What to know about the 26 players on Giants' Opening Day roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
CINCINNATI — Buster Posey didn’t make many moves over the offseason, repeatedly showing faith in the 40-man roster he inherited. But as the Giants put together their Opening Day roster, Posey and the rest of the staff shuffled the depth chart in interesting ways.
When the initial 26-man roster was released Wednesday evening, it was apparent that a lot of thought was given to rewarding players who had big springs, and several of them got spots over incumbents.
The big surprise came with the bench. Christian Koss had his contract purchased and was added to the roster, making it alongside Casey Schmitt, with Brett Wisely and Grant McCray getting optioned to Triple-A. Both Koss and Schmitt are right-handed hitters who bring defensive versatility, but Schmitt had a .924 OPS in the spring with plenty of power and Koss posted a .413 OBP. Both were rewarded with a trip to Cincinnati.
At first glance, the initial roster is too heavy on right-handed infielders and light on outfielders and left-handed bench options, but these things change quickly. The Giants might look different by the time they arrive back in San Francisco next Wednesday night, but for now, here’s the group that will line up at Great American Ball Park on Thursday:
Patrick Bailey
When camp started, Posey told Bailey he wanted his focus to be on leading the pitching staff.
“He has shown flashes of being a good, productive offensive player, and that’s great, but ultimately I truly believe that if he leads the staff and continues to progress defensively, that we’re going to be in a good spot,” Posey said.
The Giants don’t necessarily need Bailey to take a leap at the plate, but it would be a nice boost, and it’s not at all out of the question. He had a .784 OPS in the first half but dipped to a shocking .434 in the second half. Bailey won the Gold Glove and will be the favorite to win again, but if he can keep those first half numbers going for a full season, or even come close, he’ll get some down-ballot MVP consideration.
Sam Huff
With Tom Murphy sidelined by a back injury, Huff quickly proved that he was ready to partner with Bailey. He homered in the first spring game and batted .323 in Arizona. One of the hits was a 114-mph single, an exit velocity that only four catchers in baseball reached last year.
“Just his horsepower in general is top five percent in the game,” said Texas Rangers offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker, the former Giants hitting coach.
Huff played 78 games in four seasons for the Rangers and got a ring when Bruce Bochy returned two years ago. In a lot of ways, he is giving the Giants a redo on their Joey Bart mistake. Like Bart, Huff is a big, powerful right-handed hitter who was a former top 100 prospect. He also happens to be a Scottsdale native who used to sneak into Giants spring training games, so making his first Opening Day roster is providing a fun full-circle moment.
LaMonte Wade Jr.
Wade’s offseason focus was simple: He did a lot more running, hopeful that he can keep his legs under him for a full season after repeatedly dealing with nagging injuries. When fully healthy, Wade can challenge Juan Soto for the National League’s OBP crown, but his numbers have tailed off in the second halves of the last two seasons. Wade said his goal this year is to “move better.”
“‘I’m not trying to do anything special, I’m just trying to be healthy and last the whole season without going on the IR,” he said. “I’m not trying to do anything crazy. Just trying to be healthy.”
Wade will hit atop the order in what could be his final season in San Francisco. He’s a free agent at the end of the year, and top prospect Bryce Eldridge plays the same position.
Wilmer Flores
When Flores had season-ending surgery on his knee last August, it was no guarantee that he would be back for a sixth season in orange and black. But after opting into the final year of his contract, he had a healthy offseason and looked like his old self this spring, repeatedly lining balls into center field while occasionally flashing his power.
Flores will have a familiar role, platooning with Wade at first base and getting plenty of DH at-bats. He’ll be manager Bob Melvin’s go-to pinch-hitter in the late innings, and when he makes his 40th appearance, he’ll have played more games for the Giants than he did for the New York Mets.
Tyler Fitzgerald
The highs last year were historic, but the Giants want more consistency from a second-year infielder who is moving across the bag. If Fitzgerald can build off last year, this is one easy area for the lineup to make up a lot of ground. Giants second basemen hit .215 last year and ranked last in the National League with a .603 OPS.
Fitzgerald should pretty easily be an upgrade, and he looked smooth defensively this spring, which is no surprise given he’s a natural shortstop. He’s likely to hit ninth in the order, serving as a sort-of second leadoff man and putting speed on in front of the top of the order. Posey has encouraged him to run more, too. As a rookie, Fitzgerald was 17-for-21 on stolen base attempts.
