Well, what have we got here?
Last week, as the San Francisco Giants were starting to congregate in Scottsdale for their annual spring migration, I thought it would be a good idea to do a quick primer on all the players on the 40-man roster. It’s a long offseason and it’s easy to forget all the names that are actually there, as well as the performance they had a season ago.
I planned to lump all the names together, but by the time I’d finished writing about the pitchers, I’d accidentally written a few thousand words, so it seemed best to split things up. You can read about those pitchers here. And you can read about the hitters by scrolling down to the next paragraph.
Willy Adames
Position: Shortstop
Age: 29 years, 5 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 161 games, 688 plate appearances, .251/.331/.462, 119 wRC+, 32 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 10.8% BB rate, 25.1% K rate
Minor League options: 0
Adames is the shining star of the Giants offseason – of Buster Posey’s tenure as Giants President of Baseball Operations, really. He was given the largest contract in franchise history to solidify the offense, the defense, and the leadership. No pressure, though! He’s one of the most durable players in the Majors, and has bopped 30+ homers twice in the last three seasons, so he could end one of the Giants’ two current curses. He’s also an absolute joy to watch which I, for one, am grateful for. This team desperately needs more watchability.
2025 roster status: The everyday shortstop. And I mean Every. Single. Day.
Patrick Bailey
Position: Catcher
Age: 25 years, 8 months
Bats: Switch-hitter
2024 MLB stats: 121 games, 448 plate appearances, .234/.298/.339, 81 wRC+, 8 home runs, 4 stolen bases, 8.7% BB rate, 22.3% K rate
Minor League options: 3
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Bailey started 2024 looking like the person who is now his boss: Posey. He was one of the best-hitting catchers in baseball, with an .830 OPS as we flipped the calendar to June, and Gold Glove defense. Bailey’s goal for the upcoming season is to find sustainable offense, but even if can’t, he’s still a well above-average catcher thanks to his defense, which is arguably the best in baseball, position be damned.
2025 roster status: The starting catcher who will shoulder as heavy of a load as his health and durability will allow.
Osleivis Basabe
Position: Infielder
Age: 24 years, 5 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: Did not play
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 66 games, 283 plate appearances, .248/.293/.336, 64 wRC+, 5 home runs, 4 stolen bases, 4.9% BB rate, 18.0% K rate
Minor League options: 1
Basabe was the last player added to the 40-man roster before camp started, after the Giants swung a small trade with the Rays. He’s related to former Giant Luis Alexander Basabe, current Giant Luis Matos, and Giants prospect Alexander Suarez. More importantly, he has a competent Major League glove at both sides of second base, and an option remaining. That not only puts him in competition with Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely, but makes it easier for the Giants to trade one of those players should they need to.
2025 roster status: In the mix for an Opening Day backup infield spot, and will likely stay in the mix all year.
Matt Chapman
Position: Third baseman
Age: 31 years, 9 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 154 games, 647 plate appearances, .247/.328/.463, 121 wRC+, 27 home runs, 15 stolen bases, 9.9% BB rate, 24.4% K rate
Minor League options: 0
You can certainly see a theme with Posey’s Giants after extending Chapman and signing Adames (and, frankly, not doing much else at all). Posey clearly covets a certain type, and pairing Chapman with Adames gives the Giants arguably the best defensive left side of the infield in baseball, arguably the best offensive left side of the infield in baseball, arguably the best leadership on the left side of the infield in baseball, and inarguably the most durable left side of the infield in baseball. Fresh off his fifth Gold Glove Award, Chapman finally has the long-term home that he’s so openly coveted for years. Hopefully that shows up with his performance.
2025 roster status: The everyday third baseman, the likely cleanup hitter, and the top captain/leader among the position players.
Jerar Encarnación
Position: Corner outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter
Age: 27 years, 3 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 35 games, 119 plate appearances, .248/.277/.425, 94 wRC+, 5 home runs, 1 stolen base, 4.2% BB rate, 28.6% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 33 games, 146 plate appearances, .352/.438/.616, 162 wRC+, 10 home runs, 1 stolen base, 12.3% BB rate, 24.0% K rate
Minor League options: 0
The Giants must have liked what they saw from Encarnación last year, because he’s sure being talked up as a leading candidate to get a lot of games at designated hitter and perhaps a corner. That’s notable since Encarnación hasn’t yet had an MLB season with average offensive production, and provides very little defensive and baserunning value. But, to use the parlance of the sport, he hits the crap out of the baseball, and the Giants sure need that. Would sure be nice if he had options, but alas.
2025 roster status: Favorite to earn a role bouncing between designated hitter, first base, and right field.
