This year, Bobby Witt, the Kansas City Royals SS, won the Platinum Glove (best defender in MLB regardless of position). But it very well could have gone to former NC State backstop Patrick Bailey, who had an unreal defensive season for the San Francisco Giants.
Matthew Knauer makes a compelling case on X…
He didn’t win the Platinum Glove, but Patrick Bailey is without a doubt baseball’s best defender. Even with a 70 wRC+, he racked up 3.2 WAR — an incredibly valuable piece for the Giants.
— Matthew Knauer (@matthewk36711) November 8, 2025
In the “shadow” of the strike zone, he converted 47.