Willy Adames
The owner of the largest contract in franchise history wasted no time settling in. Adames quickly bought a house in Arizona and reported to camp several weeks early so he could get to know his new teammates. He already is one of the team’s leaders, and he certainly brings a lot more energy to a team that needed it.
Adames formed a quick bond with Matt Chapman, who told him not to worry about anything hit to his right. He’ll hit second for Melvin after crushing 32 homers and driving in 112 runs last season. Those are big numbers, but he’s confident he can match them even while playing at Oracle Park. He was the rare free agent hitter who decided to spend his prime at the ballpark by the Bay.
“At the end of the day, it’s just the mentality that you have. If you go with that mentality that I can’t hit here, the ball doesn’t fly and this or that, I think that will eat you up,” Adames said. “I don’t really care about it. If the ball goes, it goes. I’m not trying to hit homers every time. It just happens. I’m just trying to hit the ball hard and put the barrel [on the ball] every time. I don’t really worry about if the ball flies here, I don’t care.”
Matt Chapman
The Giants kept Chapman off the market in the offseason by signing him to a massive extension in September, and they have no regrets. Chapman was given his fifth Gold Glove in November, and this spring he hit a team-high six homers and posted an OPS north of 1.300.
In his first season in orange and black, Chapman finished fifth in the NL in fWAR and played 150-plus games for the third time in four seasons. He also took on a leadership role in the clubhouse, and there’s little doubt that it’s Chapman, Adames and Logan Webb who will lead the Giants for the next few seasons.
Casey Schmitt
He is blocked at his best position — third base — but that didn’t stop Schmitt this spring. The 26-year-old slugged .605 and got reps all over the infield, building off some better at-bats last September. Schmitt has plenty of physical talent but has yet to stick at the big league level. There was some thought that he might be traded in the offseason since Chapman is signed long-term, but the Giants view him as valuable depth. He’s the next man up at second base if Fitzgerald slumps.
Christian Koss
The biggest surprise on the Opening Day roster, Koss won over the coaching staff this spring. The conversations about making the initial roster picked up in recent days, and Koss had a lot of backers in the organization. He’s a good defender at short who took advantage of a lot of time this spring, playing hard and playing well.
Koss hit .325 this spring with a homer and three doubles. Last year, he hit .299 across three levels, finishing in Triple-A. There’s a bit of Matt Duffy in his game, and the comparisons will be easy to make. The former Boston Red Sox prospect has a slight frame and was a mid-round pick, but he does a lot of things well and he’ll bring some speed to the bench.
Heliot Ramos
Last year, Ramos became the first homegrown Giants outfielder to make the NL All-Star team since Chili Davis in 1986. He’ll now take aim at another mark.
Ramos will become the 19th different Opening Day left fielder in 19 years, but the streak might not hit 20. If all goes according to plan, the 25-year-old will be the starting left fielder for years to come. This will be Ramos’ first year as a full-time starter, and at times he’ll have a new role. Melvin plans to hit Ramos in the leadoff spot against left-handed pitchers after he posted a 1.189 OPS against them last season, the second-best mark in the majors behind only Aaron Judge.
“When I told him about it earlier in the spring, he was pretty excited,” Melvin said.
Jung Hoo Lee
In the first season of a six-year deal, Lee played just 37 games. A collision with the center field wall at Oracle Park led to shoulder surgery in May, but Lee sailed through the rehab process and was a full go from the start of camp. He missed some time with back discomfort late in the spring, but returned for the final three exhibitions.
Melvin made waves overseas when he mentioned early in camp that Lee might move from the leadoff spot to the No. 3 spot, and over time, the Giants solidified that thinking. Lee will bat third against both righties and lefties, and the belief is that he can drive in plenty of runs while also getting on base right in front of Chapman.
The Giants missed Lee’s bat control last year, but they also missed his glove. He looked like an above-average fielder as a rookie and had a strong spring defensively.
Mike Yastrzemski
The 34-year-old is somehow in his seventh season with the Giants, and it comes after some uncertainty. The Giants got calls on Yastrzemski in the offseason and he was floated in trade rumors, but all along they viewed him as the right fit in right field.
Yastrzemski is one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball and plays Oracle Park’s tricky dimensions as well as anyone. He’s so good out there that the staff won’t move him back to center if Lee needs to miss any time.
