Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Joey Bart has looked like a star. He’s also looked like a rookie.
Through his first seven major league games, the Giants catcher of the future has shown why, the tools jumping out, the calm demeanor immediately setting him from apart from so many debuting players.
But a player who played just 22 games above Class-A and who has no extended experience with the pitchers he’s catching has been green, too, in all facets of the game.
The sheer power in his bat has never been in question, and the rockets he’s been sending around Oracle Park have verified it. But he arrived with a reputation of whiffing too much, which was evident in his 0-for-5-with-four-strikeouts day Thursday in the doubleheader.
Granted, there are worse sins than chasing bouncing Clayton Kershaw curveballs, but it underscores the amount of learning that still has to come for a 23-year-old.
“He’s going to have his bumps and bruises. He’s going to go through a stretch of 15-20 at-bats that don’t look great,” Gabe Kapler said after the Giants were swept in Thursday’s pair of games. “He’s going to struggle behind the plate. He’s an inexperienced young player that is going to take lumps along the way. He’s also going to have a lot of successes, and he’s going to be really good for a long time.
“In the interim, though, there are going to be some ups and downs. We’re going to be patient with him. We’re going to talk to him about how he can get better and look to develop him at every turn.”
The problem with developing catchers at the major league level is the amount that is expected of them. Bart has to get on the same page with not just every rotation member, guys he’s only caught in camps, but a long bullpen. He’s game-planning for each opponent and learning weaknesses. He is expected to be a leader on the field. He also needs to find time to figure out major league pitching with a bat in his hands.
Bart said earlier this week he does not feel he is overwhelmed, even if he looked it while catching Johnny Cueto.
Cueto is a unique experience for any catcher, let alone a fledgling one. He shook off many Bart signs, and the two had a pair of mound visits Tuesday, each with a Dodgers runner on second — they wanted to ensure the signs wouldn’t be intercepted.
“Johnny is obviously an elite pitcher. I’m just going to learn how to get on the same page with him, that’s all it was,” Bart said over Zoom on Wednesday. “Once he settled in, it was fine. Hopefully next time out will be smooth sailing.”
He also had a crossup with Jarlin Garcia that ended up costing a run, a passed ball becoming a wild throw to third. He dropped a few pitches in the game, issues that should be fixed with increased reps, which he will get.
The hitting woes will be more complicated. Already opposing pitching has begun writing the book on Bart, who struggles when he is jammed. Kershaw struck out Bart on six pitches, sliders and fastballs in and curveballs in the dirt. There were no chances for Bart to extend his powerful arms.
“People have done that to me for a while,” Bart said of the inside pitches. “I know if I can stick to my game and not worry about what they’re going to do to me and do what I do, I’ll be fine. That’s definitely what they’re going to try to do — pretty evident.”
After doubling in each of his first three games, Bart is 0-for-10 in his past three, his slashline down to .182/.308/.318. There is plenty of time for him to bounce back, although the fact the Giants are suddenly in a playoff race provides more urgency.
“The league is going to make quick adjustments to Joey,” Kapler said, “and Joey is always going to need to adjust back.”