Tyler Fitzgerald
Position: Second baseman (with capability most everywhere else)
Age: 27 years, 5 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 96 games, 341 plate appearances, .280/.334/.497, 132 wRC+, 15 home runs, 17 stolen bases, 6.5% BB rate, 31.7% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 17 games, 87 plate appearances, .310/.402/.718, 162 wRC+, 8 home runs, 1 stolen base, 10.3% BB rate, 27.6% K rate
Minor League options: 2
The big question for Fitzgerald is if having a full season in the books, and being moved to a more suitable defensive position will help him sustain his first-half performance. Even months removed from it, the numbers are shocking: through August 14, Fitzgerald had a 1.011 OPS, and in 195 plate appearances had 14 home runs and 55 strikeouts; after that, he had a .592 OPS, and in 146 plate appearances had one home run and 53 strikeouts. If the answer is “yes,” then the Giants have their infield fully figured out for years to come. If the answer is “no,” then Fitzgerald’s power, speed, and versatility should make him a quality utility player.
2025 roster status: The Opening Day second baseman.
Wilmer Flores
Position: First baseman and designated hitter
Age: 33 years, 6 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 71 games, 242 plate appearances, .206/.277/.318, 68 wRC+, 4 home runs, 0 stolen bases, 8.3% BB rate, 13.6% K rate
Minor League options: 0
Flores was one of baseball’s worst hitters in 2024, and one of baseball’s best hitters in 2023. Health would seem to be the reason for that, and as such, the primary, secondary, and tertiary storylines following Flores this spring.
2025 roster status: The favorite to be the backup first baseman and semi-regular designated hitter.
Sam Huff
Position: Catcher
Age: 27 years, 1 month
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 3 games, 4 plate appearances, .000/.250/.000, 5 wRC+, 0 home runs, 0 stolen bases, 25.0% BB rate, 50.0% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 111 games, 477 plate appearances, .246/.310/.416, 79 wRC+, 13 home runs, 0 stolen bases, 8.2% BB rate, 31.4% K rate
Minor League options: 0
I was a touch surprised that the Giants opted for Huff over Blake Sabol on the 40-man roster, simply because of the options. It’s clear the Giants didn’t trust Sabol defensively, but Huff is in a weird place where he’ll really only have a job if Tom Murphy is injured … and without options, the Giants have no way of guaranteeing they can keep Huff around before and/or after such an injury (which, unfortunately, feels inevitable). Huff was once a top-100 prospect with an exceptional bat (for the position), but he’s fairly far removed from that.
2025 roster status: The frontrunner to be the backup catcher if Tom Murphy’s current back injury doesn’t heal. Otherwise, a lesser version of Joey Bart last year, whom the Giants will try to sneak through waivers towards the start of the season and stash in AAA for whenever he’s inevitably needed.
Jung Hoo Lee
Position: Center fielder
Age: 26 years, 5 months
Bats: Left-handed
2024 MLB stats: 37 games, 158 plate appearances, .262/.310/.331, 83 wRC+, 2 home runs, 2 stolen bases, 6.3% BB rate, 8.2% K rate
Minor League options: 3
Lee seemed to be starting to figure things out when he crashed into the wall and saw his debut MLB season come to a screeching halt. If nothing else, his energy and quality center field defense will be very welcome on this Giants team, but there’s also the potential for a standout offensive season. Very few players in the Majors were able to put the bat on the ball as reliably as Lee did last year.
2025 roster status: The everyday center fielder.
Marco Luciano
Position: Corner outfielder
Age: 23 years, 5 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 27 games, 81 plate appearances, .211/.259/.303, 59 wRC+, 0 home runs, 0 stolen bases, 6.2% BB rate, 34.6% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 83 games, 384 plate appearances, .250/.380/.380, 99 wRC+, 10 home runs, 4 stolen bases, 16.9% BB rate, 26.8% K rate
Minor League options: 1
Luciano enters camp with a new position, having traded in his infield mitts for one in the outfield. But all eyes are on his offense. The Giants woefully mismanaged Luciano last year, but he didn’t do himself any favors, either. He has admitted to being “lost,” and saw a dramatic drop in his exit velocity and other underlying metrics. The hope is that he can put the last few years behind him, and just get back to freely swinging the bat. If so, he could see the talent that made him a top-25 prospect materialize.
2025 roster status: Outside chance of earning an Opening Day spot as a backup outfielder and designated hitter, but likely called up at some point to fill those roles.
