Game Wrap 3/31/2025: Giants 7 Astros 2

Jordan Hicks had a terrific start in front of about 90 family members and friends in his hometown and Wilmer Flores' 3-run homer in the 6'th inning broke open a low scoring game.  Key Lines:

Lamont Wade Jr 1B- 0 for 4, SF.  BA= .000.  LMWJ has not reached base this season but in the three games I watched, he has hit the ball hard several times, just right at fielders.  He's hitting the ball hard and getting it in the air so I think he will be OK.  He made several big league digs to get putouts at 1B in this game.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .286.  Lee seems to have a knack for scoring when he gets on base.  He's scored 6 runs in 4 games.  Of course hitting third in the lineup means he has some pretty good hitters behind him to drive him in.

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(1).  BA= .286.  More scintillating defense from Chapman who was helped by LMWJ's scoops at the other end of his throws.

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 5, 2B, SB(1).  BA= .294.  Not much of a line but Ramos used his speed to create a run.  He beat out the back end of a potential GIDP on a replay then stole 2B.  He then scored the Giants first run on Wilmer Flores' single.  

Wilmer Flores DH- 2 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .267.  I think it was worth keeping Wilmer around on his $3.5 M player option.  OK, maybe a bit soon to judge but it sure looks good now.  And when he came up with 2 on and 2 out I knew he was going to hit it out.  

Mike Yastrezemski RF- 2 for 4, SB(1).  BA= .444.  YtY contributed to the scoring with a run to extend the Giants lead to 2-0.  He singled, stole 2B, advanced to 3B on an odd bunt single by Tyler Fitzgerald and scored on LMWJ's Sac Fly.

Jordan Hicks RHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Hicks fastball was electric reaching 100 mph several times and with command, sitting on the corners and inducing both swings and misses and freezing batters for called strikes. His command of the slider was less precise but he used it just enough to keep hitters from sitting fastball.  He kept his pitch count down, throwing just 72 in 6 innings.  At no point did he appear to be fatigued or laboring like he did frequently last season.  He still has to prove he can keep this up deeper into the season but the early return is encouraging.

Logan Webb RHP pitches out of turn ahead of Landen Roupp RHP but on 4 days rest tomorrow evening in game 2 of the series facing Hayden Wesneski RHP.

Down on the Farm: 3/30/2025

AAA:  The Albuquerque Isotopes edged out the Sacramento River Cats 2-1:

Grant McCray CF- 3 for 4.  BA= .364.

Jake Lamb 1B- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .364.

Brett Auerbach RF- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .455.

Hunter Bishop LF- 1 for 3, BB, SB(1).  BA= .182.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 3.86.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 0.00.

McCray needs to work on cutting down his K's.  He struck out 3 times against 2 walks in 13 PA's over the weekend.  Jake Lamb is hoping to get a call to be a lefty bat off the bench at some point.  Auerbach has intriguing positional versatility but needs to prove he can hit.  Whisenhunt got touched up for a couple of runs despite dominant K/BB.  Don't sleep on Trevor McDonald.

Game Wrap 3/30/2025: Giants 6 Reds 3

Robbie Ray lost his bid for a perfect game in the 6'th inning while giving up a 3-spot but his teammates picked him up for a Giants win in the rubber game of the opening road series.  Key Lines: 

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .300.  Great piece of situational hitting in the 6'th inning as Lee just poked the ball down the LF line with 2 outs and a runner at 2B to extend the Giants lead to 2-0 in the 6'th.  He then scored ahead of Chapman's HR to make it 4-0, a lead they nearly lost in the bottom of the inning. Love everything Lee did at the plate this series!

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB.  BA= .273.  The batting line doesn't even start to tell the story.  Chapman made several astonishing defensive plays to save countless runs including a very slick tag and throw in a double play to help Tyler Rogers out of a jam in the 8'th inning.  Chapman's defense is so good it reminds me of Brooks Robinson and Graig Nettles from back in the day.

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .333.  Ramos broke up a dual perfect game with a solo HR.  He reached out and pulled a down and away pitch into the seats.  He's a strong dude!  

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(1).  BA= .300.  A big key to the season is Heliot Ramos and Tyler Fitzgerald building on their breakouts of last season.  Looking good so far.  I was second guessing Fitz running from 2B with one out until the replay overturned the out call at 3B.  He then scored on a sac fly by Adames to make the score 5-3. Oh!  And his speed helped him reach that inning on a throwing error by De La Cruz.

Robbie Ray LHP- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.06.  Ray was perfect through 5 innings but a pitch clock violation in the 6'th inning seemed to break his concentration and it fell apart for him in a hurry.  And Matt McClain is rapidly becoming a Giants nemesis.

Erik Miller LHP, Lou Trivino RHP, Tyler Rogers RHP and Camilo Doval RHP pitched scoreless baseball over the final 3.2 IP with Doval getting the Save Opportunity with a 3-run lead.

The Giants take the opening series on the road 2 games to 1.  They now head to Houston for 3 against the Astros.  Jordan Hicks RHP makes his first start of the season tomorrow evening facing Ronel Blanco RHP who had a pretty darn good season last year.

Down on the Farm: 3/29/2025

 AAA:  The Sacramento River Cats beat the Albuquerque Isotopes 5-1:

Grant McCray CF- 0 for 2, 2 BB SB(1), Assist(2B).  BA= .143.

Marco Luciano LF- 0 for 3, SF.  BA= .200.

Wade Meckler DH- 2 for 2, BB, SB(2).  BA= .600.

Max Stassi C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .500.

Jake Lamb 1B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .286.

Brett Auerbach 3B- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .429.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, 3/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.00.

Joey Lucchesi LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

I read that Wade Meckler suffered an injury sliding into 2B.  Kyle Harrison's FB was reportedly in the 93-95 MPH range.  So far the Giants AAA pitching looks terrific.  

A couple of former 2'nd round draft picks were released:  Jimmy Glowenke and Matt Mikulski.  Glowenki was drafted as an underslot bonus guy so they could sign Kyle Harrison so he took one for the team.  Mikulski never showed the velocity I saw reported pre and post draft.  When I saw him pitch, he threw mostly 89-91 MPH cutters with a breaking ball and changeup with inconsistent command.  You aren't going to get far in pro ball these days with that kind of stuff.  Other released players included Michael Rodriguez LHP, Luis Bermudez RHP, Christian Avendano RHP, Brett Standlee RHP, Hunter Dula RHP, Andrew Kachel IF, Kanoa Pagan RHP, Timmy Manning LHP and Nadir Lewis OF.

Game Wrap 3/29/2025: Reds 3 Giants 2

The Giants took an early 2-0 lead but then their lineup hit a wall in the form of Nick Lodolo's sinker and they spend the rest of the game reducing the worm population of Great American Ballpark.  Key Lines:

Wilmer Flores 1B- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .250.  Let's see, if Wilmer goes 1 for 4 with a HR every game all season he will bat .250, hit 162 HR's and sport an OPS of 1.250.  

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .500.  Matos got the start in RF against the LHP had had a nice game. Unfortunately he did not figure into the scoring.  

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .250.  Ramos led off the third inning with a double and scored on Jung Hoo Lee's single making the score briefly 2-0.  

Justin Verlander RHP- 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.60.  Probably about what we can expect from Verlander at this point in his career.  If he averages this over 30 starts, I am sure the Giants will be happy with their investment.

Spencer Bivens RHP gave up the game winning solo HR to Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the 6'th inning. Randy Rodriguez RHP and Lou Trivino RHP pitched a scoreless frame each but the Giants offense was not able to come back.

Nick Lodolo LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 11/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.00.  Wilmer Flores grounded out to end the third inning. Starting with that out, the Giants hit into 8 consecutive groundouts then a GIDP after a groundball single by Matt Chapman in the 6'th inning. Based on my Gameday feed, the culprit seemed to be Lodolo's 93-94 MPH sinker the Giants just could not elevate.

The Loss evens the Giants record at 1-1.  They will try for a series win tomorrow with Robby Ray LHP facing Nick Martinez RHP at 10:40 AM PDT.

David Villar IF cleared waivers and was assigned to AAA Sacramento.  

Jay Jackson RHP announced his retirement and I absolutely did not remember he pitched for the Giants in 2021.

Down On The Farm: 3/28/2025

The AAA leagues opened their seasons today one week ahead of the lower full-season leagues.  

AAA:  The Sacramento River Cats dominated the Albuquerque Isotopes 8-0:  

Before we get started with the Key Lines from the game, let's take a look at the River Cats roster:

Pitchers:  Tristan Beck RHP, Mason Black RHP, Raymond Burgos LHP, Miguel Diaz RHP, Justin Garza RHP, Kyle Harrison LHP, Sean Hjelle RHP, Antonio Jimenez LHP, Joey Lucchesi LHP, Trevor McDonald RHP, Juan Mercedes RHP, Helcris Olivares LHP, Joel Peguero RHP, Carson Ragsdale RHP, Juan Sanchez LHP, Carson Seymour RHP, Kai-Wei Teng RHP, Ryan Watson RHP, Carson Whisenhunt LHP, Keaton Winn RHP.

Catchers:  Brett Auerbach, Logan Porter, Max Stassi.

Infielders:  Sergio Alcantara, Osleivis Basabe, Jake Lamb, Brett Wisely.

Outfielders:  Hunter Bishop, Marco Luciano, Grant McCray, Wade Meckler

There are a lot of prospects here who got rushed up last season and are now offically post-prospects but they are really still prospects with legitimate chances to have significant major league careers.  

Key Lines:

Brett Wisely SS- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.

Marco Luciano LF- 1 for 2, HR(1), 2 BB.

