When the Guardians brought in Patrick Bailey in early May, the move raised eyebrows. Cleveland already had Austin Hedges handling the defense-first catcher role, and Bo Naylor was the one getting bumped despite being the bat with more upside, even if his season had gotten off to a miserable start.
Five months later, Bailey looks like a completely different offensive player in Cleveland.
That transformation was on full display in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, when Bailey launched a solo shot in the seventh inning to tie the game before the Guardians rolled to a 7-3 win. It was the kind of swing that has become routine for him since landing in Cleveland.
The numbers tell the story. In 383 games with the San Francisco Giants, Bailey hit .224 with 22 home runs, a .329 slugging percentage, a .611 OPS and a 72 OPS+. In 88 games as a Guardian, he’s at .240 with 11 home runs, a .415 slugging percentage, a .716 OPS and a 99 OPS+.
His regular-season work in Cleveland was already a clear step forward. Over 82 games, Bailey posted a .390 slugging percentage and an .683 slugging mark that would have sat well above his previous career bests over a full season. He also drilled nine homers after never reaching that total in more than three years with San Francisco.
The postseason has pushed things even further.
Through six career playoff games, Bailey is hitting .368/.400/.684 with two home runs in seven hits. His 1.084 OPS ranks 10th among all playoff players and third among those still active, trailing only Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras and teammate Jose Ramirez, and sitting ahead of teammate Chase DeLauter.
He has also come up big in key moments. In Game 4 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox, Bailey entered as a pinch-hitter for Hedges and crushed a solo homer for Cleveland’s first run in a must-win game. Ramirez followed with a two-run blast that put the Guardians ahead in a game they eventually won 9-5.
Heading into Game 2 on Tuesday, Bailey had six hits in his last 14 at-bats. If that stretch continues, he could even find himself in the ALCS MVP conversation - a thought that would have sounded far-fetched when he arrived in Cleveland five months ago.
In Other News...
Cade Smith Is Giving Cleveland A Bullpen Edge And A Real Debate
Cade Smith has turned into one of the most important arms in Clevelands postseason push, showing up in every playoff game so far and giving Stephen Vogt a trusted option no matter how the late innings have unfolded. The Guardians have not treated him like a one-inning closer as much as a flexible weapon, and that usage has helped give their bullpen a different kind of edge when the margin gets tight.
Hunter Gaddis has been part of that mix too, keeping runs off the board and giving Cleveland more than one late-game answer. The bigger question now is how Vogt keeps sorting through those leverage spots as the pressure rises, especially with Smith continuing to look like the kind of pitcher who can handle just about any inning he is handed. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Flipped This ALCS In Their Favor Early
The Guardians opened the AL Championship Series by taking Game 1 from the Rays, 7-3, and in the process gave themselves an early edge in a series that now shifts to Tropicana Field. Foster Griffin set the tone with four strong innings, and Cleveland got useful offense throughout the night from Chase DeLauter, Patrick Bailey, Jose Ramirez and Jo Adell as the lineup kept putting pressure on Tampa Bay.
For a club trying to seize control early in a short series, the timing of the big hits mattered just as much as the final margin. Cleveland turned a tight game into a more comfortable finish before the inning-by-inning tension fully settled, and with a 1-0 lead in hand, the Guardians have already made the Rays feel like they are chasing from behind. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Pulled Off Another October Rally Fans Wont Forget
The opening game of the American League Championship Series had the feel of an old October script for Cleveland, with Tampa Bay jumping out to a two-run lead in the first inning and the Guardians left to climb out of another early hole. Instead of letting the moment get away from them, Cleveland kept putting traffic on the bases and waited for the swing that could change the game, eventually stacking together enough offense to turn a tense start into a night that felt very much in line with the way this club has won so many big games.
Chase DeLauter and Patrick Bailey delivered the kind of extra-base jolts that can flip a postseason game in a hurry, and Jos Ramrez kept the pressure on with three hits and an RBI as the innings wore on. By the time the Guardians were protecting a 7-3 lead in the ninth, the story had become less about the early deficit and more about a lineup that never stopped answering, while Clevelands pitching made sure Tampa Bay never found a late counterpunch and the series opened with the Guardians in control. [Read more 🡒]