Joey Bart Bio
Joseph Andrew Bart, known professionally as Joey Bart, is an American professional baseball catcher. He currently plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves. Bart has also played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He rose to national attention as one of the top college catchers in the country and was selected second overall in the 2018 MLB draft.
Bart earned the Johnny Bench Award in 2018, given annually to the best collegiate catcher in NCAA Division I baseball. He played three seasons of college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, where he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Baseball Player of the Year in his junior season. Bart made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Giants and has remained a starting-caliber catcher throughout his professional career.
Early Life and Background
Joey Bart was born on December 15, 1996, in Buford, Georgia. He grew up in Buford and attended Buford High School, where he quickly became a central figure on the school’s baseball team. Bart earned the starting catcher job as a freshman and remained a fixture behind the plate for the Wolves throughout his high school career.
During his junior year, Bart posted a .556 on-base percentage and an .859 slugging percentage, drawing national attention from scouts. Opposing teams began pitching around him in his senior year, which reduced his offensive numbers but did not diminish his draft stock. In his senior season, Buford High School won the Georgia Class 4A State Championship with a 34–2 record and finished ranked eighth in the MaxPreps National Poll. The Tampa Bay Rays selected Bart in the 27th round of the 2015 MLB draft, but he opted not to sign and instead honored his commitment to play college baseball at Georgia Tech.
Path to Baseball
Bart enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he majored in business administration while playing for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. After his freshman year in 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and was named a league all-star. Following his sophomore season, Bart joined the United States national collegiate baseball team and returned to the CCBL to play for the Harwich Mariners, further raising his profile as one of the country’s premier catching prospects.
In 2018, Bart’s junior season became his defining year as an amateur. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference with a .359 batting average, ranked second with a .632 slugging percentage, and third with a .471 on-base percentage. Bart added 16 home runs and 55 runs that season. He was named the ACC’s Baseball Player of the Year and was placed on the Golden Spikes Award watch list. He also captured the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top collegiate catcher.
Joey Bart Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
The San Francisco Giants selected Bart with the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft and signed him to a $7,025,000 bonus, the largest signing bonus ever for a position player at that time. He began his professional career in the Arizona League before joining the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Class A Short Season Northwest League. In 45 games with Salem-Keizer, Bart slashed .298/.369/.613 and led the league in slugging while ranking among the leaders in home runs and runs batted in, earning Northwest League mid-season and post-season All-Star honors.
After a 2019 spring training invitation, Bart was assigned to the San Jose Giants of the Class A-Advanced California League. A broken hand from a hit-by-pitch sidelined him until early June, and he later earned a spot in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game. In August, he was promoted to the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Class AA Eastern League, finishing the year with a combined .278/.328/.495 line with 16 home runs and 48 runs batted in. A strong Arizona Fall League stint with the Scottsdale Scorpions led to him being named a Rising Star and a 2019 MiLB.com Organization All-Star.
San Francisco Giants Breakthrough (2020–2023)
Bart received his first major league call-up on August 20, 2020, and debuted that night against the Los Angeles Angels, recording a first career double off Julio Teherán. He produced an extra-base hit in each of his first three major league games, becoming the third Giants player to do so since at least 1901. The COVID-19 pandemic had wiped out the 2020 minor league season, but Bart closed his rookie year with a .233/.288/.320 line in 33 games. On April 8, 2022, Bart hit his first career home run off Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara, although he was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in June of that year. He split the 2023 season between the majors and Triple-A as the Giants transitioned to Patrick Bailey behind the plate.
Pittsburgh Pirates Era (2024–2026)
On April 2, 2024, the Giants traded Bart to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Austin Strickland. He took over the starting catcher role with Henry Davis and played 80 games for the Pirates in 2024, batting .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs and 45 runs batted in. Bart won the starting job out of spring training in 2025 but suffered a concussion on May 28, 2025, that limited his season. He returned to share time with Davis and finished 2025 with a .249/.355/.340 slash line, 4 home runs, and 30 runs batted in. In 2026, Bart batted .259 with two home runs and nine runs batted in before landing on the injured list on May 12, 2026, due to an infection in his left foot.
Atlanta Braves Era (2026–Present)
On June 18, 2026, the Pirates traded Bart to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Hunter Stratton, bringing him to a new organization mid-season. Through June 21, 2026, Bart’s major league totals stood at a .239 batting average, 30 home runs, and 120 runs batted in. He wears uniform number 16 with the Braves. The trade gave Bart an opportunity to compete for a regular role in a new clubhouse and marked the third major league uniform of his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bart’s selection as the second overall pick in 2018 and his record-setting $7,025,000 signing bonus highlighted his status as one of the top position player prospects in recent Giants history. His Johnny Bench Award win at Georgia Tech, his first career home run off Sandy Alcántara, and his 2024 trade to Pittsburgh each marked turning points in his path through professional baseball.
Joey Bart Career Wins
Bart’s career as a catcher has been defined more by run production and defensive development than by championship hardware, with his offensive production steadily growing during his time in Pittsburgh. His most productive season came in 2024, when he set personal bests in home runs and runs batted in for a single campaign.
MLB Highlights
Bart’s most notable MLB offensive season came in 2024 with the Pirates, when he hit 13 home runs and drove in 45 runs across 80 games while posting a .265 batting average. His first career home run, off Sandy Alcántara on April 8, 2022, stands as a milestone moment from his Giants tenure. He has not yet appeared in the postseason at the major league level.
Joey Bart Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Joey Bart was raised in Buford, Georgia, and developed his catching skills within the local high school program at Buford High School. His family supported his early athletic development, and his high school coach helped him earn the starting catching job as a freshman.
Personal Life
Joey Bart has kept his personal and family life largely private. He was born and raised in Buford, Georgia, and has built his professional baseball career around his hometown roots.
2025 Season Performance
Bart opened the 2025 season as the Pirates’ starting catcher after winning the job out of spring training. He was batting steadily before a concussion on May 28, 2025, forced him onto the injured list and interrupted his momentum. Upon his return, he split time behind the plate with Henry Davis, finishing the year with a .249/.355/.340 slash line, 4 home runs, and 30 runs batted in. The reduced power output reflected the lingering effects of his injury and a smaller role in the second half. Bart’s 2025 campaign was a transitional year, demonstrating his defensive value as a catcher while signaling the need for offensive bounce-back in 2026.
