw power to all fields and has a solid track record in the ACC, hitting 13 home runs during his sophomore season and hitting 11 home runs through his first 37 games this spring. Bart also has a solid wood bat track record, hitting .309/.389/.433 with two home runs in the Cape Cod League in 2016, which should help ease the worries of teams who might knock him for a poor summer in 2017, when he was dealing with a groin injury while playing for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team. Bart does have a history of striking out a bit too much, and most evaluators put the hit tool at fringe-average at best, but the combination of his defensive tools and his ability to get to his power in-game at a position that is incredibly scarce should have him flying off the board early.
• Ranked #183 prospect in 2015 draft
  After handling a strong pitching staff and helping Buford High to a state championship this spring, Bart is now poised to become the first position player drafted in school history. He stands out most for his prowess at the plate. Bart generates easy bat speed that translates into above-average power potential. He also shows enough feel for the barrel to hit for average in addition to power. The bigger questions revolve around Bart's defense. He called his own games in high school and has improved as a receiver. But he struggled at times this spring, especially early in the season, and many scouts think he'll eventually move to first base. Bart is committed to Georgia Tech, as is fellow power-hitting Georgia prep catcher Tyler Stephenson, though it's more likely Bart makes it to campus.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #7 prospect in 2021
  Bart shook off his rough MLB debut last year to post a solid first full season at Triple-A. He missed time in May with a groin strain and was out most of August with a quad strain, but he performed on both sides of the ball when healthy. Bart earned solid reviews as a receiver, blocked well and threw out 33% of basestealers. At the plate he showed plus power to all fields, tightened the holes in his swing and did a better job taking advantage of mistakes. He ranked among the league leaders in batting average and OPS before his quad strain slowed him at the end of the year. “He’s better than what I had heard defensively,” Salt Lake manager Lou Marson said, “and he’s going to drive some balls.” Bart is still prone to chasing sliders down and away and needs to improve his plate discipline. His main tasks behind the plate are to improve his energy level and body language.
• 
  Ranked California League #2 prospect in 2019
  Bart missed seven weeks with a broken bone in his left hand after being hit by a pitch and didn’t fully regain his grip strength for another month after he returned. He began feeling 100 percent in mid-July and hit .315/.358/.584 in his final 20 games before a promotion to Double-A. When healthy, Bart showed strong plate discipline and easy plus power to all fields. He mainly stood out on defense, where he showed soft hands and average receiving skills, plus arm strength and a knack for framing. Bart took charge of his pitching staff and was voted the league’s best defensive catcher by managers. "He’s a true talent behind the plate,” Stockton manager Webster Garrison said. "Receiving, blocking, throwing, as well as a big power guy at the plate. He’s a frontline catcher coming along. He looks like a real, real good pick for those guys.”
• 
  Ranked Northwest League #1 prospect in 2018
  After a standout junior season at Georgia Tech in which he led the Atlantic Coast Conference in batting average and finished among the top three in on-base and slugging percentage, Bart was taken second overall in the June draft, just behind Auburn righthander Casey Mize. He got a quick tune-up in the Rookie-level Arizona League but otherwise spent the entirety of his pro debut in the NWL. Bart was expected to be one of the most advanced hitters in the league, and he delivered. He showed an easy swing with exceptional barrel control that allowed him to hit 13 home runs, which was tied for third in the league. He especially impressed scouts by crushing pitches without having to sell out for power. There were some evaluators, however, who believe he might be best served by toning down a sizable leg kick. Defensively, Bart showed a strong arm, as well as fearlessness when it came to blocking pitches in the dirt.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #71 prospect in 2022
• Ranked Baseball America's #41 prospect in 2021
• Ranked Baseball America's #32 prospect in 2020
• Ranked Baseball America's #29 prospect in 2019

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: After dealing with a pair of broken bones in his hands in 2019, Bart, whom the Giants chose with the second overall pick in 2018, was invited to the team’s alternate training site in 2020 and made his big league debut ahead of schedule while the team tried to fill the hole left by stalwart catcher Buster Posey opting out of the season during the pandemic. Bart returned to the big leagues briefly in 2021 but otherwise spent the season at Triple-A, where he attempted to get back on a normal development track.
  
