November 4th 2024.
Since Buster Posey took over as the Giants' president of baseball operations, he has made it clear that his main goal is to create a team that excels in fundamental skills, particularly in strong defense. And at his very first press conference as the team's new general manager, Zack Minasian echoed the same sentiment.
As they begin their journey to build next year's team, Posey and Minasian won't have to look far to find two of the best defensive players in baseball.
On Sunday, third baseman Matt Chapman and catcher Patrick Bailey were both named Gold Glove Award winners, making it the first time since 2016 that the Giants have had multiple recipients in a single season. This also marks the first time since 2021 that any Giants players have received the award, with Brandon Crawford being the last to do so.
Chapman expressed his gratitude for the award, acknowledging the tough competition in the National League and feeling honored to have won in both the American and National Leagues. Bailey also shared his pride in winning the award and his determination to improve in all aspects of his game.
Although outfielder Mike Yastrzemski was a finalist for the Gold Glove, the award ultimately went to Sal Frelick from the Brewers. However, Fremont's own Steven Kwan won his third Gold Glove Award, making him the first player to do so in his first three major-league seasons.
This is Chapman's fifth Gold Glove award, three of which he received during his time with the A's. He also has two Platinum Glove Awards and has accumulated 109 defensive runs saved since his debut, making him the highest among any position player.
On the other hand, Bailey, who is arguably the best defensive catcher in baseball, has won his first Gold Glove award in his young career. He joins a list of elite Giants catchers such as Buster Posey, Mike Matheney, and Kirt Manwaring.
Both Chapman and Bailey were strong contenders for the award based on publicly available defensive metrics. Chapman led all third basemen in defensive runs saved and was tied for the most outs above average with Joey Ortiz from the Brewers. Bailey, who was a finalist last year, caught an impressive 19 runners attempting to steal second base out of 64 attempts. He also ranked first among all defenders in fielding run value and topped all catchers in defensive runs saved and catcher framing runs. His pop time of 1.85 seconds was also among the best in baseball, tied with J.T. Realmuto from the Phillies and Korey Lee from the White Sox. He also ranked second in caught stealing above average.
When asked about each other's standout defensive plays, Bailey quickly pointed to Chapman's game-saving gem against the Mets in Queens. Chapman couldn't pinpoint a specific play for Bailey but commended his backstop's ability to throw out runners with his quick transfer and precise throws.
Although the Giants boast two of the best fielders in baseball, their overall defense still has room for improvement. Last season, their outfielders had a combined -16 defensive runs saved and -19 outs above average. However, these numbers are expected to improve once Jung Hoo Lee returns to center field after being sidelined for most of the season due to a left shoulder injury. The Giants' shortstops also struggled with a combined -11 defensive runs saved and -3 outs above average, but they have the potential to quickly improve if the team manages to sign free agents such as Willy Adames or Ha-Seong Kim.
Chapman expressed his willingness to help bring in new players and contribute to the team's success, even with Posey being busy with the GM hiring process. He is committed to the Giants and believes that they have the potential to win with the current roster and staff. He is willing to do whatever it takes, whether it's trading or signing players, to help the team improve and ultimately win.
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