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Joey Bart
Joey Bart
Joey Bart
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Joseph Andrew Bart (born December 15, 1996) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants.

Key Information

Bart played college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He won the Johnny Bench Award in 2018 as the best collegiate catcher. The Giants chose him with the second overall pick of the 2018 MLB draft and he made his MLB debut in 2020. The Giants traded Bart to the Pirates in 2024.

Amateur career

[edit]

Bart attended Buford High School in Buford, Georgia.[1] He became the starting catcher for the school's baseball team in his freshman year. He had a .556 on-base percentage and a .859 slugging percentage in his junior year, but was pitched around by opposing teams in his senior year, decreasing his performance. Buford HS won the Georgia Class 4A State Championship his senior year going 34–2 and finishing ranked as 8th in the MaxPreps National Poll. The Tampa Bay Rays selected Bart in the 27th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, but he opted not to sign.[2]

Bart enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology to play college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and majored in business administration. After his freshman year in 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), where he was named a league all-star.[3][4] He was named to the Johnny Bench Award watch list in his sophomore year,[5] but he missed the last 11 games of his sophomore season with a broken finger.[6] Following his sophomore season, he played for the United States national collegiate baseball team,[7] and returned to the CCBL to play with the Harwich Mariners.[8][9]

In 2018, his junior year, Bart had a .359 batting average, the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), a .632 slugging percentage, the second-highest in the ACC, and a .471 on base percentage, third-highest in the conference, along with 16 home runs (5th) and 55 runs (9th).[10][11][12] He was named to the Golden Spikes Award watch list,[13] and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Baseball Player of the Year.[14] Bart also won the Johnny Bench Award.[15]

Professional career

[edit]

San Francisco Giants

[edit]

Minor leagues

[edit]

Considered a top prospect in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft,[12][16] the San Francisco Giants selected Bart with the second overall pick.[17] He signed with the Giants for $7,025,000, the largest signing bonus ever for a position player.[18]

Due to the layoff following the college season, the Giants sent Bart to their Scottsdale, Arizona, facility, before assigning him to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Class A Short Season Northwest League.[19][20] In 45 games and 181 at bats for Salem-Keizer, Bart slashed .298/.369/.613 (leading the Northwest League) with 13 home runs (3rd) and 39 RBIs (5th), as he also was second in the league in hit-by-pitch, with 9.[21][22] He was named an NWL mid-season All Star, a NWL post-season All Star, a Baseball America Short-Season All Star, and a 2018 MiLB.com Organization All Star.[23]

The Giants invited Bart to spring training as a non-roster player in 2019.[24] Bart began the 2019 season with the San Jose Giants of the Class A-Advanced California League.[25] He broke his hand on a hit by pitch on April 15 and was on the injured list until June 4.[26] Bart was named to the 2019 All-Star Futures Game.[27] In August, the Giants promoted Bart to the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Class AA Eastern League,[28] with whom he finished the year. Over 79 games and 313 at bats between the two clubs, Bart slashed .278/.328/.495 with 16 home runs and 48 RBIs.[29] He played in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions following the season, for whom he batted .333/.524/.767 with four home runs (2nd) and 10 RBIs in 30 at bats, and was named a "Rising Star".[11][23][30][29] He was named a 2019 MiLB.com Organization All-Star.[23]

The Giants again invited Bart to spring training in 2020.[31] With the 2020 minor league season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Giants assigned Bart to their alternate training site.[32]

Major leagues

[edit]

On August 20, 2020, Bart was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[33] He made his debut that night against the Los Angeles Angels and got his first career hit, a double off of Julio Teherán.[34] Bart recorded an extra-base hit in each of his first three career games, only the third Giants player to do so since at least 1901.[35] He finished the season slashing a weak .233/.288/.320 in 33 games.[36]

On May 4, 2021, Bart was called back up to the majors from one of the Giants alternate training sites.[37] He had one at bat as a pinch hitter in the Giants' second game of the double header against the Colorado Rockies.[38] Two days later, Bart was optioned to the Sacramento River Cats to start the Triple-A season.[39] On July 10, due to the hand injury of Buster Posey, the Giants called Bart up again after he was hitting over .335 with an OPS of over .980.[40] Bart hit seventh and caught Anthony DeSclafani while going 2–5 with two singles and an RBI.[41] The following day, Bart was optioned back down to Triple-A Sacramento during the All-Star break.[42]

Bart began the 2022 season with San Francisco, and hit his first career home run off of Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara on April 8.[43] Bart struggled in his brief look and was optioned down to Triple-A Sacramento on June 8, after the Giants traded for Austin Wynns.[44] Playing in a career–high 97 games, Bart again had difficulty keeping up with the bat, as he slashed .215/.296/.364, to go with 11 home runs and 25 RBI.[45]

Bart made the Opening Day roster for the Giants in 2023, but ceded starting duties to Roberto Pérez to begin the year.[46] After Pérez underwent season-ending surgery on April 13, Bart assumed the starting role, with Blake Sabol serving as the backup.[47] Bart hit .231 in 26 games before being placed on the injured list on May 19 with a groin strain.[48] Upon being activated on June 10, Bart was optioned to Triple–A Sacramento in favor of Patrick Bailey, leaving Bailey and Sabol as the starting and backup catchers.[49] In 30 games for San Francisco, Bart batted a very weak .207/.263/.264, with no home runs and only five RBIs.

