Joey Bart's talent is no surprise at this point. The Giants' top prospect has proved himself over the last two years in big league spring training, and did so once again when players returned to Oracle Park for Summer Camp.
The former No. 2 overall draft pick's talent never has been a question. But what he did with big leaguers on a daily basis beyond his measurables is what really stood out to Giants general manager Scott Harris.
"He really impressed with the bat, which is something the everybody talks about," Harris said to Alex Pavlovic and Kelli Johnson on Wednesday night's Giants Pregame Live. "But personally I was really impressed how he blended in with some of the more decorated big leaguers who were in camp with us, how he showed up determined to forge real relationships with the big league pitchers, how he learned from other big leaguers about routines and how to call a game at the big league level.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"And also how to prepare his body and his mind for consistent execution in the box and consistently putting together those high-level major league at-bats that we're seeking from him."
[BALK TALK: Listen to the latest episode]
Bart, 23, could be in the big leagues at any point right now. The Giants saved an extra year of his service by keeping him off the MLB roster for the first five games. Currently, he's training at the team's alternate site in Sacramento, but director of player development Kyle Haines told NBC Sports Bay Area on Wednesday that "I don't think it's gonna be that much longer" until Bart makes his Giants debut.
Before that happens, though, Harris wants Bart to continue developing two specific areas of his games.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
"Our focus with Joey specifically is with some of those developmental goals that we've been very outspoken about," Harris said. "One, continuing to improve his game-calling. Not because we concerned at all about his ability to call a game, we just want to get him as much experience and as many reps as possible. But also we're trying to expose him to other positions and we've been outspoken about that both with Joey and publicly."
[RELATED: How Giants eventually added Yaz after 2016 Heston trade]
The Giants have made it clear for quite some time now that they want Bart, who only has played catcher dating back to his college days at Georgia Tech, to add another position to his toolbox. Both he and catcher Patrick Bailey, who the Giants took with the No. 13 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, are learning how to play first base right now.
It appears he only will be working on catcher and first base, as of now.
"I think the more positions that Joey can play, the more opportunity he will have to get his bat into a major league lineup each and every night and allow him to impact major league games each and every night," Harris said.
Putting Bart into a major league lineup seems bound to happen soon. How soon, still is anyone's best guess.