Examining the San Francisco Giants’ Depth Chart: Right Field
The one position the San Francisco Giants don’t have to worry about is right field. Over the past two years, two players have started a game in right field, and one of them has one start. Stability is hard to find in baseball, but the Giants have epitome of stability patrolling the right field in front of McCovey Cove.
Starter – Hunter Pence
There is no one in baseball like the Giants’ very own Hunter Pence. His swing, his pant-legs, his hustle, his crazy eyes, his “no elbow” throws, no one matches him. He’s also as durable as they come, as he has played in 333 consecutive regular season games, the longest active streak in baseball. During that stretch, he’s started 332 of those games, taking a seat only in contest number 161 last year when Juan Perez started in right. He was one of just two players to play every game last season, along with the Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman.
Pence is one of the most consistent players in baseball, as he has averaged 23 home runs, 86 RBI, and 152 games in his eight-year career. The average games number is a little deceiving, because if you take away his rookie year, in which he played 108 games, that average jumps to 159.
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Last season, Pence led the Giants in hits, was second in homers and RBI behind Buster Posey, and second in doubles behind Michael Morse. He’s also the emotional leader of this team, and sets the best example for younger players with his constant hustle.
He also plays great defense. He has mastered the extremely difficult right field in AT&T Park, and will almost always make the right reads. He features the strongest arm among the outfielders, despite his weird throwing mechanics.
Pence’s game is ugly, quite frankly, but there’s something so beautiful about watching him give everything he’s got day after day.
Behind Pence, there’s no real backup, because the Giants haven’t had the need for one. Pence plays everyday, but there’s always the chance he’ll take a seat.
Added Depth – Gregor Blanco, Nori Aoki, Juan Perez, Mac Williamson, Travis Ishikawa, Brandon Belt
Blanco is the backup to all three outfield positions, but the odds are much better he will see time in left or center instead of right. He did play 54 games in right field in 2012 before Pence was acquired and made it his exclusive property. In the two years since, he’s found himself in right just twice. In his career in that position, he has a .263 average with four home runs, eight doubles, five triples and 20 RBI’s. He may be most famous as a right fielder for saving Matt Cain‘s perfect game with this miraculous catch.
Apr 3, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Juan Perez against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Aoki was the regular right fielder with the Kansas City Royals, but on most nights, he was replaced by speed demon Jarrod Dyson for defense. That’s not saying Aoki is bad defensively, but he’s not going to win any Gold Gloves. He will make the plays, but it’s torture watching him get there. What do you know, he already fits in. He’s a consistent, durable hitter who could take over leadoff duties if Pagan were to go down. Aoki is a career .285 hitter from the one-spot with a .353 on-base percentage.
Perez has played six games in right field, but mostly in garbage time as a defensive replacement to give Pence a rare breather. Perez did, however, start the one game in 2014 that Pence didn’t. His defense and arm are good enough to get the job done in right field, but his bat is still unproven in the big leagues. He’s posted great numbers in the minor leagues, but he needs consistent at-bats. Perez won’t get that in right field. He’s the fifth outfielder as of now, but that job is wide open.
Feb 23, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Mac Williamson (85) poses for a photo during photo day at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Williamson is quite possibly the most powerful Giants’ prospect in years. In 2013, he played 136 games for Advanced-A San Jose, and was a force in the middle of their lineup. He hit .292 with 25 longballs and 31 doubles, coupled with an impressive .375 OBP and .504 slugging percentage. 2014 was supposed to be a huge stepping stone on the road to the big leagues for Williamson, but he played just 23 games (.318, three homers, seven doubles) before he was overtaken by elbow discomfort which forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery. The surgery occurred in April, and hitters are known to return quicker than pitchers, so he may be ready for action come Spring Training. He is seen as a possible outfielder of the future, and if Pence can’t play for some odd reason, the future could be 2015. A more detailed scouting report for Williamson can be found here.
Ishikawa (three games) and Belt (two games) are both natural first basemen with minimal experience in right field. The only reason either of these two would find themselves in right is if the Giants get really desperate with a makeshift lineup. The possibility is always there, however.
Pence is going to patrol right field every day, barring a catastrophe. Players come and go, but Pence has brought stability and consistency to a game that is anything but.