The Giants signed Tom Murphy during the 2023–24 offseason. Bart made the Opening Day roster with Bailey and Murphy.[50] On March 31, Bart was designated for assignment following the promotion of Daulton Jefferies.[51][52]

Pittsburgh Pirates

[edit]

On April 2, 2024, the Giants traded Bart to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Austin Strickland.[53] He began competing with Henry Davis for playing time, as Jason Delay and Yasmani Grandal were injured.[54] Across 80 games for the Pirates in 2024, Bart batted .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI.[55]

In 2025, Bart won the starting catcher job out of spring training, but was injured on May 28th with a concussion.[56] After Bart came back from his injury, he split time behind the plate with Davis, winding up with a .249/.355/.340 slash line. Bart hit just 4 home runs and had 30 runs batted in.[57]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Joey Bart

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Joseph Andrew Bart (born December 15, 1996), known professionally as Joey Bart, is an American professional baseball for the of (MLB). Standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 235 pounds, Bart bats and throws right-handed and was selected by the Giants with the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft after a standout college career at . He made his MLB debut with the Giants on August 20, 2020, and played there through the 2023 season before being and traded to the Pirates on April 2, 2024, in exchange for pitcher Austin Strickland. As of the end of the 2025 season, Bart has appeared in 335 MLB games across six seasons, compiling a .239 , 28 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .692 . Bart grew up in Buford, Georgia, and attended , where he majored in while playing for the Yellow Jackets baseball team from 2016 to 2018. As a freshman in 2016, he earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors with a .299 batting average, 10 doubles, and 31 RBIs. Over his three college seasons, Bart hit .321 with 30 home runs, 35 doubles, 112 RBIs, and 115 runs scored in 144 games, primarily as or . In 2018, his junior year, he hit .359 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs in 57 games. That year, he became the first Georgia Tech player to win the Award as the nation's top collegiate , was named ACC Player of the Year, and finished as a semifinalist for the . In his professional career, Bart progressed quickly through the Giants' system, reaching Triple-A Sacramento by 2019. After debuting in the majors amid the shortened 2020 season due to , he served as a backup for , appearing in 177 games from 2021 to 2023 with a .240 and 13 runs. Designated for assignment in March 2024, Bart was acquired by , where he posted .265 with 13 runs and 45 RBIs in 80 games during the 2024 season. In 2025, Bart won the starting job and batted .249 with 4 runs and 30 RBIs in 93 games (285 at-bats) during the regular season, though it was considered a down year with trade rumors emerging by November.

Amateur career

High school

Joseph Andrew Bart was born on December 15, 1996, in . He attended Buford High School, where he distinguished himself as a multi-sport , competing in and football. In , Bart was a four-year letterwinner under head coach Tony Wolfe, playing primarily as a and . As a senior in 2015, he batted .437 with 35 RBIs and contributed key hits, such as an RBI single in the state championship game, while leading the Wolves to a 34–2 record and the GHSA Class AAAA state title—their third in school history. He finished his high school career as Buford's all-time leader in hits, RBIs, and runs scored, earning first-team GHSA All-State honors in 2013, 2014, and 2015, along with Louisville Slugger All-American First Team recognition and a spot on the 2014–15 All-USA Georgia Baseball Team selected by High School Sports. Bart also participated in football at Buford, a program renowned in Georgia's competitive landscape, where he played as a strong safety and , drawing on his athletic versatility before prioritizing . After high school, Bart was selected by the in the 27th round of the 2015 MLB Draft but opted to attend , honoring his commitment to develop his skills at the collegiate level.