Luis Matos
Position: Outfielder
Age: 23 years, 0 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 45 games, 156 plate appearances, .213/.237/.347, 60 wRC+, 5 home runs, 0 stolen bases, 3.2% BB rate, 15.4% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 80 games, 375 plate appearances, .256/.328/.451, 91 wRC+, 14 home runs, 8 stolen bases, 7.5% BB rate, 10.7% K rate
Minor League options: 1
It’s kind of hard to believe that the player who won an NL Player of the Week award with one of the best weeks I’ve ever seen from a Giants hitter is the same player who ended the year with one of the worst batting lines in the Majors. The Giants didn’t sign any outfielders this offseason … not even a veteran on a Minor League contract. That would seem to signal a belief in their young cast of outfielders, and Matos right now sits at the top of that group.
2025 roster status: Favorite to win the fourth outfielder job.
Grant McCray
Position: Center fielder
Age: 24 years, 2 months
Bats: Left-handed
2024 MLB stats: 37 games, 130 plate appearances, .202/.238/.379, 71 wRC+, 5 home runs, 5 stolen bases, 4.6% BB rate, 43.1% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA/AA): 97 games, 421 plate appearances, .242/.330/.446, 107 wRC+, 12 home runs, 14 stolen bases, 10.7% BB rate, 28.7% K rate
Minor League options: 3
Inexplicably, McCray enters camp as the only trustworthy center field option other than Lee. He also enters camp as someone who probably needs a bit more Minor League seasoning, and a place where he can play everyday. His 43.1% strikeout rate last year was the worst in the Majors (minimum: 100 plate appearances) by a country mile. But in his debut he also flashed power and speed that made it clear he could one day be a Tyler Fitzgerald type, only with excellent center field defense. But with Lee healthy, McCray will likely need to show he can hit well enough to play the corners in order to get back on the roster.
2025 roster status: Long shot to win a fourth/fifth outfield role out of camp, likely up-and-down option throughout the year, first name called if Lee gets injured.
Wade Meckler
Position: Outfielder and maybe second baseman
Age: 24 years, 9 months
Bats: Left-handed
2024 MLB stats: Did not play
2024 MiLB stats (AAA/AA/A+/A/ACL): 87 games, 383 plate appearances, .280/.366/.423, 107 wRC+, 9 home runs, 9 stolen bases, 11.7% BB rate, 15.9% K rate
Minor League options: 2? I think?
First, a note on the options. I’m using Fangraphs for that data, and they list Meckler as having one option remaining. I believe that’s false though, as he should have gained an additional option year given how quickly he was called up. So I think he has a pair of option years remaining. And while we’re speaking of questions needing answers, it’s not entirely clear what position Meckler is. He was given a second baseman’s glove towards the end of last year, though he’s yet to play a game there in the pros. It seems like the Giants are getting him ready for work there, while still prioritizing him as an outfielder, but we’ll soon find out. After a year largely lost due to injury, Meckler is surely ready for another shot at the bigs.
2025 roster status: Underdog to win the fourth/fifth outfielder job out of camp, but should factor into the plans there throughout the year.
Tom Murphy
Position: Catcher
Age: 33 years, 10 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 13 games, 38 plate appearances, .118/.211/.235, 30 wRC+, 1 home run, 0 stolen bases, 10.5% BB rate, 36.8% K rate
Minor League options: 0
Giants fans have latched themselves onto Murphy’s dismal performance in 2024, and I’m here to tell them that they shouldn’t. Murphy’s performance shouldn’t be concerning: it was an extremely tiny sample size, and a player who was physically compromised. What should be concerning is Murphy’s health. He hurt his knee early in the year, and never got healthy enough for us to even hear a whisper of an idea of a rehab assignment. He showed up to Spring Training healthy, and then was promptly sidelined by back soreness. He’s about to turn 34, plays the most rigorous position in baseball, and has played in just 74 games over the last three seasons. The question should be only about whether or not he’ll be healthy enough to play … if he is, he’ll hit the baseball just fine.
2025 roster status: The backup catcher, health permitting. And those last two words are doing a lot of work.
Heliot Ramos
Position: Outfielder
Age: 25 years, 5 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 121 games, 518 plate appearances, .269/.322/.469, 120 wRC+, 22 home runs, 6 stolen bases, 7.1% BB rate, 26.1% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 30 games, 134 plate appearances, .296/.388/.565, 134 wRC+, 8 home runs, 2 stolen bases, 11.9% BB rate, 27.6% K rate
Minor League options: 0
Ramos had a breakout year last season, though he cooled down substantially in the second half. I’m less concerned about that than most people: the wear and tear of his first full season (which also included the exhaustion of making the All-Star team), mixed with a thumb injury that was clearly bothering him, makes me optimistic that he’ll hit the ground running in 2025. There’s still some platoon risk, but Ramos is pretty low on the list of hitters to be worried about right now.
