Former Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart, the No.2 overall draft pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2018 is being called up to the Major League club for the first time.
Former Georgia Tech baseball standout Joey Bart will soon be making his long-awaited MLB debut after being called up by the San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon. Bart, was the No.2 overall draft pick in the 2018 MLB Draft after putting together a tremendous career on the Flats.
The Giants are shorthanded at the catcher position with Buster Posey choosing to opt-out of the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Tyler Heineman and Chadwick Tromp were the two replacements for Posey behind the plate but both have struggled offensively, leading to Bart’s call up.
OFFICIAL: It's happening. #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/es0Rt7nigG
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 20, 2020
The offense has been no problem for Bart in the minor leagues as he slashed a .316 with 4 HRs and 11 RBI in 22 games with the Giants AA affiliate team in Richmond in 2019. For his minor league career, Bart has hit .284 with 29 HR and 88 RBI.
Bart is the number one overall prospect in the Giants organization and has been rumored to have taken major strides in development at the Giants alternate training site during this MLB season. The Giants envision Bart to be their catcher of the future and fulfill a role much like what Posey serves for them right now as catcher and occasional first baseman.
During his career with the Yellow Jackets, Bart was one of the best hitting catchers in the entire nation, hitting .304 over his three seasons with 30 home runs and 122 RBI.