College

Bart enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015 to play college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball team, majoring in business administration. He redshirted his freshman season and began playing in 2016. Over three seasons from 2016 to 2018, Bart appeared in 144 games for the Yellow Jackets, starting 143 of them primarily as catcher or designated hitter. He compiled a .321 batting average with 30 home runs, 35 doubles, 112 RBIs, and 115 runs scored, while posting a .407 on-base percentage and .544 slugging percentage. His defensive prowess behind the plate included a .990 fielding percentage. As a in 2017, Bart hit .296 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs in 44 games. He earned All-ACC Second Team honors and was a semifinalist for the Award, recognizing the nation's top collegiate . Bart's junior season in 2018 was a breakout year, as he led the ACC with a .359 while ranking second in the conference with a .632 . In 57 games, he slashed .359/.471/.632 with 16 home runs, 38 RBIs, 79 hits, 12 doubles, 41 walks, and only 56 strikeouts. His performance helped finish 31-27 overall and 14-16 in ACC play, qualifying for the ACC Tournament. Bart received multiple accolades that year, including the Award as the top collegiate , ACC Player of the Year, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and consensus First Team honors. Prior to his full college career, Bart had been selected by the in the 27th round (808th overall) of the 2015 MLB Draft out of high school but chose not to sign and instead honored his commitment to .

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

The Giants selected Joey Bart with the second overall pick in the , making him the first catcher taken and the highest-drafted catcher since 2008. His impressive junior season at , where he batted .321 with 30 home runs, 35 doubles, 112 RBIs, and 115 runs scored over 144 games and earned All-ACC honors, positioned him as a top prospect. Bart signed with the Giants for a $7,025,000 bonus, setting a record at the time for the largest up-front payment to a drafted . Following his signing, Bart began his professional career with the Arizona League Giants (Rookie level) for six games before a promotion to the of the . In 45 games with Salem-Keizer, he posted a .298 , .369 , and .613 , while hitting 13 home runs and driving in 39 runs. His performance highlighted his raw power, with 19.7% of his plate appearances resulting in hard contact. Bart opened the 2019 season with the High-A of the , where he batted .265 with a .315 and .479 , including 12 home runs in 57 games. In April 2019, Bart suffered a fractured right hand after being hit by a pitch, missing 4-6 weeks. He was promoted to the Double-A in July, slashing .316/.368/.544 with four home runs over 22 games. During his time in San Jose, the injury contributed to a midseason slump before his promotion. The 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the , limiting Bart to instructional league play and the Giants' alternate training site, which delayed his further development. Through , Bart's performance underscored his power potential, as he slugged .522 across 124 games while primarily serving as a with above-average arm strength and blocking skills that projected him as a plus defender behind the plate.

San Francisco Giants

Joey Bart made his major league debut on August 20, 2020, starting at for the San Francisco Giants in a 10-5 win over the at . In his rookie season, shortened by the , Bart appeared in 33 games, batting .233 with a .288 and .320 , while recording no home runs and 7 RBI over 103 at-bats. His debut year was marked by a high rate of 36.9%, reflecting adjustment challenges as the primary following Buster Posey's due to health concerns. The 2021 season saw Bart's role diminish significantly after Posey returned from his , sharing catching duties in a capacity. Limited by a thumb injury sustained in that sidelined him for much of the year, Bart played just 2 games for the Giants, going 2-for-6 with 1 RBI and no extra-base hits. He spent the majority of the season recovering and rehabilitating in the minors, appearing in 67 games with Triple-A Sacramento, where he hit .294 with 10 home runs. Following Posey's retirement after the 2021 campaign, Bart entered 2022 as the presumptive starting but faced ongoing offensive and defensive hurdles. In 97 games, he batted .215 with 11 home runs and 25 RBI, contributing 17 extra-base hits but posting a 30.5% rate. Defensively, Bart struggled with passed balls, allowing 4 in 699.1 caught, and ranked near the bottom among qualified catchers with a -9 blocks above metric. His framing ability also lagged, contributing to below-average run prevention behind the plate. In 2023, injuries including back and groin issues hampered Bart early, leading to a demotion to Triple-A Sacramento in May after 26 major league games where he hit .207 with 5 doubles, no home runs, and 5 RBI. While in Triple-A Sacramento in 2023, Bart played 49 games, batting .253 with 6 home runs and 24 RBIs. Recalled on September 1, he appeared in 4 more games but continued to split time with other catchers like . Over his Giants tenure from 2020 to 2023, Bart played 162 games, slashing .224/.274/.333 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI, primarily serving as a amid competition and health setbacks. On April 2, 2024, the Giants designated Bart for assignment and traded him to the in exchange for minor league right-hander Austin Strickland.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Bart was acquired by the from the Giants on April 2, 2024, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Austin Strickland. In 2024, Bart adjusted quickly to his new team, serving as a primary and posting a .265 with a .337 and .462 , resulting in a career-best .799 over 80 games. He hit 13 home runs and drove in 45 runs, demonstrating improved power and plate discipline with 22 walks compared to just 11 strikeouts in limited action earlier that year. These contributions helped solidify his role behind the plate for . Entering 2025 , Bart secured the starting position with a strong performance, batting .378 with three home runs in 15 games. During the regular season, he maintained a solid on-base approach, slashing .249/.355/.340 with four home runs and 30 RBIs across 93 games. However, his power output dipped from the previous year, reflecting a focus on consistent contact and fewer swing-and-miss tendencies. On May 27, 2025, Bart suffered a after being struck by a backswing to the helmet during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, leading to his placement on the 7-day the following day. He began a rehab assignment with the Triple-A on June 11 and returned to the majors on June 17 after missing approximately 20 games. Upon his return, Bart split catching duties with Henry Davis, contributing in a role through the season's end. Late in the year, he showed flashes of resurgence, including multi-hit games in and a on September 21 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Defensively, Bart exhibited notable improvements in 2024 and 2025, logging 181.2 innings in 2024 and 219.1 in 2025 while enhancing his framing and blocking metrics relative to his time with the Giants, as evidenced by increased percentages and run prevention values. Through the 2025 season, Bart's tenure with marked a successful adaptation as a starter, highlighted by his OPS peak and steady contributions to the team's catching corps.