Wade Meckler RF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SB(1). 

Hunter Bishop DH- 1 for 4, 2B

Brett Auerbach 3B- 2 for 2, HR(1), BB, SB(1).  

Carson Seymour RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K's.

Tristan Beck RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 4/1 GO/AO.

Joel Peguero RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  

Marco Luciano gets off to a good start in his quest to become an outfielder.  Yes, he needs to be able to competently field a position but let's face it, he's going to go as far as his bat takes him.  I am looking for a breakout season at the plate for him.  Brett Auerbach is listed on the roster as a catcher but there are only 4 healthy infielders on the roster so I expect to see him mostly playing infield. Interesting that Brett Wisely was the Opening Day shortstop.

Superstrong start from Carson Seymour pounding the zone with his mid-90's sinker but with enough secondary stuff to get the K's.  Solid 2 innings from Tristan Beck who should be an early consideration for a call up if/when needed.

Game Wrap 3/27/2025: Giants 6 Reds 4

Wilmer Flores hit a 3-run home run in the 9'th inning to cap a 4-run rally which gave the Giants their first lead of the game and they held on for the come-from-behind win.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 0 for 2, 2 BB.  Not the most exciting line of all time but the two walks led to 2 runs scored for Lee.  

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .250.  Ramos K'd in his other 3 AB's but we really can't say enough about the HR which put the Giants back in the game and perhaps just as importantly ran up Hunter Greene RHP's pitch count.  Greene's first 3 innings reminded me of peak Bob Gibson, painting the corners with 100 MPH heat helped by a generous strike zone by the ump.  He looked unhittable and the Giants batters looked helpless.  Then Lee drew a one-out walk and Heliot fouled off 5 straight 99 MPH 2-strike pitches  then homered to RF on pitch #11 another heater on the outside corner.  By the time he got out of the 4'th inning Greene was at 72 pitches which pretty much guaranteed he would not go past 5 IP.  Just an epic AB which completely changed the dynamic of the game and ultimately led to the Giants win.

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 4.  BA= .250.  Not only did Bailey nurse a clearly subpar Logan Webb through 5 innings but he came up clutch in the 9'th.  Lee drew a 1-out walk followed by Chapman's single putting runners at first and third.  Ramos struck out to take away the opportunity to tie the game with a sac fly, but Bailey picked him up big time with a hard groundball single which tied the game and set up Wilmer's game-winning homer.  

Wilmer Flores DH- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .250.  Wilmer didn't look great in his first 3 AB's but then nobody did.  At least he only struck out once out of the Giants total of 17 on the day.  But Wilmer has kind of become known for these situations.  He came up right after Bailey's game-tying single and pulled one into the LF seats for a 3-run HR giving the Giants a 6-3 lead.  After a rough season last year, Wilmer is back!

Logan Webb RHP- 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.40.  After getting two K's to start the game, Webb struggled with what appeared to be not his best stuff nor best command, particularly when he had to pitch out of the stretch.  He did run into some bad luck in the third inning when, with runners on first and second, Gavin Lux scorched one that seemed to deflect off the right side of the mound and was fielded by Adames on the right side of 2B in no-man's land.  Adames tried to get the force at 2B but was too far away to beat De La Cruz who can fly coming from first. By the time he figured out he couldn't get the force at 2'nd, he was too late on the throw to first, bases loaded.  Jeimer Candelario, who had all 3 Reds RBI's followed with a 2-run single giving the Reds a 3-0 lead.  BTW, Elly De La Cruz looks crazy fast before he even takes a step.

Randy Rodriguez RHP, Erik Miller LHP and Tyler Rogers RHP pitched a scoreless inning each to keep the the score close.  Ryan Walker RHP gave up a run in the 9'th but recorded his first Save starting with the 3-run lead.

What a great Opening Day game!  

The Giants get to savor their win for a day before Justin Verlander RHP makes his first official start as a Giant facing Nick Lodolo LHP in Game 2 of the season Saturday at 1:10 PM PDT.

AAA season starts tomorrow evening so check back for our first Down On The Farm post of the season.

Thoughts On The 2025 San Francisco Giants: Burning Questions

 Every team in MLB has some questions marks.  Well, except maybe the Dodgers but even they have a few.  This year's Giants team looks much more settled than in recent years but still depends on some things going right, maybe a lot of things going right?  And what would watching baseball be if there weren't questions?  Pretty boring, if you ask me.  So what are these questions hanging over Opening Day?  Let's take a stab at a few:

What will a full season look like for Jung Hoo Lee CF?  Last season we only got to see him for 37 games.  As expected he got off to a slow start but was looking much better leading up to the injury.  He gave us a scare at the end of spring training but looked healthy over the last 3 games.  Is 4 WAR out of the question?

Will Heliot Ramos LF and Tyler Fitzgerald 2B build on their success last season?  You always worry about breakout rookies hitting a wall in their second season.  I remember reading about "sophomore jinxes" as far back as when I was a kid, and that's a long time ago!  The tools are obviously there for both players but baseball is a game of adjustments.  Every player has their weaknesses, especially hitters, and pitchers find them quickly.  Much of the Giants success this season hinges on both Ramos and Fitz making those adjustments.  If they do, I don't think 30 home runs is an unreasonable expectation for either.

Do the Giants have another breakout hitter lurking?  Jerar Encarnacion OF's shot got delayed by a broken hand.  He should get it when he comes back.  Better not to rush it and make sure the hand his fully healed first.  Luis Matos OF is on the active roster but not starting.  Will he get enough PA's to get some traction?  Will Marco Luciano OF get his shot at some point?  I think he is the guy who could break huge if he every gets it.  Will we see Bryce Eldridge 1B in Oracle Park this season?  He sure looked like he needed at least a full season in the upper minors during spring training.

Switching to pitching, does Justin Verlander RHP have anything left in the tank?  He sure looked good in spring training but the regular season is a whole different level and LONG!  Is he good for 180 innings?  I think the Giants will be ecstatic if they get 150.

Is Jordan Hicks RHP a starting pitcher?  If he follows the game plan of his last two spring starts he could be but again, the season is LONG and he has to prove he has the stamina for it.

Which young post-prospect pitchers will emerge as a future ace?  Landen Roupp RHP gets the first chance but he seems more like a mid-back rotation guy.  Hayden Birdsong RHP has the stuff but will start in the bullpen.  Kyle Harrison LHP got a late start on the spring due to illness and has to build his strength in the minors.  He will likely get his chance to step up before too long.

Can Ryan Walker RHP hold down the Closer role all season?  If so, the rest of the bullpen falls in line behind him.  Will we see Joel Peguero RHP and his 102 MPH fastball before the season ends.

Final question:  Will the Giants make the playoffs?  The NL is a tough league. The Giants could be a lot better than last season and still not make the postseason but if enough of the Burning Questions are answered positively, it could happen.

Thoughts on the 2025 San Francisco Giants

So you think Christmas Eve is a night of anticipation?  Try Opening Day Eve!  As we count down the hours, I am happy to say this is the first Opening Day I remember in which I won't be either attending school or working.  God willing, I will be ensconced in front of my TV at 1:10 PM PDT ready to watch the first pitch.

The Giants have not officially set their Opening Day active roster but based on what has been announced it seems we are set with a few minor surprises:

Catcher:  Patrick Bailey

First Base:  Lamonte Wade Jr/Wilmer Flores*

Second Base:  Tyler Fitzgerald

Third Base:  Matt Chapman

Shortstop:  Willy Adames

Left Field:  Heliot Ramos

Center Field:  Jung Hoo Lee

Right Field:  Mike Yastrzemski

Bench:  Sam Huff C

Infield:  Christian Koss, Casey Schmitt

Outfield:  Luis Matos*

Starting Rotation:  Logan Webb RHP, Justin Verlander RHP, Robby Ray LHP, Jordan Hicks RHP, Landen Roupp RHP.

Bullpen:  Ryan Walker RHP(Closer), Camilo Doval RHP, Tyler Rogers RHP, Lou Trivino RHP, Erik Miller LHP, Spencer Bivens RHP, Randy Rodriguez RHP, Hayden Birdsong RHP.

*Flores will likely platoon with LMWJ at 1B and DH quite a bit.  Matos may platoon with YtY in RF and may also DH some.

It's a good thing all of the discussion is around bench and bullpen roles but it has to be a small concern that there are no lefthanded bats off the bench.  I know he's not a popular name to bring up, but what happened to Jake Lamb?  I don't remember him getting hurt. It's curious he was signed, apparently for a lefty bat off the bench and/or DH only to be sent down with over a week to go in spring training.  I can see keeping Christian Koss over Schmitt  or Brett Wisely because he's a better defender at SS but then shouldn't Schmitt be playing every day in the minors and don't they need a lefty bat that Lamb  or Wisely could fill?

My other quibble is Hayden Birdsong who I think should either be in the rotation or starting in AAA Sacramento.  I just think Joel Peguero whose fastball sits at 102 MPH seemingly without effort is a better fit for a bullpen arm especially since Bivens can go more than 1 inning.  Maybe Melvin really, really wants at least 2 relievers who can go more than 1 inning?  If that is the case, wouldn't Joey Lucchesi make more sense as a lefty?  

Maybe there is still a trade or two in the works?  

OK, enough with obsessing over the roster.  

Congratulations to those who made it, especially Christian Koss(Disclaimer- this is not officially announced but reported by KNBR so keep fingers crossed for Christian).  I will just say that players like Christian Koss are not only out there chasing a dream. They also have families they are trying to support and who are supporting them.  News like this is life-changing for them as it is, sadly, those for whom the news is disappointing.  

