SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Just about every one of the San Francisco Giants’ eight Cactus League games this spring have been eventful in some fashion.
Logan Webb and Hayden Birdsong are experimenting with tweaks on the mound while LaMonte Wade Jr. is doing so in the box. Justin Verlander is toying with a modified curveball. Robbie Ray unveiled a new changeup that he learned from a Cy Young Award winner while Landen Roupp is throwing a cutter and re-incorporating his four-seam fastball. Jung Hoo Lee, batting third, made his return to the diamond and Bryce Eldridge hit a baseball 450 feet.
Among other things.
For all that’s gone on, the bulk of the Giants’ projected Opening Day roster is still the same. The infields and outfields were both set coming into camp; most of the bench and the pitching staff remains set too. That said, the last handful of games — plus some injury news — has resulted in some moving pieces.
With the Giants enjoying the day off, here’s a look at what their Opening Day roster could look like:
Catcher: Patrick BaileyFresh off winning the first Gold Glove of his career, Bailey will remain the Giants’ starting catcher in 2025. The question with Bailey is whether he can avoid a third consecutive second-half dropoff and provide consistent production throughout the whole year. Despite criticism of his conditioning, Bailey attributed last year’s second-half slump to his swing, not fatigue.
First Base: LaMonte Wade Jr.Despite trade talk during the offseason, the Giants elected to retain Wade and roll with him as their starting first baseman. Healthy again, Wade has made a noticeable change to his batting stance, one he hopes will allow him to generate more power. Wade ranks 11th in on-base percentage over the last two seasons (min. 900 plate appearances) and could see time at leadoff despite Jung Hoo Lee’s return to the lineup.
Second Base: Tyler FitzgeraldWith Willy Adames in the fold, Fitzgerald will slide over from shortstop to second base. Fitzgerald bounced around the diamond last season and saw time at five different positions (not including pitcher), but second base will be his primary responsibility this season.
Shortstop: Willy AdamesOn the subject of Adames, San Francisco’s new shortstop has looked the part of a $182 million dollar man so far, homering off Sean Hjelle, Logan Webb (twice) and Justin Verlander during live bullpens and simulated games.
Third Base: Matt ChapmanBefore Adames signed his franchise-record deal, Chapman put down roots in San Francisco by signing a six-year, $151 million contract extension. Together, Adames and Chapman will hold down the left side of the Giants’ infield for years to come.
Left Field: Heliot RamosFor a 19th consecutive season, the Giants will start a different player in left field on Opening Day, tying the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles for the most consecutive Opening Day starts by a different player at a position (1937-1955). Ramos, the Giants’ first homegrown All-Star outfielder since Chili Davis, could be the one who finally breaks the streak, especially if he continues hitting no-doubters like the one he had against Verlander. The 25-year-old has yet to make his Cactus League debut due to right oblique soreness but should appear in his first game this week.
Center Field: Jung Hoo LeeLee’s rookie season lasted just 37 games before he crashed into a wall and suffered a season-ending left-shoulder injury, far from an ideal way to begin a six-year, $113 million deal. Healthy again, Lee will assume the role of starting left fielder and hit at the top of San Francisco’s lineup. Whether he sees more time at leadoff or in the three-hole remains to be seen.
Right Field: Mike YastrzemskiFor a sixth consecutive season, Yastrzemski will be an Opening Day starter for the Giants. Yastrzemski, the longest-tenured Giants position player, has been consistently solid during his time in San Francisco and is set to become a free agent following the season.
Designated Hitter: Wilmer FloresFlores and Jerar Encarnacion are expected to receive the bulk of the Giants’ at-bats at designated hitter. For as well as Encarnacion has played this spring, the 33-year-old Flores is the one who enjoys incumbent status. That said, given his batted ball data, it’s not unfeasible that Encarnacion could become San Francisco’s full-time DH as the year goes on.
Bench: C Sam Huff, 1B/OF Jerar Encarnacion, OF Luis Matos, INF Brett WiselyWith Tom Murphy likely to start Opening Day on the injured list, Sam Huff is the favorite to be the Giants’ backup catcher. Catcher Max Stassi is in camp as well, but Huff has the advantage of already being on the 40-man roster. The fourth outfielder and fifth infield spots go to Matos and Wisely, respectively, but these could easily change depending on performance in camp.
Rotation: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Justin Verlander, Jordan Hicks, Kyle HarrisonIf Webb, Ray, Verlander and Hicks are the hard locks for the starting rotation, then the 23-year-old Harrison is the soft lock. Harrison was a week behind his fellow starters due to illness but pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his Cactus League debut. Hayden Birdsong and Landen Roupp are making compelling cases, but considering Harrison threw the second-most innings on the Giants last season, he gets the nod for now.
Bullpen: Ryan Walker (CL), Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, Randy Rodriguez, Erik Miller, Sean Hjelle, Lou Trivino (non-roster invitee), Landen RouppIf Harrison earns the final spot in the rotation, the Giants could potentially have an interesting debacle on their hands. Do they start Roupp with Triple-A Sacramento as a starter? Or with San Francisco as a reliever? With the way Roupp is throwing (5 IP, 0 ER, 8 K’s), he’s better off in the majors than the minors, even if he starts the year as a reliever.
In trading Taylor Rogers to the Cincinnati Reds, Erik Miller stands as the only left-handed reliever on the Giants’ 40-man roster. A second lefty in the bullpen would be ideal, but the Giants aren’t heavily prioritizing two left-handers in the bullpen. If the Giants decide to go with a second lefty, Joey Lucchesi likely has the best odds of making the Opening Day roster given he can thrown multiple innings.