Personal life

Bart was raised by his parents, Thomas "Tommy" and Karen Bart. His father grew up in Lower Burrell, , near , and was selected by the in the 29th round of the 1979 MLB Draft out of Penn State University, though he never played professionally. His mother is originally from . Bart has two older brothers, Danny and Mikey; the latter played as a at the and briefly signed with teams. Due to his father's roots, Bart grew up as a fan of sports teams despite living in Georgia. He has family in the area, including an uncle in .

References

  1. https://www.mlb.com/player/joey-bart-663698
  2. https://www.mlb.com/news/joey-bart-traded-to-pirates-from-giants
  3. https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/bio/_/id/41168/joey-bart
  4. https://www.mlb.com/press-release/giants-select-c-joey-bart-with-their-first-round-selection-2nd-overall-279828296
  5. https://ramblinwreck.com/roster/joey-bart/
  6. https://theacc.com/news/2018/6/28/baseball-georgia-techs-joey-bart-wins-2018-johnny-bench-award.aspx
  7. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Joey_Bart
  8. https://ramblinwreck.com/bart-tabbed-semifinalist-for-golden-spikes-award/
  9. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=bart--000joe
  10. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bartjo01.shtml
  11. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39864347/san-francisco-giants-trade-c-joey-bart-pittsburgh-pirates
  12. https://pittsburghbaseballnow.com/pittsburgh-pirates-40-man-roster-joey-bart-trade-possibility/
  13. https://www.milb.com/player/joey-bart-663698
  14. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/376817/2018/06/01/the-search-for-no-1-joey-bart-knows-the-value-of-an-opportunity/
  15. https://www.northgwinnettvoice.com/buford-high-school-alumni-then-now-joey-bart/
  16. https://www.ajc.com/blog/high-school-sports/buford-sweeps-whitewater-for-class-aaaa-title/UMzu9t71YoQBbKGWLTd3YO/
  17. https://www.ajc.com/blog/high-school-sports/2015-final-baseball-rankings/eTckIATreZuiZ67SQxlYbO/
  18. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2015406/2020/08/22/one-hell-of-a-time-joey-barts-poised-play-isnt-a-surprise-to-his-family/
  19. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-draft-profile-on-joey-bart-c278089220
  20. https://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/joey-bart-illustrious-georgia-tech-career-propels-him-into-mlb-draft/pTaRqvmLon07Tie2MQwqqL/
  21. https://theacc.com/stats.aspx?path=baseball&year=2018
  22. https://www.mlb.com/news/giants-sign-no-2-overall-draft-pick-joey-bart-c281673158
  23. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/joey-bart/21524/stats?position=C
  24. https://www.times-standard.com/2019/04/16/joey-bart-san-francisco-giants-fractured-hand-injury-hit-by-pitch/
  25. https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/mlb/where-joey-bart-marco-luciano-rank-on-baseball-americas-new-top-100/1304973/
  26. https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/3321-joey-bart/
  27. https://www.mlb.com/news/joey-bart-doubles-for-1st-major-league-hit
  28. https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/joey-bart-2-player-stats?category=fieldingii&seasonType=reg
  29. https://www.thesportsleader.com/2023/03/07/new-advanced-stat-adds-context-to-joey-barts-fielding-giants-catching-room/
  30. https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player/joey-bart-15403
  31. https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/11097/
  32. https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/joey-bart-2-player-stats?category=batting&seasonType=pre
  33. https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/41168/joey-bart
  34. https://www.mlb.com/news/joey-bart-returns-from-concussion-after-20-games
  35. https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/joey-bart-2-player-stats?category=fielding&seasonType=reg
  36. https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/joey-bart-663698
  37. https://www.mlb.com/news/joey-bart-s-family-ties-to-pittsburgh
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