  Scouting Report: One of the problematic parts of Bart’s game revolved around closing a hole on the inside part of the plate. He made strides in that regard this season, hitting .280 on pitches on the inner third. That’s a steep drop from the numbers he produced on balls on the outer third, but a respectable number nonetheless. He shows plenty of impact potential when he connects and is likely to be a power-over-hit player once he reaches San Francisco for good. Evaluators both internally and externally saw improvement from Bart on defense, especially when it came to receiving. He allowed just six passed balls all season and caught 32.6% of attempted basestealers. Opposing evaluators noted he could stand to show better leadership qualities and body language behind the plate.
  
  The Future: With Posey retired, Bart’s pathway to the big leagues is wide open. He should compete for the starting job on Opening Day.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Bart shook off his rough MLB debut last year to post a solid first full season at Triple-A. He missed time in May with a groin strain and was out most of August with a quad strain, but he performed on both sides of the ball when healthy. Bart earned solid reviews as a receiver, blocked well and threw out 33% of basestealers. At the plate he showed plus power to all fields, tightened the holes in his swing and did a better job taking advantage of mistakes. He ranked among the league leaders in batting average and OPS before his quad strain slowed him at the end of the year. “He’s better than what I had heard defensively,” Salt Lake manager Lou Marson said, “and he’s going to drive some balls.” Bart is still prone to chasing sliders down and away and needs to improve his plate discipline. His main tasks behind the plate are to improve his energy level and body language.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Running: 40. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Bart parlayed an excellent career at Georgia Tech into becoming the second overall pick in the 2018 draft. He made a splash in his pro debut, but suffered two hand injuries in 2019. He broke his left hand during the regular season and his right thumb in the Arizona Fall League, both the result of errant pitches. The Giants made Bart part of their 60-man player pool in 2020 and installed him as regular catcher after calling him up on Aug. 20.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bart is a big, strong hitter who can impact the ball with tremendous force, but he still needs refinement. He struck out nearly 37% of the time in the majors as pitchers quickly learned to attack him with hard stuff inside before finishing him with breaking balls out of the zone. Bart has trouble catching up to velocity inside because of the way he moves his body while loading his swing. Bart has a strong arm and quick release but threw out just 18% of basestealers in the majors, which can be somewhat attributed to learning a new pitching staff on the fly. He's a strong blocker and receiver and a surprisingly swift runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bart's major league debut came before he was ready. He will start 2021 in the upper levels of the minors to continue polishing his game.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Running: 40. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Bart parlayed an excellent career at Georgia Tech into becoming the second overall pick in the 2018 draft. He made a splash in his pro debut, but suffered two hand injuries in 2019. He broke his left hand during the regular season and his right thumb in the Arizona Fall League, both the result of errant pitches. The Giants made Bart part of their 60-man player pool in 2020 and installed him as regular catcher after calling him up on Aug. 20.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bart is a big, strong hitter who can impact the ball with tremendous force, but he still needs refinement. He struck out nearly 37% of the time in the majors as pitchers quickly learned to attack him with hard stuff inside before finishing him with breaking balls out of the zone. Bart has trouble catching up to velocity inside because of the way he moves his body while loading his swing. Bart has a strong arm and quick release but threw out just 18% of basestealers in the majors, which can be somewhat attributed to learning a new pitching staff on the fly. He’s a strong blocker and receiver and a surprisingly swift runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bart’s major league debut came before he was ready. He will start 2021 in the upper levels of the minors to continue polishing his game.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Running: 40. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Bart parlayed an excellent career at Georgia Tech into becoming the second overall pick in the 2018 draft. He made a splash in his pro debut, but suffered two hand injuries in 2019. He broke his left hand during the regular season and his right thumb in the Arizona Fall League, both the result of errant pitches. The Giants made Bart part of their 60-man player pool in 2020 and installed him as regular catcher after calling him up on Aug. 20.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bart is a big, strong hitter who can impact the ball with tremendous force, but he still needs refinement. He struck out nearly 37% of the time in the majors as pitchers quickly learned to attack him with hard stuff inside before finishing him with breaking balls out of the zone. Bart has trouble catching up to velocity inside because of the way he moves his body while loading his swing. Bart has a strong arm and quick release but threw out just 18% of basestealers in the majors, which can be somewhat attributed to learning a new pitching staff on the fly. He’s a strong blocker and receiver and a surprisingly swift runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bart’s major league debut came before he was ready. He will start 2021 in the upper levels of the minors to continue polishing his game.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After three stellar seasons at Georgia Tech, Bart found himself in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Tigers snapped up Auburn righthander Casey Mize in that spot, and the Giants were happy to select Bart a few minutes later. Since moving to pro ball, Bart has steadily proved himself an excellent prospect on both sides of the ball. He dealt with a pair of hand injuries in 2019 that cost him significant chunks of the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When healthy, Bart shows few flaws. He puts the bat on the ball often and has the strength and bat speed to produce potentially plus power, especially to the pull side. He has a hole on the inner half that he’ll need to close if he’s to be an average big league hitter. If he does that, he could be an all-star. Behind the plate, Bart has a quick exchange and release and plus arm strength that should help him erase would-be basestealers. He also shows strong abilities to block and receive and call games.
  