2025 roster status: Everyday left fielder, and maybe the backup center fielder.
Casey Schmitt
Position: Infielder
Age: 25 years, 11 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 40 games, 113 plate appearances, .252/.283/.477, 109 wRC+, 6 home runs, 0 stolen bases, 3.5% BB rate, 22.1% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 74 games, 335 plate appearances, .274/.343/.469, 98 wRC+, 13 home runs, 11 stolen bases, 9.3% BB rate, 20.9% K rate
Minor League options: 1
Schmitt has the highest ceiling of the Giants young backup infield crew, but his natural position is blocked by Chapman. If he can tap into his power as frequently as he did in his short Majors stint last year – or if he can learn to play the middle of the infield as well as the hot corner – then he’ll become an extremely valuable backup infielder. It’s hard not to think that his future might be as a third baseman for another team, though.
2025 roster status: In the mix for the backup infield job and probably the favorite.
David Villar
Position: Corner infielder
Age: 28 years, 0 months
Bats: Right-handed
2024 MLB stats: 11 games, 37 plate appearances, .257/.270/.457, 97 wRC+, 1 home run, 0 stolen bases, 2.7% BB rate, 35.1% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 106 games, 482 plate appearances, .260/.361/.441, 102 wRC+, 16 home runs, 2 stolen bases, 12.4% BB rate, 25.7% K rate
Minor League options: 0
Villar’s current situation is very similar to the one that Joey Bart was in this time last year. The Giants like him. The Giants want to keep him. But a lack of space on the roster and the absence of options makes that a tall task. With Chapman being ultra-durable at third, and the Giants seemingly having a platoon at first base, it’s hard to find a roster spot for another corner infielder. There is a chance that Villar shows that he can play second base (where he’s played sparingly in the Minors), which could increase his paths. Alex Pavlovic has mentioned a few times that other teams have been interested in Villar, and the projection systems are still very bullish on him, so there’s reason for optimism … but the clock is ticking in a big way.
2025 roster status: In the mix for a backup corner infield and DH role, and in the mix to be traded.
LaMonte Wade Jr.
Position: First baseman
Age: 31 years, 1 month
Bats: Left-handed
2024 MLB stats: 117 games, 401 plate appearances, .260/.380/.381, 119 wRC+, 8 home runs, 2 stolen bases, 15.5% BB rate, 22.4% K rate
Minor League options: 0
Wade got a weird amount of disrespect last year, considering he was one of the best OBP hitters in all of baseball. Sure, a few more dingers would be nice, but he’s still one of the better hitters on the team. He’s probably keeping first base warm for Bryce Eldridge, but, assuming he can stay healthy, Wade can transition to designated hitter or the outfield if and when Eldridge arrives.
2025 roster status: Either the strong side of a first base platoon, or the (near) everyday first baseman.
Brett Wisely
Position: Infielder
Age: 25 years, 9 months
Bats: Left-handed
2024 MLB stats: 91 games, 272 plate appearances, .238/.278/.345, 75 wRC+, 4 home runs, 2 stolen bases, 4.8% BB rate, 23.9% K rate
2024 MiLB stats (AAA): 41 games, 181 plate appearances, .301/.389/.487, 121 wRC+, 6 home runs, 5 stolen bases, 12.7% BB rate, 15.5% K rate
Minor League options: 1
Wisely enters camp with a lot going for him: he’s one of the few left-handed bench options, and proved last year to be a trustworthy defensive player, though the Giants still probably want to keep him away from shortstop as much as possible. To this point, though, he hasn’t been able to prove that his Minor League offensive success can translate to the Majors.
2025 roster status: In contention for the backup infield spot, a likely up-and-down option throughout the year.
Mike Yastrzemski
Position: Outfielder
Age: 34 years, 5 months
2024 MLB stats: 140 games, 474 plate appearances, .231/.302/.437, 106 wRC+, 18 home runs, 3 stolen bases, 8.0% BB rate, 26.2% K rate
Minor League options: 0
A lot of fans wanted Yastrzemski out after the 2024 season. Not only is he back, but the Giants didn’t even sign any competition. Turns out that, despite fan grumblings, there’s value in a great defensive right fielder who hits above average and is a good leader. Who knew! But it will be interesting to see how Yaz’s role shifts as young outfielders (hopefully) state their case for playing time.
2025 roster status: Either the everyday right fielder or the strong side of a right field platoon, and maybe the backup center fielder as well.