Yastrzemski will be a free agent at the end of the year, and he’ll have to fight off young outfielders looking for time in the corners. At the moment, he’s set to start against right-handed pitchers, and the hope is he can find some of his old form against lefties.
Luis Matos
The easy pick to be this year’s Ramos or Fitzgerald, Matos was NL Player of the Week early last year but then went into a prolonged slump. This spring, he showed much better discipline at the plate.
“He has a different look to him,” Melvin said. “We’ve seen the consistency this spring. He had a great Winter Ball and came into camp with a lot of confidence.”
Matos had more of an up-the-middle approach this spring and was better with two strikes. He’s likely to play right field against left-handed pitchers and could DH quite a bit with Jerar Encarnacion sidelined.
Logan Webb
What’s next for the homegrown ace who is starting on Opening Day for a fourth consecutive season?
“I definitely think there are some goals,” he said. “I would like to win the Cy Young, and 200 strikeouts is a thing that I haven’t done yet and that would be cool.”
Webb felt he was too inconsistent last year, but he still led the NL in innings for a second consecutive season. If he can limit some of the blowups, he should again compete for the Cy Young, and he said he has taken lessons from a spring spent alongside Justin Verlander in the clubhouse.
Webb unveiled a cutter last year against certain lefties, and it was a big part of his mix this spring. The Giants are hoping he can use the pitch to keep hitters from sitting on his changeup, which was hit hard at times last year.
Justin Verlander
The offseason’s big pitching addition celebrated his 42nd birthday early in camp with a laser tag party, which was well-attended by teammates. Verlander is coming off a down year, but in Scottsdale, he looked like, well, Justin Verlander. The velocity sat 95-96 mph and he was sharp all spring. He also was a vocal mentor for the organization’s young pitchers.
The Giants feel they got a steal in adding Verlander on a one-year, $15 million deal, and Melvin doesn’t expect to have any limitations on the oldest player in the big leagues.
“Man, you watch what he does every day to condition himself and go out there and start and give his team a chance to win,” he said. “I’m not looking at him as [just] a five-inning starter right now.”
Robbie Ray
Before Wednesday’s game, Ray met up with AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. If Ray returns to his Cy Young ways, Skubal might get a fair amount of credit. Ray contacted him in the offseason to learn his changeup grip, and he threw the pitch often this spring.
“It’s just another look and something that has some arm-side movement, something I don’t normally do,” Ray said. “Everything [I threw before] is kind of hard-in to righties. You’ve seen it so far this spring, it’s been really effective getting righties off my fastball-in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a swing-and-miss pitch, it’s just something that gets them off of my swing-and-miss pitches. I definitely think it’s going to be a big pitch for me.”
Ray had a dominant spring, striking out 23 and walking just one while putting up a 1.86 ERA. When the Giants acquired him for Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani (both of whom were later released by the Seattle Mariners), the hope was that he would one day be a strong No. 2 to Webb. This spring, he looked ready to be that guy.
Jordan Hicks
After running out of gas in his first season as a starting pitcher, Hicks stayed in San Francisco over the winter and added weight to his lower body. He’s up about 15 pounds from the end of last season and made some dietary changes to make sure he can keep most of that weight on over 162 games.
With Verlander and Ray dominating in front of him and a lot of attention paid to the fifth starter race, Hicks was a bit of a forgotten man this spring, but Posey and Melvin never wavered. Hicks has been locked into the rotation from the start, and the hope is that he can replicate his first 10 weeks last year, when he had a 2.82 ERA over 15 starts. The goal now is to extend that success deep into the summer.
Landen Roupp
Roupp seemed to be a longshot in the fifth starter competition at the start of the spring, but pretty quickly it became apparent that he was as sharp as anyone in Giants camp. The 26-year-old actually cut the competition short; a couple of days after Roupp struck out 13 in five innings in a minor league game, Melvin told him he would be starting against the Houston Astros on April 1. Roupp didn’t have a hard time keeping the secret for a week and a half — he might be as stoic as anyone in the clubhouse.
Roupp’s curveball is so good that he was at times able to just throw that and his sinker last year as he broke in as a reliever. This spring, he added a cutter and a changeup that’s modeled after Webb’s, with the hope that he can keep hitters guessing and make the curveball more of a putaway pitch.
Ryan Walker
There was no closer controversy this spring. Melvin said right away that Walker would be his closer, which the right-hander appreciated. He then went out and struck out 14 in 7 2/3 innings, looking every bit as nasty as last year, when he had a 1.91 ERA and became one of the best relievers in baseball.
