Bart attended Buford High School in Buford, Georgia.[1] He became the starting catcher for the school's baseball team in his freshman year. He had a .556 on-base percentage and a .859 slugging percentage in his junior year, but was pitched around by opposing teams in his senior year, decreasing his performance. Buford HS won the Georgia Class 4A State Championship his senior year going 34–2 and finishing ranked as 8th in the MaxPreps National Poll. The Tampa Bay Rays selected Bart in the 27th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, but he opted not to sign.[2]
Due to the layoff following the college season, the Giants sent Bart to their Scottsdale, Arizona, facility, before assigning him to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Class A Short SeasonNorthwest League.[19][20] In 45 games and 181 at bats for Salem-Keizer, Bart slashed .298/.369/.613 (leading the Northwest League) with 13 home runs (3rd) and 39 RBIs (5th), as he also was second in the league in hit-by-pitch, with 9.[21][22] He was named an NWL mid-season All Star, a NWL post-season All Star, a Baseball America Short-Season All Star, and a 2018 MiLB.com Organization All Star.[23]
The Giants again invited Bart to spring training in 2020.[31] With the 2020 minor league season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Giants assigned Bart to their alternate training site.[32]
Major leagues
On August 20, 2020, Bart was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[33] He made his debut that night against the Los Angeles Angels and got his first career hit, a double off of Julio Teherán.[34] Bart recorded an extra-base hit in each of his first three career games, only the third Giants player to do so since at least 1901.[35] He finished the season slashing a weak .233/.288/.320 in 33 games.[36]
On May 4, 2021, Bart was called back up to the majors from one of the Giants alternate training sites.[37] He had one at bat as a pinch hitter in the Giants' second game of the double header against the Colorado Rockies.[38] Two days later, Bart was optioned to the Sacramento River Cats to start the Triple-A season.[39] On July 10, due to the hand injury of Buster Posey, the Giants called Bart up again after he was hitting over .335 with an OPS of over .980.[40] Bart hit seventh and caught Anthony DeSclafani while going 2–5 with two singles and an RBI.[41] The following day, Bart was optioned back down to Triple-A Sacramento during the All-Star break.[42]
Bart began the 2022 season with San Francisco, and hit his first career home run off of Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara on April 8.[43] Bart struggled in his brief look and was optioned down to Triple-A Sacramento on June 8, after the Giants traded for Austin Wynns.[44] Playing in a career–high 97 games, Bart again had difficulty keeping up with the bat, as he slashed .215/.296/.364, to go with 11 home runs and 25 RBI.[45]
Bart made the Opening Day roster for the Giants in 2023, but ceded starting duties to Roberto Pérez to begin the year.[46] After Pérez underwent season-ending surgery on April 13, Bart assumed the starting role, with Blake Sabol serving as the backup.[47] Bart hit .231 in 26 games before being placed on the injured list on May 19 with a groin strain.[48] Upon being activated on June 10, Bart was optioned to Triple–A Sacramento in favor of Patrick Bailey, leaving Bailey and Sabol as the starting and backup catchers.[49] In 30 games for San Francisco, Bart batted a very weak .207/.263/.264, with no home runs and only five RBIs.
On April 2, 2024, the Giants traded Bart to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Austin Strickland.[53] He began competing with Henry Davis for playing time, as Jason Delay and Yasmani Grandal were injured.[54] Across 80 games for the Pirates in 2024, Bart batted .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI.[55]
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