No Bold Predictions this year.  They are actually kind of stupid.  I'll post something tomorrow morning if I think of something, otherwise catch you after the gamew with the first Game Wrap of the regular season.

Preseason Game Wrap 3/25/2025: Giants 4 Tigers 3

Tyler Fitzgerald's 2-run homer in the third inning jumpstarted the Giants scoring and Jordan Hicks looked sharp in his final preseason start.  Key Lines:

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 2, HR(2), BB, SB(1).  BA= .283.  Fitz shook off his 2 K's and rough interview from last night by going deep to LF to drive in Mike Yastrzemski RF who drew a leadoff walk.  Kruk and Kuip commented on an interaction between Fitz and Batting Coach Pat Burrell in the dugout after the HR.  Something about body language.  I didn't catch enough to understand what it was about.  He later singled, stole 2B and scored on Grant McCray's single to CF.

Christian Koss SS- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .341.  Cristian Koss drove in what proved to be the winning run on a booming double into the L-CF gap.  He also put a nice tag down to nab a runner at 2B.  OK, team.  Here's what the tea leaves are telling me.  Through the entire second half of spring training, Christian is the only utility IF candidates to play SS.  I think he's going to make the team.  Don't be shocked if McCray is the 4'th OF because he is the best defensive CF, but maybe since Encarnacion's injury both McCray and Matos make the team?

Jordan Hicks RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 10/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.19.  Hicks got through 5 innings in under 60 pitches and his FB sat at an easy looking 99 MPH.  He came out for the 6'th inning and labored through a leadoff walk and was taken out for Joel Peguero RHP.  A single by Riley Greene who advanced on a throw trying to get the lead runner at 3B put runners at 2'nd and 3'rd with no outs.  The runner then scored on a sac fly.  In his last two starts Hicks did a good job of depending on his stuff, pitching to contact, getting groundball outs and keeping his pitch count down.  Still, he should be able to throw more than 60 pitches without tiring.  

Camilo Doval RHP(2.00) allowed 3 hits and a run in an inning of work.  Randy Rodriguez RHP(1.74) capped off a fine spring with a scoreless frame.  Ryan Walker RHP(4.15) got the Save with a scoreless 9'th inning.

The Giants travel to Cincinnati tomorrow and face the Reds on Opening Day with Logan Webb RHP facing Hunter Greene RHP.

Preseason Exhibition Game Wrap 3/24/2025: Giants 6 Tigers 4

Robbie Ray gave up back-to-back HR's in the fourth inning but was otherwise electric in his final preseason start while Heliot Ramos led the lineup from the top of the order.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR.  BA= .308.  Ramos got a late and slow start to spring training but came on strong at the end.  He led off what appears to be a potential Opening Day lineup, homered in his first PA and had two more hits with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI's.  Yeah, we'll take that!  Fingers crossed that Ramos stays healthy and continues his development because the talent is there to be a cornerstone player.

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(4).  BA= .316.  Preseason discussion focused on who the back up C would be but Bailey quietly had a strong spring.  Can he avoid another second half slump?

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 3, 3B, 2 K's.  BA= .273.  Fitz did an on-camera interview after coming out of the game which I found uncomfortable to listen to.  He was beating himself up over the K's and wasn't having Kruk and Kuip give him any praise for the triple.  It's great to work on reducing the K's, but if he plays good D at 2B and hits .273 on the season I'm sure the Giants will be happy.

Brett Wisely 2B- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .295.  Competition for the utility IF spot was fierce between Wisely, Schmitt and Christian Koss.  Koss might be a slightly better defensive SS but Wisely is already on thre 40-man roster, bats LH and had a strong spring so he probably has the edge.  

Robbie Ray LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.86.  Ray caps off a strong spring.  He gave up B2B HR's to Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson both pretty serious hitters.  Otherwise another strong start.  Didn't see that much of the new changeup he learned from Tarik Skubal but it was effective when he used it.  I am not sure what type of pitch Greene took deep but Ray tried to sneak a fastball in above Tork's hands and got too much of the plate.  It went out in a hurry.  A healthy Ray for a full season would be a huge boost for the Giants postseason chances.

Lou Trivino RHP, Spencer Bivens RHP and Tyler Rogers RHP recorded a scoreless frame each.  Erik Miller LHP got roughed up for two runs in the 9'th but finished the game.

As we know, Landen Roupp RHP was named the 5'th SP with Hayden Birdsong RHP making the team out of the bullpen.  Maria Guardado of sfgiants.com reports Birdsong had a split fingernail that may have contributed to his poor performance yesterday.  Birdsong making the roster probably aces out Joel Peguero RHP and man, I want to see how that 102 MPH FB plays in a regular season MLB game!

Jordan Hicks RHP makes his final preseason start in a 5:05 PM start facing highly rated Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe RHP.

Preseason Exhibition Game Wrap 3/23/2025: River Cats 4 Giants 3

The Giants took an early lead off Keaton Winn but the River Cats came back with a 3-run rally off Hayden Birdsong in the 6'th inning and held on for the win in Sutter Health Park in Sacramento.  Key Lines:  

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 2, 2B, BB.  Nice game for Ramos.  He got a late start due to a mild oblique strain but seems to be rounding into form in time to start the season.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.   Hey!  A Jung Hoo Lee sighting!  After missing about a week with back tightness he returns to game action and picks up where he left off.  Hey!  It was the dog days and spring training is too long anyway!  Kidding aside, a healthy Lee seems critical to any hope of a Giants postseason run this year.

Sam Huff C- 1 for 3.  Bob Melvin reportedly confirmed that Huff will start the season as back up catcher and Stassi will provide depth with the River Cats.  Melvin said Stassi was made aware this would be the likely scenario from the beginning.

Max Stassi C- 1 for 1, 2B.  Stassi has had a good spring too.  40-man roster and option considerations worked against him.  Hopefully he sticks around and waits for his opportunity.  There is a high probability he will be needed at some point in the season.

Christian Koss SS- 1 for 3, 2B.   Interesting he was the starting SS for the Giants squad in this game.  Is it possible they find a way to put him on the roster as the utility IF?  I saw a quote on BlueSky from Zach Minasian that Koss is a "favorite" of the Giants front office.

Landon Roupp RHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K's, 5/2 GO/AO.  This game was billed as a showdown for the #5 SP role between Roupp and Hayden Birdsong.  The tea leaves told me coming in that Roupp getting the starting assignement meant he had the inside track.  He certainly did nothing to lost that.

Hayden Birdsong RHP- 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K.  As Krukow would say, "that's a rough appearance!"  Saw footage of Birdsong checking out his finger in the dugout with speculation he may have a blister.  That would certainly settle the #5 SP question for Roupp, at least temporarily.  Roupp is the more experienced pitcher of the two although when healthy, Birdsong has more electric stuff mainly due to about 3 MPH higher FB velocity.

Keaton Winn RHP- 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's.  Kyle Harrison LHP was a late scratch so Winn got the start for the River Cats squad.  Reportedly no injury to Harrison.  His start just got pushed back to tomorrow.  Melvin said it was never realistic to expect Harrison to make the Opening Day rotation after starting spring training late and losing a lot of weight and strength to an illness. He will build back up in extended spring training or AAA.  

Joey Lucchesi LHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  From Melvin's comments these options and reassignments seem to be final.  I am still not convinced Lucchesi is out of the running for a roster spot.

Mason Black RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  Nice appearance for Black in scrub time.

Hunter Bishop RF- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  Probably a make or break season for Bishop.  Nice line in this game.

Logan Porter C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB, SB(1).  Logan Porter says, "Hey!  Don't forget me!"

The Giants play in Oracle Park for the first time this year with Robbie Ray LHP taking on the Tigers who are tuning up to start their season against the Dodgers in LA.  And with that, the Bay Bridge Series is officially history.  

Earlier today the Giants made the surprising announcement that Sean Hjelle RHP was optioned to AAA Sacramento.  The tea leaves tell me this means Joel Peguero RHP probably makes the Opening Day roster along with Spencer Bivens RHP and Randy Rodriguez RHP.  Roster moves should be interesting over the next 3 days.

Thoughts On The Cactus League 2025

Although there are still three exhibition games left before Opening Day and still undecided roster spots, the Giants completed a successful Cactus League season yesterday finishing 19-6, by far the best spring record in MLB and with a +54 run differential also best by far.  While acknowledging the truth that spring records don't correlate with the regular season there are still impressions worth commenting on.  So here's a list of my thoughts on the 2025 Giants Cactus League campaign:

The starting lineup is (mostly) set.  Jung Hoo Lee CF may miss a few games at the start of the season with a nagging back tightness issue but the rest of the positional starting 8 is set and played together as a unit through most of the spring. 

Competition for reserve/bench positions was fierce and as yet undecided.  We've run through the options several times so we all know the players.  Jerar Encarnacion's injury takes one player out of the running hopefully temporarily.  If the Giants split the 26 man roster evenly between pitching and positional players there is room for 5 bench/DH spots.  Wilmer Flores 1B/DH is a lock for one.  Another has to be a back up catcher which comes down to Sam Huff vs Max Stassi who both had good springs.  Huff might hold an edge since he is already on the 40-man roster and out of options.  That leaves 3 positions to be decided between Luis Matos OF, Grant McCray OF, Brett Wisely IF, Casey Schmitt IF who are all on the 40-man roster.  Christian Koss IF and Jake Lamb UT/DH may still be in the mix despite Lamb's reassignment to minor league camp.  Koss had an excellent spring and may be the best SS defender in the mix.  Lamb was brought in as potential lefty bat off the bench for what is becoming a strongly righthanded leaning roster.  

The Giants finished the Cactus League #5 in MLB for Team BA, #3 for HR and OPS.  Their 45 HR's were spread among 14 players led by Matt Chapman's 6.  