Walker had a 0.92 ERA after being named the closer and was perfect in the ninth. If he comes close to repeating that, he could be an All-Star and take a run at a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by a Giants reliever since Robb Nen in 1998. Nen struck out 110 batters that year; Walker finished with 99 last year.
Tyler Rogers
The Giants know exactly what to expect from Rogers, who has led the NL in appearances three times and posted a 2.93 ERA in six seasons. He’s as reliable as it gets from a reliever, and last season he found new heights, walking just six batters in 77 appearances, two of which were intentional. Rogers is the longest-tenured player in the organization and is entering his 12th season with the Giants, the last six of which have been in the big leagues.
This is the final year of club control, and Rogers could hit free agency in the winter at the same time as his brother, Taylor, who was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason. The twins will be reunited on Opening Day.
Camilo Doval
After losing his closer title and briefly ending up back in Triple-A last summer, Doval had a different look this spring. He took on a leadership role with young Spanish-speaking pitchers, driving several to the ballpark every day, and focused on the little details that have derailed him at times. He is quicker to the plate and doing a better job of holding runners, although in the spring, it was sometimes hard to work on those intricacies. Doval had too many clean outings to get much practice.
“Camilo is in a great space right now,” Melvin said. “He’s pitching really well, too. He’s throwing strikes, he’s efficient, he’s worked on a lot of things.”
Doval is the next man up if the Giants need help in the ninth, but for now he’ll be a setup man for Walker. If he’s truly back to his 2023 form, he could be the best seventh-inning option in baseball.
Erik Miller
It wasn’t a very smooth spring for one of last year’s breakouts. Miller dealt with a minor finger issue early in camp and then got sick, but got up to speed in March, which was crucial. The Giants are carrying just one left-handed reliever, and while they think they have some others who can handle tough lefties, it’s Miller who will be their go-to guy against the Ohtanis and Sotos of the world. Especially against Ohtani; Miller struck out the game’s best player in all five of their meetings last year.
Hayden Birdsong
The 23-year-old battled Roupp for the final rotation spot, and while he didn’t get that nod, he still ended up on the Opening Day roster. The Giants wanted to go with their best 26 at the start, and there’s no doubt that Birdsong is one of their top 13 pitchers. Birdsong occasionally struggled with his command as a rookie, but in four Cactus League appearances, he struck out 18 and didn’t walk a batter.
“I had to stop thinking about striking people out,” Birdsong said of the improved command. “Groundballs get outs, too. Pop-ups get outs. Everything gets outs. I don’t have to strike everyone out.”
Birdsong’s slider improved this spring after he moved to the other side of the rubber, but it’s still an upper-90s fastball that leads his arsenal. The Giants are hoping they can keep him stretched out as a reliever, because they anticipate he’ll start a lot of games for them at some point this year.
Randy Rodriguez
A year ago at this time, Rodriguez was a gifted minor leaguer with serious questions about his command. He all of a sudden started throwing strikes, and the big fastball got him to the big leagues, where he immediately looked comfortable. Rodriguez had a 1.93 ERA this spring and showed good command in recent outings while repeatedly hitting 100 mph. In Rodriguez and Doval, Melvin has a couple of big arms to throw at teams in the sixth and seventh innings.
Lou Trivino
The former Athletics standout hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2022 because of Tommy John surgery and a long rehab. He felt like the Giants might be a good fit, and he was right. Trivino had a good spring, and while he doesn’t throw 100 mph anymore, he still has mid-90s velocity and a five-pitch mix.
Trivino broke into the big leagues with Melvin’s Athletics in 2018 and had a 2.92 ERA. Six years later, he came to camp as a non-roster invitee and won a job.
“There was a period of time [in Oakland] where he was about as good as anybody in the American League,” Melvin said.
Spencer Bivens
The right-hander bounced around the globe for several years, but when he reached the big leagues last summer, he looked like he belonged. Bivens posted a 3.14 ERA as a rookie and he had a strong spring, edging Sean Hjelle, Tristan Beck and others who can be versatile bullpen pieces. Last year, Bivens even showed he can start in a pinch if needed.
Bivens was guaranteed nothing at the start of this spring, but he won a job. He said everything has slowed down in his second year, which will come as a 30-year-old.
“I feel comfortable now,” he said. “Last year was very fresh, very green.”
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