  THE FUTURE: The injuries limited Bart to 89 games between the regular season and the AFL, which delays his big league debut a little. When he does get there, potentially in the middle of 2020, he has all the makings of a player poised to receive the torch from Buster Posey.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After three stellar seasons at Georgia Tech, Bart found himself in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Tigers snapped up Auburn righthander Casey Mize in that spot, and the Giants were happy to select Bart a few minutes later. Since moving to pro ball, Bart has steadily proved himself an excellent prospect on both sides of the ball. He dealt with a pair of hand injuries in 2019 that cost him significant chunks of the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When healthy, Bart shows few flaws. He puts the bat on the ball often and has the strength and bat speed to produce potentially plus power, especially to the pull side. He has a hole on the inner half that he'll need to close if he's to be an average big league hitter. If he does that, he could be an all-star. Behind the plate, Bart has a quick exchange and release and plus arm strength that should help him erase would-be basestealers. He also shows strong abilities to block and receive and call games.
  
  THE FUTURE: The injuries limited Bart to 89 games between the regular season and the AFL, which delays his big league debut a little. When he does get there, potentially in the middle of 2020, he has all the makings of a player poised to receive the torch from Buster Posey.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Bart missed seven weeks with a broken bone in his left hand after being hit by a pitch and didn’t fully regain his grip strength for another month after he returned. He began feeling 100 percent in mid-July and hit .315/.358/.584 in his final 20 games before a promotion to Double-A. When healthy, Bart showed strong plate discipline and easy plus power to all fields. He mainly stood out on defense, where he showed soft hands and average receiving skills, plus arm strength and a knack for framing. Bart took charge of his pitching staff and was voted the league’s best defensive catcher by managers. "He’s a true talent behind the plate,” Stockton manager Webster Garrison said. "Receiving, blocking, throwing, as well as a big power guy at the plate. He’s a frontline catcher coming along. He looks like a real, real good pick for those guys.”
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Catchers often take a little longer to develop than hitters with less defensive responsibilities, but Bart’s arrival in San Francisco could end up being well-timed. Drafted second overall from Georgia Tech and signed for $7.025 million, Bart becomes the Giants long-term catcher of the future. Buster Posey is under contract through 2021 when he will be 34. Bart’s arrival in 2020 or 2021 should help Posey slide to a less-demanding position. Bart has the power and defensive skills to be a future everyday catcher, although whether his fringe-average hit tool develops bears watching.