The pitching looked really good and far more settled than in recent years.  The top 4 starting rotation spots are set with with all 4 pitchers performing well to excellent.  Jordan Hicks struggled early but his most recent start was exactly what you are looking for in a 4'th SP.  

Competition for 5'th starter was fierce and remains undecided.  Landen Roupp RHP and Hayden Birdsong RHP have both been close to unhittable.  Birdsong may have the edge based on quality of stuff and a FB that sat at 98 MPH.  Kyle Harrison LHP may eventually join the mix but got a late start due to an illness and needs time in extended spring training and/or AAA to build up his strength and pitch count.

Competition for the final 2 or 3 bullpen spots was also fierce and remains undecided.  NRI Joel Peguero RHP in particular was a phenom sporting a FB that sat at 102 MPH.  My goodness!  And there still might not be room for him on the Opening Day roster!

Sabin Ceballos 3B is a phenom!  Ceballos was not invited to MLB spring training but kept getting brought over for late inning replacement and split squad games. He certainly made the most of those opportunities going 9 for 15 with 2 doubles and a HR.  Ceballos came to the Giants in the trade of Jorge Soler DH to the Braves last season. He had a sudden power breakout at A+ after the trade and certainly opened eyes with his spring training performance.  He'll play in the minors this season but I'll be eagerly watching his batting lines.

Bryce Eldridge 1B excited everybody with a 455 ft HR early but then showed why he needs more seasoning with 8 K's in 12 PA's.  

The recent free agent acquisitions performed well and look ready to lead the team:  Matt Chapman 3B, Willy Adames SS, Jung Hoo Lee CF and Justin Verlander RHP.  All except Lee look ready to start the season and be major contributors.  Lee had a strong spring before missing time with back tightness which has gone on longer than hoped but an MRI was reportedly normal so he should be back soon.

Overall the team seems more settled and more confident than for many years with solid reason to hope they will be noticeably better this season and maybe surprise a few people and make the postseason.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/22/2025: Giants 7 D'Backs 7

Sabin Ceballos 3B capped off a sensational spring with a 3-run double in the 9'th inning to salvage a tie with the D'Backs in the Giants final Cactus League game of 2025.  Key Lines:

Matt Chapman 3B(6, .421), Patrick Bailey C(2, .294) and Mike Yastrzemski RF(4, .282) went B2B2B with solo HR's in the 4'th inning.  David Villar 1B(3, .200) hit a solo HR in the 8'th inning.  Until Ceballos double in the 9'th, all Giants runs came on those four solo HR's.  Ceballos ended up 9 for 15 on the spring.  He won't make the team but I think his performance qualifies him as a phenom.  That's sure one way to get the attention of the MLB level Manager!

Justin Verlander RHP- 5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.43.  Pretty sure Verlander had two goals for today's start:  Get his work in and don't get hurt in the process.  Excited to see how the season unfolds for him.

Sean Hjelle RHP(6.75) gave up 2 runs in an inning of work.  I don't think his roster spot is in question at this point. Ryan Walker RHP(4.70), Erik Miller LHP(3.60) and Randy Rodriguez RHP(1.93) pitched.  After today's cuts, I think all three of these pitchers make the Opening Day roster.

The Giants break camp in Arizona and head to Sacramento for a game against the AAA Rivercats tomorrow evening.  Landen Roupp RHP gets the start with Hayden Birdsong RHP also scheduled to pitch.  Kyle Harrison LHP who was optioned to AAA Sacramento before the game today starts for the Rivercats.  Not sure if all that means Roupp has the inside track for 5'th SP but I think it would be reasonable to read that into it.

The Giants got bad news on the injury front as Jerar Encarnacion UT/DH was found to have a fracture of his left hand and will miss at least 4-5 weeks.  While that is not the news the Giants were hoping for it might be reasonable to consider putting Jerar on the 60-day IL to make room for another addition to the 40-man roster.  Keaton Winn RHP as also optioned and in a somewhat surprising development, Joey Lucchesi LHP was reassigned to minor league camp.  That would leave just one LHP, Erik Miller in the bullpen but the RHP's competing for the last 3 spots were just too good.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/21/2025: Giants 5 Guardians 4

A pitching duel fronted by Logan Webb and Ben Lively RHP broke open when the Guardians scored 3 runs in the 8'th inning to take a 4-2 lead off Tyler Rogers RHP but Brett Wisely got it back and more with a 3-run HR in the bottom of the inning to salvage another Giants win.  Key Lines:

Lamonte Wade Jr DH- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .229.  I can just see the scene from the movie version of Moneyball where Billy Beane is sitting at a round table with his assistants and scouts and LMWJ's name comes up.  Someone says, "He's only hitting .229!"  Beane answers, "but he......(looks at his assistant)".  Assistant:  ".....gets on base!" as the old school guys at the table roll their eyes and groan.  LMWJ's spring OBP is .429 and his OPS is .886 which is good for any hitter but exactly what you want from you leadoff guy.  One thing that seems to keep showing up in the boxscore is he seems to be the DH more often than 1B, particularly against RHP's, with Wilmer Flores playing 1B. We'll see how that plays out with roster construction and in-season lineups.

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .381.  LMWJ and Adames led off the Giants half of the first inning with B2B doubles to score the Giants first run.  Adames committed what was initially scored as B2B errors with Matt Chapman but Chapman's E was later changed to a hit.

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 3, HR(5).  BA= .417. Chapman continues to lead the Giants in batting average and HR's.  

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 1 for 1.  BA= .667.  Ceballos continues to get opportunities to hit in the MLB spring games and continues to impress.  He is 8 for 12 on the spring.  I can't wait to follow his name in the Down on the Farm posts.

Brett Wisely 2B- 1 for 1, HR(1).  BA= .286.  Wisely has had a solid spring but so has Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss.  Does Wisely's lefthanded bat make the difference?

Logan Webb RHP- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's, 5/4 GO/AO.  ERA= 1.77.   Not a typical Logan Webb pitching line with almost as may flyouts and groundouts, but he sure seemed sharp in his final spring start.  The only time he got close to trouble was in the 4'th inning when the second batter reached on Adames error and the next batter singled on a line drive off Chapman's glove which was initially scored as an error but later changed to a hit.  That brought the dangerous Bo Naylor to the plate.  Webby said "no worries" and got the GIDP to end the inning.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 4/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.92.  Bivens finished 2024 on the MLB active roster.  He had done nothing to lose that status this spring but is he on the bubble with so many bullpen candidates all pitching well?

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.13. Doval had to inject just a bit of his signature torture into it but ended up with the Save by striking out the side. Doval is another fascinating storyline to watch once the season starts.

The Giants play their final Cactus League game tomorrow in Scottsdale with Justin Verlander RHP making the start.  That sure went by fast!

Jung Hoo Lee CF did not play and is looking to make his return to the lineup on Sunday against the River Cats in Sacramento but from his comments reported by Maria Guardado of sfgiants.com it sounds like it's far from a sure thing that he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Jerar Encarnacion jammed his left ring finger on a diving attempt at a catch right after entering the game in RF.  He'll be evaluated but seemed to be in quite a bit of pain.

The Giants optioned Tristan Beck RHP and Wade Meckler OF and reassigned Logan Porter C, Enny Romero LHP and Jake Lamb UT/DH to minor league camp.

Blogger's Note

 Hey team!  There was a nice, informative discussion after a prior post about the recently announced 10% investment in the "Giants" by a a private equity firm.  Unfortunately for us Giants fans, based on Larry Baer's comments it appears most of that investment is going to bail out the struggling Mission Rock project which is a separate company but owned by the Giants ownership group and which the Giants LLC is significantly invested in.  

I am posting this to give you a heads up I will accept a few comments here but will probably limit them to one comment per commenter and will not accept long diatribes like what happened on....ahem....another well-known Giants-oriented blog.  

Thanks to everybody for being regular readers and commenters.  Thoughtful comments help make this the greatest Giants-oriented blog out there.  Just my opinion, FWIW.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/19/2025: Giants 3 Royals 1

Jordan Hicks quieted his doubters with a strong start against the Royal "home" lineup and a 9'th inning Giants rally broke a 1-1 tie for the spring win.  Key Lines:

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .282.  Fitz adds his name to the list of Giants homering this spring.  He was the total Giants offense until the 9'th inning rally.

9'th Inning- The rally consisted of a single by Wade Meckler LF(.250), Double by Logan Porter C(.125) and a single by Sabin Ceballos 3B(.636) who is starting to flirt with phenom status.  

Grant McCray CF- 0 for 3, BB, SB(5).  BA= .256.  McCray struck out his first 3 times up.  I could be wrong but I am pretty sure he did that on a total of 9 pitches.  As Mike Krukow would say, "that's a rough night!"  Although he did draw a walk in his last PA.  I will add that Michael Wacha RHP can give you a lot of rough nights when he is dealing and he appeared to be dealing with his usual assortment of at least 5 or 6 pitches, all with great command and all with different velocities, shapes and locations.  He had 8 K's in 5 IP on the night.

Jordan Hicks RHP- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, 10/2 GO/AO, 63 pitches.  ERA= 5.84.  The fanbase was starting to get restless with Hicks.  He probably did not have to have a great start to keep his rotation slot but the fans sure wanted to see some signs of progress.  He delivered that and revealed the blueprint for how to approach his role as a starter.  Use his premium stuff to pitch to contact, induce groundball outs, keep the pitch count down and get deep into the game.  That approach worked as it was drawn up and he was throwing 99 MPH sinkers in the 6'th inning to boot.  That approach will sometimes result in some bad BABIP luck but if he sticks with it he will be a solid 4'th SP.  

