Some fun Spring Training video content.
Happy Monday, San Francisco Giants fans.
On Sunday, left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea made his Giants debut. Sure, it was only a Spring Training game, but it was still exciting. Manaea, who inked a two-year, $30 million deal with the Giants over the offseason, started their walk-off win and pitched two innings, issuing three hits and a run while striking out two batters. But the excitement came from the unexpected velocity on his fastball.
Sean Manaea’s fastball averaged 91.2 mph last year. He went to Driveline this winter, and he said he touched 96 mph today (there weren’t radar guns displaying in Scottsdale Stadium).
Manaea worked on pliability with Driveline and is already clearly seeing the results.
— Danny Emerman (@DannyEmerman) February 26, 2023
Somehow the Giants just keep doing this, and it’s phenomenal.
If Manaea can keep that up in the regular season, then it’s safe to say that he’ll quickly win over Giants fans. But until then, the latest video from the Giants content team will help him become a favorite with the fanbase.
The Giants are bringing back one of my favorite segments that they did last year, a series on their YouTube channel called “Catchin’ Up.” It’s pretty simple: it’s just an interview with a player, covering topics both serious and silly, while playing a good old fashioned game of catch.
Manaea is the first guest on this version of the segment, and it’s fun getting to learn a little bit more about the lefty.
My personal favorite Manaea anecdote comes early on in the video: he likes to eat Oreos while drinking milk, and puts an Oreo or two in the glass of milk so he can finish his cookie-eating session with a milk-soaked cookie.
What a guy.
Welcome to the Giants, Sean.