One Giants' cornerstone is quietly projected for an All-Star level 4.6 WAR

The San Francisco Giants come into the new season with a ton of hype. They will be led by Tony Vitello, who has taken over the managerial duties from Bob Melvin. 

Outside of that, they also made some smart moves over the winter. They acquired Harrison Bader on a two-year deal, and he should be a major help to SF in the outfield. 

They also struck a deal with Luis Arraez. His bat-to-ball skills could be just what the Giants needed after struggling to consistently push runs across the board. 

MORE: The Giants' success hinges on an offense finally outperforming its projections

One Giants' cornerstone is quietly projected for an All-Star level 4.6 WAR

With the new faces, you cannot forget about the returning core. Rafael Devers could have a monster year this year, and the same goes for Matt Chapman. 

However, San Francisco's backstop, Patrick Bailey, could be the one to keep an eye on. He is projected to have a 4.6-WAR season, according to MLB.com. 

"Despite posting a .602 OPS last season, Bailey was still worth 3.2 WAR in 135 games thanks to his elite defense behind the dish. In 2024, Bailey racked up a 4.3 WAR despite his .637 OPS, so it's not out of the question for a bounceback to a 4-ish-win season. Bailey will have plenty of company competing for the WAR lead, with Logan Webb leading the Giants last season in that metric and Matt Chapman doing so in 2024."

Bailey's defense wizardry has saved him, and if he can put together some better numbers at the plate, he could be the one to lead this club in WAR. However, with how Logan Webb looked last season, that could be tough. 

Bailey has been working on some minor adjustments offensively over the offseason, according to NBS Sports' Alex Pavlovic. So, don't be surprised if he looks like an improved hitter at the plate and the same elite catcher behind the dish this upcoming season.

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