Antonio Jimenez LHP got the final out of the 6'th inning as Hicks apparently reached his pitch limit.  

Tristan Beck RHP, Lou Trivino RHP and Kai-Wei Teng RHP pitched a scoreless frame each.  Beck loaded the bases with one out but got out of it with a GIDP.  Trivino had two K's and looked dominant.  I think he has a roster spot all but locked up.  

The Giants have the day off tomorrow.  Logan Webb RHP takes the mound against the Guardians in Scottsdale on Friday afternoon in what is likely his final spring appearance before Opening Day against the Reds in Cincinnati.  

Joel Peguero RHP won the Barney Nugent Award for the best performance by a player in their first spring training.  I am honestly not sure what other players were in their first camp but Peguero certainly opened eyes by consistently hitting 101-102 MPH on the radar guns and appears to have a legitimate shot at making the Opening Day roster.  

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/18/2025: Giants 4 Padres 3

Robbie Ray cruised through the Padres road lineup for 5 innings and the Giants hung on for the win.  Key Lines:

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .219.  In 45 PA's this spring, LMWJ has 7 H, 3 XBH, 10 BB, 11 K's, .422 OBP, .860 OPS.  Dude is carving out a unique batting profile.  

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 4.  BA= .375.  Another guy who is cruising through spring training.

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .265.  YtY is having a solid spring with an OPS of .951.  The challenge for him is to stay healthy.

Patrick Bailey C- 3 for 3, BB.  BA= .300.  Can Bailey avoid the month-long slumps?  If so he could be a 6-WAR player.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 1 for 1.  BA= .600.  Stay hot kid!  Ceballos continues to make the most of his limited opportunities but it's probably a good sign for him the Giants keep giving him about as many of those PA's as a non-camp player can get.

Robbie Ray LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's, 9/4 GO/AO.  ERA= 1.26.  Matt Chapman made a couple more errors.  Probably just the dog days of spring training.  I seem to remember he had a few gaffes early in last season then settled down and was almost perfect over the last 4 months.  This seemed like more of a tune up start for Ray who probably does not have to prove anything to make the rotation.

Casey Schmitt IF was a late scratch at 2B with back tightness.  Hmm....I was not aware that back tightness was a contagious disease.  Do they need to check the beds these guys are sleeping on?

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/18/2025: Rockies 3 Giants 1

A rough second inning for Keaton Winn was too much for the Giants travel lineup to overcome in the road half of a split-squad day.  Key Lines:

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .286.  In a game like this individual performance is probably more important than game outcome.  Fitz seems to be settling into the starting 2B role.

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .310.  Ramos negated part of the OBP with a pick off 1B.  

Max Stassi C- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .300.  Stassi is not going away in the back up catcher competition.

Christian Koss SS- 1 for 3.  BA= .351.  And Christian Koss continues to hang in there.

Keaton Winn RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.60.  After striking out the side around a an HBP in the first inning, the beginning of Winn's second inning of work went walk, triple, groundball single to pitcher/throwing error, LD single.  He then struck out the next two batters and got out of the inning with a groundout.  A bit of a mixed bag performance with definite positives.  The competition is fierce, though.

Joey Lucchesi LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Lucchesi and Trivino were both acquired with the apparent expectation they would make the team.  That's great but it creates a logjam at the back end of the bullpen.

Randy Rodriguez RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.16.  Case in point as Rodriguez and Spencer Bivens have done nothing to lose their bullpen jobs from last season but it may come down to at least one of them losing out.

Tyler Myrick RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 4/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.00.  Don't sleep on Tyler Myrick.  He was just up from minor league camp for the split squad day but he is a serious future bullpen arm.

Big Day for Jordan Hicks RHP tomorrow in a road game against the Royals.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/17/2025: Giants 3 White Sox 0

Justin Verlander cruised through an admittedly pathetic White Sox home lineup for 5 innings and with Spencer Bivens and Joel Peguero finishing off the shutout.  Key Lines:

Grant McCray CF- 0 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .297.  McCray got his second start in a row due to Jung Hoo Lee's tight back.  More on that later.  McCray reached base twice in 4 PA's which is what he is supposed to do out of the leadoff position although he did not figure into the scoring.  So far this spring he's managed to cut down in his K rated to 26% with a BB% of 17.4.  

Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .302.  Schmitt continues to have a strong spring.

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .380.  Matos stays hot.

Sam Huff C- 2 for 4.  BA= .333.  Neither Huff nor Max Stassi are giving away the back up catcher job although you have to think it's more Huff's to lose since he is already on the 40-man roster.

Christian Koss SS- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .353.  Another guy who is not giving in.  Unfortunately he's in pretty much the same boat as Max Stassi since he would have to be added to the 40-man roster to make the team.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .556.  Despite not being officially in camp, Ceballos has created some buzz for himself by making the most of very limited opportunities.  He's 5 for 9 including a HR and at least 1 2B.  

Justin Verlander RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 1.69.  Verlander looked to be in midseason for which he has looked since the beginning of camp.  This was the White Sox home lineup. If this is what their projected Opening Day lineup is, they could be in line to lose even more games in 2025 than their record-setting 2024.  And whattheheck happened to the White Sox?  It seems like just yesterday they had one of the most promising young rosters in all of baseball:  Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito.  Andrew Vaughn looked like he might be the best hitter in the draft.  Now, their roster is basically a smoking ruin.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's, 2/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.27.  Bivens shows he can go multiple innings.  He showed he belongs in the majors last season and he is backing that up this spring.  

Joel Peguero RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Is there room in the bullpen for both Bivens and Peguero?  The numbers and tea leaves say no.  Peguero has the elite, electric velocity.  Bivens has the track record at the MLB level.

Tomorrow is a split squad day with Robbie Ray LHP pitching the home game against the Padres on NBCSBA TV.  Keaton Winn RHP starts the road game against the Rockies.

The Giants announced that Jung Hoo Lee's back tightness did not improve as quickly as expected so he is scheduled for an MRI and a visit with Dr Akizuki.  That gets a bit worrisome as we are down to less than 10 days to Opening Day.  I am not hoping Lee misses time, they can replace him with the best defensive CF in the organization and one who may well have a higher ceiling although a healthy Lee looks like the better bet for production this season and McCray could probably benefit from some more seasoning.

Oh, and my man Enny Romero is not in camp due to personal/family issues.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/16/2025: Giants 7 A's 3

Hayden Birdsong pitched 5 electric innings to forcefully state his case for the 5'th starter roster spot.  Key Lines:  

Heliot Ramos DH- 2 for 3.  BA= .308.  Ramos is 4 for 6 over his last 2 games to bring his stat line up across the board.  

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 3, HR(3).  BA= .361.  Adames made a throwing error in the second inning that was erased on a line-out double play by the next batter.  I tuned into the game late but saw him make a fine play later in the game.  After he and Chapman came out of the game they showed off some camaraderie for the Kuip and Hunter Pence who were interviewing Chapman in the dugout.  So far, Adames looks like everything Buster hoped for when he signed and more.

Wilmer Flores 1B- 1 for 3, HR(2).  BA= .265.  Wilmer looks healthy and a healthy Wilmer is good news for the lineup.

Jerar Encarnacion LF- 2 for 3, 2 2B.  BA= .333.  I didn't see the first double but Gameday said it was a drive over the CF head.  The second one was a rocket over the RF head which is the second time I have seen him hit an absolute laser beam to RF.  Jerar came into camp with Bob Melvin saying good things about him and he has done nothing to change Melvin's mind to this point other than reinforce the good impression.

Max Stassi C- 2 for 2, 2B, HR(2).  BA= .278.  Stassi is coming on strong in the battle for back up catcher.  He has more experience and has the better defensive reputation.  On the other hand, he is quite a bit older with a significant injury history and the Giants would likely lose Huff since he is out of options.  Yet another tough decision for Buster and BoMel.

Hayden Birdsong RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K's, 5/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.75.  Absolutely electric!  98 MPH on the FB.  Per Maria Guardado 7 of his 8 K's came on the changeup.  Again, I tuned in late but I caught his last K and it was on a diving, fading changeup that would make Noah Lowry proud.  Landen Roupp RHP has had a great spring and dazzled everybody in a minor league camp game but that was ace-level stuff Birdsong was flashing today.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 10.80.  The line looks ugly but he struck out his final batter on a 95 MPH heater so the arm strength looked a whole lot better.  Still, it would seem Roupp and Birdsong have both passed him on the depth chart and he may benefit from some seasoning and stamina building in AAA to start the season.

Lou Trivino RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Trivino sure looks like he's all but sewn up a roster spot in the bullpen.

Justin Verlander RHP makes his 4'th spring start on the road tomorrow against the White Sox.  He also pitched a camp game rather than face the Dodgers a couple of starts ago.

Spring Breakout Game Wrap 3/15/2025: Giants 5 Rangers 5

The Giants prospects fell behind early 5-0 but rallied in the later innings and battled to a tie in the 2025 Spring Breakout game.  Key Lines:

Diego Velasquez 2B- 2 for 5.  Velasquez hit .312 in about one third of a season at AA level at age 20.  2B is probably going to be crowded at AAA level to start 2025 so he might start back in AA but his ability to hit for average in that environment is impressive.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 1 for 4, 2B.  Potential breakout prospect in 2025.  Probably ticketed for AA.

Lisbel Diaz LF- 1 for 3, BB.  Another potential breakout prospect for 2025.  Just 19 yo.

Rayner Arias RF- 1 for 1, HBP.  Looking for a full healthy season.

