Position: C
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 238 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 12/15/1996
College: Georgia Institute of Technology
Drafted: 1st Round, 2nd Overall, 2018 (Giants)
How Acquired: Trade (from Giants for Austin Strickland)
Bonus: $7,025,000
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: 0
Overview
Bart was heavily hyped when the Giants made him the second overall pick in the 2018 draft. He spent several years at or near the top of their prospect lists and was assumed to be the heir apparent to Buster Posey. It didn’t work out, as Bart struggled to hit in his major league opportunities and wasn’t that impressive in AAA, either. He has power, but he struggles to make contact and doesn’t show a great deal of patience. Much of the problem seems to stem from trouble getting around on inside fastballs. On defense, Bart had a very good reputation coming up through the minors, but Statcast rates him poorly for pitch framing and blocking, and he’s been a little below average against the running game. San Francisco designated Bart for assignment early in the 2024 season and the Pirates acquired him for minor league pitcher Austin Strickland.
2018-19
Bart moved quickly through the Giants’ system, placing high on various prospect lists. He did that despite missing about a third of the 2019 season due to two broken bones in his hands. He dominated in short season ball in 2018, with a .983 OPS. The next year, while in High Class A, he missed nearly two months in the season’s first half, but managed a solid .783 OPS. He played his final 22 games in AA and hit very well.
2020-21
In 2020, Posey decided to opt out of the season due to the pandemic and the Giants brought Bart to the majors. That probably backfired, as Bart hit only 233/288/320 in 33 games, with no home runs and a nightmarish 41:3 K:BB ratio. In 2021, Bart got most of his playing time in AAA, although he also spent the first five weeks at the team’s alternate training site and missed several weeks with an injury. He put up a 294/358/472 line in AAA, with ten home runs in 67 games, although he also had nearly four times as many strikeouts as walks. His CS% was 18%.
2022-24
With Posey retired, Bart spent most of the season with the Giants as their principal catcher. He didn’t hit much better than in 2020, with a 215/296/364 line and a 38.5% strikeout rate. He threw out 21% of base stealers. Bart split his time in 2023 between AAA and the majors, spending the bulk of it in the minors. He had an unimpressive 248/357/393 line in the high-offense California League, although he did at least sharply increase his walk rate. In 30 games in the majors, he hit just 207/263/264.
Out of options, Bart lost out to other catchers in 2024 and the Giants designated him for assignment. The Pirates acquired him a week into the season and he took significant steps toward becoming the player the Giants had hoped. He hit his way into increased playing time, although he missed June with a hamstring injury. By July he took over the first string catching role, also serving as DH at times to keep his bat in the lineup. He put up an OPS over .800 every month except of course June, and also September when he hit a slump. For the year he hit 265/337/463, with 13 home runs in 80 games. He hammered LHPs, with a .996 OPS vs. .730 against RHPs. Defense isn’t his strong suit, although Bart’s 20% CS rate was far better than Yasmani Grandal’s. Statcast rated him below to well below average in all defensive areas, with an 18th percentile rating overall.
Stats
Transactions
June 10, 2015: Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 27th round, 808th overall pick.
June 4, 2018: Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 1st round, 2nd overall pick; signed on June 17.
August 20, 2020: Contract purchased by the San Francisco Giants.
April 2, 2024: Traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Austin Strickland.