[DC 86]

The bar for MLB catchers is so low that Bart (legit catcher, willing to take a walk, power) isn't dead weight, especially at the minimum salary. Of course if he continues to strike out more than half the time (entirely possible) then Casali will play more, but Bart isn't a terrible problem for SF, it just looks worse than it is given that he was the #2 overall pick and he's replacing an MVP and likely hall of famer. Expectations just need to be reset.

Not sure who the worst strikeout percentage hitter was over a career. Rob Deer is 36% strikeouts as a percentage of at bats, Mark Reynolds was 35%.  Joey Bart is at 46%.  Both Deer and Reynolds hit a lot of HRs, Deer at 230, Reynolds at 298. Deer hit an HR once every 17 at bats, Reynolds was once every 18.  Bart is once every 56.

In aggregate catchers in MLB this year are hitting 210/282/328 (.610 OPS). Bart is hitting 167/315/333 (.648 OPS). The sample size is so small as to be meaningless, and Bart's high strikeout rate (which isn't new for him) bodes badly going forward. But my point stands that league-wide hitting for catchers is so bad (as it has been for a while now) that Bart isn't dragging the Giants down at the moment, in fact his hitting overall is above average for the position despite the low batting average and ridiculous strikeout rate.

[DC 86]

The bar for MLB catchers is so low that Bart (legit catcher, willing to take a walk, power) isn't dead weight, especially at the minimum salary. Of course if he continues to strike out more than half the time (entirely possible) then Casali will play more, but Bart isn't a terrible problem for SF, it just looks worse than it is given that he was the #2 overall pick and he's replacing an MVP and likely hall of famer. Expectations just need to be reset.

Not sure who the worst strikeout percentage hitter was over a career. Rob Deer is 36% strikeouts as a percentage of at bats, Mark Reynolds was 35%.  Joey Bart is at 46%.  Both Deer and Reynolds hit a lot of HRs, Deer at 230, Reynolds at 298. Deer hit an HR once every 17 at bats, Reynolds was once every 18.  Bart is once every 56.

In aggregate catchers in MLB this year are hitting 210/282/328 (.610 OPS). Bart is hitting 167/315/333 (.648 OPS). The sample size is so small as to be meaningless, and Bart's high strikeout rate (which isn't new for him) bodes badly going forward. But my point stands that league-wide hitting for catchers is so bad (as it has been for a while now) that Bart isn't dragging the Giants down at the moment, in fact his hitting overall is above average for the position despite the low batting average and ridiculous strikeout rate.