Adrian Sugastey C- 1 for 2, 2B.  Sugastey hit .298 for A+ Eugene in 2023.  Struggled to a .210 BA in AA Richmond last season.  Has looked good in limited spring action in major league camp.  Possible deep sleeper in the system.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's. Decent performance but overshadowed by Rangers #4 prospect Winston Santos RHP who struck out 6 in 3 perfect innings.

Gerelmi Maldonado RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  Comeback season for Maldonado would be a big plus for the Giants farm system.

Liam Simon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  Missed last season due to injury.  Zach Minasian mentioned in an interview that he appears to be healthy and looks sharp this spring.

Greg Farone LHP - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  Big lefty, 6' 6", 240 lbs drafted in Round 7 last year.  Did not appear in any pro games post-draft.

Giants top prospect, Bryce Eldridge 1B, missed the game due to wrist soreness that has bothered him for 2 weeks.  An MRI reportedly came back clean and he is starting to hit off a tee.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/15/2025: Giants 6 Mariners 2

The Giants and Logan Webb overcame a second inning defensive meltdown in what ended up as an easy win.  Key Lines:

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 3, HR(2).  BA= .364.  It's only spring but so far Willy Adames looks like the difference maker the Giants hope he will be. 

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .261.  I think Heliot heard us talking about him yesterday.....and I thought for sure he already had a HR on the spring, but guess not.  Jung Hoo Lee was a late scratch due back tightness so Chapman moved up to 3'rd in the lineup and Ramos batted cleanup.  He sure did what a cleanup hitter is supposed to.

Jerar Encarnacion RF- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(2).  BA= .311. Ditto Heliot Ramos.  YtY was also a late scratch. No word on if it was injury related or if they just wanted more looks at Jerar.

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .324.  McCray isn't backing down from the fight for 4'th OF role.

Logan Webb RHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's, 8/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 1.84.  Webb was in midseason form.  The two runs in the second inning came on a pair of inexplicable E's by none other than Matt Chapman and another throwing error by Webb himself.

Tyler Rogers RHP(3.00), Ryan Walker RHP(4.76), Camilo Doval RHP(1.29) and Randy Rodriguez RHP(2.84) each pitched a scoreless frame. If the final bullpen slot comes down to Randy Rodriguez and Joel Peguero RHP, I think you have to go with Rodriguez as it currently stands.  Buster has some tough decisions coming up but that is a good problem to have.

Hayden Birdsong RHP gets to state his case for 5'th SP tomorrow afternoon against the A's in a game that will be televised on NBCSBA.  

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/14/2025: Brewers 11 Giants 5

There were a few individual bright spots for the Giants in a rough game for most of the pitchers in a road loss.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 0 for 4, 3 K's.  BA= .200.  Ouch.  I watched his first AB on Gameday and he swung through the first 3 pitches of the game.  Ouch!  I doubt Ramos loses his starting LF job in spring training but he could be on a very short leash if Matos keeps hitting.

Luis Matos CF- 2 for 3, HR(2), BB.  BA= .364.  Matos is having a great spring.  Probably significant that he started in CF and didn't hurt himself with a leaping catch above the wall.  

David Villar 1B- 1 for 2, HR(2), BB.  BA= .250.  Not saying this is going to happen but a comment about Fitz possibly filling in at SS made me rethink the whole bench scheme which would avoid giving Villar away for basically nothing in return.  As long as they are healthy, at least 6 of the Giants starting 8 position players can go pretty much every day, excluding catcher which has a separate backup, and 1B which will most likely be a LMWJ/Wilmer platoon.  If they carry 13 batters on the roster that leaves just 3 spots for DH/Bench.  I have assumed they would need one bench spot for someone who can back up SS and another who can back up CF.  But as our commenter pointed out, as long as they are healthy, Lee and Adames are going to play almost every game.  If it is just an occasional game either Fitz or Chapman could fill in at SS and YtY or Ramos could cover CF.  If Lee or Adames gets hurt, they can call someone up from the minors. Again, not saying its going to happen or that it's even likely but in that scenario a 5 person Bench/DH could be Huff, Flores, Encarnacion, Lamb and Villar.  That gives you the veteran lefty bat off the bench and for DH and keeps them from having to DFA the two guys who are out of options.(I have to say Encarnacion has cooled off a lot and with the way Matos is hitting I am less convinced Encarnacion is a lock to make the team).

Jake Lamb DH- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .364.  Speaking of Lamb, he's having a strong spring although he has a history of strong springs which have not accurately forecast his regular season performances.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 3.  BA- .357.  If the Giants think they need utility IF who can pick it at SS, Koss is certainly stating his case.  He would have to be added to the 40-man roster, though.

Lisbel Diaz RF- 1 for 1, HR(1).  BA= .500.  He's just 19 yo and has two strong pro seasons of experience.  He's definitely on my potential breakout prospect list for 2025.

Jordan Hicks RHP- 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 5/2.  ERA= 9.45.  Hicks got through the first two innings smoothly but ran into trouble in the 3'rd.  A one out walk, line drive single and flyball single to RF where Jerar Encarnacion was playing(would YtY have caught it?) loaded the bases.  Christian Yelich showed he still has something in the tank with grand slam HR, his third of the spring.

Lou Trivino RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Trivino continues to put a lock on a roster spot out of the bullpen.

Logan Webb RHP makes his fourth spring start tomorrow against the Mariners in Scottsdale.

Landen Roupp RHP went 5 innings in a game in minor league camp.  He struck out 13, that's right, 13 batters in 5 IP with 1 hit and 1 walk allowed.  What's interesting is Bob Melvin did not make the road trip and instead went to Papago to watch Roupp's game.  From the stat line, it sure seems like he saw whatever he was looking for from Roupp. 

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/13/2025: Rangers 7 Giants 3

Robbie Ray had a strong start but the bullpen faltered to break the Giants spring win streak.  Key Lines:

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 2, 2B.  BA= .261.  Bailey's double in the 4'th inning drove in 2 of the Giants 3 runs.  Seven other Giants had a single each in the game for a total of 8 hits.  

Robbie Ray LHP- 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 1.93.  You can probably write everything else that happened in this game off to normal spring variation, but a healthy effective season from Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander RHP would be a huge boost to the Giants postseason chances.  If what we saw from them the last two games is what we'll get for a full season, the Giants will be OK.  

Jordan Hicks RHP starts tomorrow afternoon in a road game against the Brewers.  

I thought I would break down where the Giants are with the bullpen part of their roster.  If the Giants carry 13 pitchers and 13 position players there is room for 8 RP's on the roster:

Locks(3):  Ryan Walker RHP(closer), Camilo Doval RHP, Tyler Rogers RHP.

Probable(2):  Erik Miller LHP, Sean Hjelle RHP

Miller because he is the only LHP on the 40-man roster(although he has options).   Hjelle because Melvin likes him and he is unique physical talent.  

Inside Track(2):  Lou Trivino RHP, Joey Lucchesi LHP.

Trivino is a veteran who pitched very well for Melvin in the past and appears to be fully healthy after two missed seasons.  Lucchesi fits the profile of a lefty reliever who can go more than 1 inning and even spot start Melvin said he is looking for plus he's on one of those hybrid conditional MLB contracts which usually means it's his job to lose and he has done nothing to lose it so far.

In the mix for final spot(1):  Spencer Bivens RHP, Randy Rodriguez RHP, Joel Peguero RHP, Tristan Beck RHP, Landen Roupp RHP.

Roupp appears to have the inside track at the #5 SP role and if he loses out on that he may be more likely to go to AAA to work there as a SP.  Beck has appeal as a swingman.  Bivens and Rodriguez both pitched well last season and are known quantities. But how can Peguero and his 101 MPH FB not make the team?  He gave up an inherited run today but if he continues to throw that cheese and get results, I think the braintrust is going to have a hard time leaving him off.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/12/2025: Giants 11 Guardians 2

Tyler Fitzgerald led a road lineup to a runaway Cactus League win over the Guardians in Goodyear, AZ.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos DH- 1 for 3, HBP.  BA= .250.  Heliot drove in a run with an oppo-field groundball single in his second AB.  He's had some nice plays but is still rounding into form after a late start.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 3 for 4, 3B.  BA= .304.  Fitz also got a late start and really broke out in this game.  Gants are hoping he can build on his rookie season last year after a move to 2B.  

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 4, SB(2).  BA= .359.  Matos is having a strong spring.  Seems more about keeping the line moving than selling out for power this spring.

Sam Huff C- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .300.  Huff continues to set the pace for the back up catcher role.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 3, BB, SB(1).  BA= .294.  Casey must have drawn a walk somewhere along the way. His OBP is now .003 higher than his BA.

Brett Wisely SS- 1 for 4, SB(1), 2 E.  BA= .286.  Wisely is having a pretty good spring but the utility IF is going to have to occasionally fill in at SS.

David Villar 1B- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .241.  Nothing new to report on Villar's situation.  Still buried too far down on depth charts to have a realistic chance of making the team, but out of options.  Expect some action on the DFA/trade front as we approach Opening Day.

Jake Lamb PH/1B- 1 for 1, BB.  BA= .389.  I am not seeing how there is room for all four of Lamb, Flores, Encarnacion and LMWJ on the roster. Might come down to Lamb vs Encarnacion who is out of options.

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 3, 3B, BB.  BA= .333.  McCray is stating his case.  Of all the Giants OF's in camp he probably has the highest ceiling and is probably the best defensive CF.  Decision will probably come down to whether the Giants want his defense in back up role or whether they want him to play every day in AAA to get more seasoning.  Matos is in a similar situation but is not nearly the CF that McCray is.

Tristan Beck RHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.40.  Beck retired 8 of the 9 batters he faced.  Melvin said he is probably more in line for a bullpen role.

Randy Rodriguez RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.38.  Another competitor for a bullpen slot. He does have an option.

Joey Lucchesi LHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Lucchesi has one of those conditional MLB contract options.  I would say he has a roster spot to lose which he has not done so far.  Showing he can go more than 1 inning helps.

Lou Trivino RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Trivino has a history of pitching very well for Bob Melvin in Oakland and we know BoMel likes his guys.   Gotta think he has the inside track for a roster spot too.

Robbie Ray LHP makes his third spring start tomorrow against the Rangers in Scottsdale.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/11/2025: Giants 5 A's 3

Justin Verlander pitched 5 strong innings and Max Stassi's 2-run homer in the 8'th inning was the difference in the game.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .333.  With 2 outs in the first inning, Lee hit one to the warning track in L-CF and it bounced up  and hit a tarp on the other side of the fence before caroming back onto the field.  Lee lost his helmet out of the batters box and was well on his way to a triple with his hair flying only to have to go back to 2B for a ground rule double.  I have a feeling Jung Hoo Lee running the basepaths with hair flying is going to quickly become a thing.

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 3.  Giants batters hit 5 doubles and a HR but Chapman was the only one with two hits, both singles.  The first one drove in Lee from 2B in the first inning.

Wilmer Flores DH- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .280.  Wilmer's double to CF in the first inning drove in Chapman.

Jake Lamb PH- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .353.  Lamb started the winning rally with a double into the RF corner.  By that time it had started raining.

Max Stassi C- 1 for 1, HR(1).  BA= .214.  Stassi followed Lamb's double with a homer over the R-CF fence by this time in driving rain.  Not sure what they were doing playing in the rain in a game that doesn't count.

Justin Verlander RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.45.  Not sure how many pitches Verlander threw but it was in the 65-70 range.  He made it look easy inducing a bunch of soft flyballs and pop-ups.  

Tyler Rogers RHP and Camilo Doval RHP had very quick scoreless innings.

Ryan Walker RHP got roughed up.  Joel Peguero RHP came in to finish Walker's inning and struck out the one batter he faced with a 101+ MPH fastball.  Peguero is making a compelling case to make the Opening Day roster and I am sure he did not hurt his chances but getting Walker out of the inning without losing the lead.

Erik Miller LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Miller came into a save situation and had to pitch through a strong rain.  He put the first two runners on base but got a GIDP and ground out to end the game.

Tristan Beck RHP starts a road game against the Guardians tomorrow, weather permitting. 

The Giants reassigned 5 players to minor league camp:  Sergio Alcantara IF, Justin Garza RHP, Adrian Sugastey C, Helcris Olivares and Antonio Jimenez LHP.(sfgiants.com says 6 players reassigned but I was only able to identify 5 names).

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/10/2025: Giants 8 Rockies 2

Grant McCray sparked the Giants road lineup to a big day in support of Logan Webb's third start of the spring.  Key Lines:

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 3, 2B, BB, SB(4).  BA= .346.  McCray got off to a slow start to the spring but has come on strong in recent games.  I would not count him out of an Opening Day roster spot as he bats lefthanded and is probably the best defensive CF in the organization.  On the other hand he probably could use some more seasoning at the plate in AAA.

Luis Matos LF- 1 for 4, SB(1).  BA- .324.  Speaking of roster spots, Matos is probably McCray's main competition. He's having a solid spring too.

Jake Lamb 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .313.  Also speaking of roster spots, Lamb was brought in on one of those conditional, non-guaranteed major league deals where it's officially a minor league deal but with a guaranteed major league salary above the minimum if he makes the Opening Day roster.  Those guys usually get picked up if they perform well in spring training.  If he does make the roster, it could make it less imperative for other reserve/utility guys to bat lefthanded.  Man!  This is getting complicated!  Buster and Melvin have their work cut out for them.

Jerar Encarnacion RF- 1 for 3, SF.  BA= .344.  Another roster candidate who is having a good spring.  Melvin has said they are looking for better situational hitting.  Melvin and Buster already know he has light-tower power but delivering the Sac Fly might impress them more than a HR.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .286.  Another minor league camp player who has done well in limited opportunities as a reserve in big league games.

Sam Huff C- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .313.  Huff would seem to have the inside track to be the backup catcher due to holding a 40-man roster spot assuming Tom Murphy C starts the season on the IL which seems almost certain after today's news.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 SF.  BA= .300.  The good news for Mighty Casey:  The coaching staff loves Sac Flies.  The Bad News:  The Sac Flies give him a lower OBP than BA.

Adrian Sugastey C- 1 for 1.  BA= .300.  Sugastey is in an interesting position.  He is probably the most advanced catching prospect in the system, although he struggled at the plate in AA Richmond last season.  He's in major league camp due to a catcher shortage after Tom Murphy came up injured.  What happens to Max Stassi C if Huff is the backup catcher?  I could see a scenario where Sugastey starts the season in AAA and is the first call up if the Giants have a need at the catcher position.

Logan Webb RHP- 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's, 6/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.79.  Webb threw 64 pitches.  He has a history of slow spring starts but has looked like he's in midseason form so far.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.60.  This was Hjelle's 5'th spring appearance. He's mostly looked good.  Melvin likes him.  Probable lock for a bullpen roster spot.

Hayden Birdsong RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, 3/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 1.29.  Birdsong has looked pretty electric all spring.  Is he the new frontrunner for #5 SP?

Justin Verlander RHP makes his third spring start(he also threw a sim game in minor league camp) tomorrow afternoon(4:05 PM PDT) against the A's in Scottsdale. The game is televised on NBCSBA and MLBN.

Osleivis Basabe SS was optioned to minor league camp today.  Wade Meckler OF reportedly has a neck strain and is in a concussion protocol after coming down hard trying to catch a drive yesterday.  Tom Murphy C is scheduled to get a second epidural injection for his herniated disk.  He'll be re-evaluated in 2 weeks making it almost certain he'll start the season on the IL.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/9/2025: Giants 8 Cubs 6

A 5-run rally by the Giants "scrubs" in the 9'th inning overcame a rough start by Landen Roupp.  Key Lines:

Wade Meckler LF- 0 for 1.  BA= .263.  Meck got shaken up trying to make a leaping catch and walked off with the trainer.  No updates yet but he reportedly mouthed the words "OK" on his way out. 

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .250.  Fitz got a late start to spring but seems fine now.  Modest numbers so far.  Today was his first XBH.

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 1 for 3, HR(2).  Still hitting just .158 but with an OPS of .903.  Contact rate improved over last several games.

James Tibbs III RF- 0 for 1, BB.  BA= .000.  Tibbs didn't put the ball in play but had a couple of impressive PA's.  First time up he fell behind in the count but worked it back to 3-2, then got frozen on a FB on the outside corner that he took for strike 3.  Second time up he also worked a 3-2 count, fouled off a bunch of pitches and ended up drawing a walk on the 11'th pitch of the PA.  And he was facing lefties both times to boot.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 3, HR(3).  BA= .286.  Mighty Casey looks like his old self.  Decent average, power but 7 K's in 28 PA's and zero walks.  OBP= BA.  Gotta love the power, though.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 1 for 2, HR(1).  BA= .571.  OBP= .700.  OPS= 1.000.  Ceballos is not in major league camp but has done great in limited callups for extra players off the bench.  He hit very well after being acquired from the Braves in the Soler trade.  Rap on him has been lack of power but he hit for power after the trade and has the size for power potential.  I'm thinking he may be set up for a major breakout in 2025.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 3, 2B(4).  BA= .381.  Christian Koss continues his excellent spring stating a case to be a utility IF.  Wisely and Schmitt have the advantage of already being on the 40-man roster and are having good springs themselves.  At age 27, Christian may not have that many chances left.  Hopefully he will get one sometime this year with the Giants or with another team.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 1 for 1, HR(1).  BA= .333.  Arteaga's leadoff HR in the 9'th started the 5-run rally.  He put a great looking swing on the ball, short and powerful.  He missed most of last season on the IL due to thoracic outlet surgery.  He needs a big season to get back his higher prospect rankings from before the injury.

Landen Roupp RHP- 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, 5/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.75.  Roupp got knocked around by what's likely to be the Cubs Opening Day lineup.  He allowed runs in all 4 innings of work but the 4'th inning run was an inherited runner that Joey Lucchesi LHP allowed to score.  The hard contact is worrisome but the ratios look OK.

Tyler Rogers RHP allowed an additional run in the 5'th inning.  Tristan Beck RHP, Randy Rodriguez RHP, Trent Harris RHP and Kai-Wei Teng RHP each pitched a scoreless frame.  

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/9/2025: Giants 7 Padres 4

A 4-run rally in the 6'th inning helped the Giants overcome a rough start by Jordan Hicks against the Padres road squad in the home half of a split-squad day.  Key Lines:  

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 2, BB, SB(2).  BA= .200.  Ramos got a late start to his spring due to mild oblique soreness.  He got his first hit yesterday on an infield chopper.  Today he singled up the middle, drew a walk and stole his second base out of 4 times on base.  He definitely seems to be looking to use his speed as more of a weapon this season.

Bo Davidson LF- 1 for 2, 2B.  BA= .667.  Davidson had the big blow of the game for the Giants with a 2-run oppo-field double.  Signed as an undrafted free agent, he opened a lot of eyes last season in A ball and looks to build on that this season.

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .375.  Adames is cruising through spring training.  Impressing as much with his leadership and defense as with his bat, which has not been bad.

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .529.  Another guy who is cruising.  

Jerar Encarncacion DH- 1 for 3.  BA= .345.  Encarnacion has cooled off a bit from early spring but drove in a run today with an oppo-field single.  The starting lineup seems set but Melvin and Buster have some very tough decisions coming up regarding the positional reserves.

Jordan Hicks RHP- 2.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.75.  I don't have a pitch count but Hicks got through 2 innings OK but his second inning was extended by a couple of infield singles one of which he deflected followed by an injury delay.  He then failed to record an out in the 3'rd and was chased after giving up 4 straight hits including 3 line drives and a wild pitch.  He then came back out for the 4'th inning and retired the two batters he faces with a pop out and ground out.  Not a great outing but a bit of a mixed bag.  No word on velocities so far.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.23.  Another strong appearance by Bivens who it seems should make the team as a versatile reliever based on both his performance last season and in spring training so far.

Camilo Doval RHP and Lou Trivino RHP pitched a scoreless frame each.  Both are expected to make the Opening Day roster.  Enny Romero LHP's roster hopes took another hit as he gave up a homer in the 9'th inning.  Melvin sounds more and more like he's going to roll with just one lefty in the pen.

Logan Webb RHP makes his third start of the spring in a road game against the Rockies tomorrow.  Apparently the Giants don't care if the Rockies regulars see him in a spring training game.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/8/2025: Giants 7 Royals 3

The Giants pitchers shut down the Royals road lineup and the hitters broke out the long ball for another spring win.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 0 for 2, BB.  BA= .364.  In addition to the walk Lee roasted a sinking liner right to the glove of the RF on the warning track. 

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 1.  BA= .273.  The hit was a slow chopper to 2B that he beat out with pure speed.  Perhaps a blueprint for increasing his BA and cutting down on K's?

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 2, HR(4).  BA= .533.  The HR was oppo-field with 2-runners on base.  3-run HR's win games.  The 4 HR's leads the Giants for the spring so far.

David Villar 3B- 1 for 2, HR(1).  BA= .211.  The HR went to R-CF.  Later he made a throwing error on a somewhat difficult force play at 2B to extend an inning.  Villar does not seem to have a path to an active roster spot but maybe some team.

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 3.  BA= .125.  Ramos is still getting his land legs under him but like McCray he beat out a roller by booking it down the line to beat the throw.  I was holding my breath that he wouldn't pull a hammy on the way.

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 1 for 3, HR(3).  YtY thought he took ball four on the prior pitch and probably would have tapped his helmet if replay was available but Scottsdale Stadium is not so equipped.  Next pitch was a breaking ball up in the zone and he took it WAY back into the Charro Lounge beyond RF.

Keaton Winn RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Winn looked healthy and effective with his signature FB/Split combo.  The splitter was diving away from lefty batters.  He put runners on 2'nd and 3'rd with no outs but got out of it with 2 K's and a nice play by Adames on a carom off Winn's foot.  He was also helped by a tough play that Chapman made look easy in the first inning.

Erik Miller LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Miller makes his first spring appearance after battling hand numbness and an apparent viral illness.  Miller gave up a leadoff hit then hit a batter but got out of it by striking out the side. 

Joel Peguero RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Miller and Kuip marvelled over his velocity which was sitting at 102 MPH on the stadium gun which reportedly tends to run a little hot.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Ragsdale's second inning of work was extended by Villar's throwing error.  He came back out and got the first two batters in his 3'rd inning but then appeared to be tiring and walked his last two batters before Melvin pulled him aftger pitch #60.  Another impressive appearance by a Carson.

Justin Garza RHP gave up 3 runs in the 9'th inning to make the final score seem closer than the game was.

Tomorrow is a split-squad game with Landen Roupp RHP starting the road game against the Cubs with Jordan Hicks RHP starting the home game against the Padres.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/6/2025: Giants 7 White Sox 3

The Giants rolled out their possible, even likely, Opening Day lineup in Scottsdale and rolled to a easy win.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 3, HR(2).  BA= .400.  Lee hit the first of 4 HR's in the game for the Giants.  His apparent good health and success at the plate seems like a great reason for optimism for the upcoming season.

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 3, 2 HR(3). BA= .462.  Chapman drove in the Giants first run with a home run in the second inning and then went B2B with Lee in the 3'rd inning becoming the first Giants batter to homer 3 times this spring.  Chapman has had some good seasons but is he primed for a career year?

Wilmer Flores DH- 1 for 3.  BA= .278.  A healthy Wilmer Flores is probably a better DH option than Jerar Encarnacion.  If Wilmer DH's on days he does not play 1B, is Jerar redundant on the roster?  

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 2 for 2, HR(2), HBP.  BA= .222.  Talking about unsustainable stats, YtY is sporting a .897 OPS with a .222 BA and .286 OBP.  His HR was the Giants fourth of the game.  

Christian Koss SS- 1 for 1.  BA= .333.  Koss continues his strong spring.

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 1, 2 SB(3).  BA= .238.  McCray is probably the Giants best defensive CF and might be their best basestealer, although Patrick Bailey C might have something to say about that(Bailey stole a base today and is 5 for 5 during the regular season as a Giant at the MLB level).

Justin Verlander RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.00.  Getting more bullish on Verlander's season.  Giants have a long history of getting value out of star players late in their careers.  

Sean Hjelle RHP, Tyler Rogers RHP, Camilo Doval RHP and Joey Lucchesi LHP each recorded a scoreless inning.

Enny Romero LHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.40. Enny my man!  This is not how you win a roster spot!  

Keaton Winn RHP gets the start tomorrow on the road against the Reds.

Trevor McDonald RHP was optioned to AAA Sacramento.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP was reassigned to minor league camp.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/5/2025: Giants 11 D'Backs 5

Kyle Harrison's start went south fast but the Giants hitters and relief pitchers overcame the disaster start for the win.  Key Lines:

Wade Meckler LF- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .294.  Meck is quietly having himself a nice little spring.  There is a roster crunch in the outfield but he may not be out on a roster spot just yet.

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .412.  Adames was already having a fine spring and today he became, what, the 15'th Giants player to homer this spring?  

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 1, 2 BB.  BA= .400.  Chapman is cruising.

Sam Huff C- 2 for 2, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .308.  Huff seems to be the favorite to break camp as the back up catcher assuming Tom Murphy is not ready which seems very likely at this point.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .200.  McCray has not had a great spring but there is still plenty of time left.  I would not count him out of the 4'th OF race for no other reason than he is the best centerfielder of the candidates by a large margin.

Casey Schmitt 2B- 1 for 3, HR(2).  BA= .208.  If you had your money on Casey At The Bat to be the first Giant to hit 2 HR this spring, well, you are the winner of the jackpot!  

Christian Koss PR/3B- 1 for 3, 2B, SB(1).  BA= .294.  Koss might be the best all-around fielder of the utility infielder candidates.  Darkhorse for a roster spot.  He has a rooting section.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 1.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 12.77.  Harrison was greeted by a hail of line drives in the first inning and was lifted with just one out in the inning after giving up 5 runs including Gabriel Moreno C's 3-run HR.  He came back in the second inning and gave up a one-out single which he erased with a GIDP.  He gave up a leadoff double in the third inning followed by a K on his 44'th pitch and came out of the game.  Not a good day for Young Kyle.  I forgot to look for velocities on Gameday.  If anyone has those please post in comments.  Fingers crossed it was just a bad day and he's not hurting.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 4/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.00.  The Whiz will likely start the season in AAA Sacramento but it sure looks like he is poised to take it to the next level.

Ryan Walker RHP, Lou Trivino RHP, Joel Peguero RHP and Antonio Jimenez LHP all pitched a scoreless frame.

Justin Verlander RHP gets the start tomorrow in Scottsdale against the White Sox.

8 players got cut from major league camp:  

40 man roster players Marco Luciano OF and Mason Black RHP were optioned to the AAA Sacramento River Cats and reassigned to minor league camp.  

Raymond Burgos LHP, Miguel Del Pozo LHP, Ethan Small LHP, Kai-Wei Teng RHP and Cole Waites RHP were reassigned to minor league camp.

Luciano's option might be a modest surprise but with Heliot Ramos OF needing catch-up time in LF, Luciano was not going to get much playing time which he desperately needs.

Spring Training Game Wrap 3/4/2025: Giants 1 Padres 1

The pitchers still seem to be ahead of the hitters as the Giants and Padres battled to a tie in Peoria, AZ.  Key Lines:

Luis Matos RF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .292.  The Giants managed just 4 hits with Matos driving in their only run with the only XBH in the 7'th inning.  Matos is so far having the best spring of the potential candidates for 4'th OF(not counting Jerar Encarnacion who is more of a DH/bat off the bench candidate).  

Heliot Ramos LF- 0 for 2, BB, SB(1).  BA= .000.  Ramos makes his first spring appearance after nursing a sore oblique.  He seemed fully healthy as he stole the base and made a diving catch in LF with no apparent ill effects.

Landen Roupp RHP- 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Roupp again looked terrific.  All the more impressive that he faced mostly the Padres projected starting lineup.  He is now unscored upon after 3 appearances and 8.1 IP.  He has 11 K's in those 8.1 IP and just one BB.  

Spencer Bivens RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, 3/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 1.80.  I saw one AB on Gameday where he threw like 6 straight 95 MPH sinkers then got the K on a changeup.  Nasty!  

Cole Waites RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.75.  Quite a few fans rooting for Waites who missed all of last season.  He'll probably start the season in AAA Sacramento and wait for an opening in the bullpen.

Jordan Hicks RHP threw 40 pitches in minor league camp allowing 1 hit with 5 K's.  

Kyle Harrison LHP gets the start tomorrow in a road game against the D'Backs.

Gotta say I am so excited by the Giants right now. Win or lose I like the direction the team is headed and can't wait for the next game and Game Wrap.