San Francisco Giants Morning Minute: Thoughts on Williamson and the Bullpen

On this edition of the San Francisco Giants Morning Minute, we discuss the usage of Williamson, and certain guys in the bullpen.

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Good morning, San Francisco Giants’ fans, and welcome to another edition of the Giants Morning Minute. Apologies for the absence of this column over the past few days, but we’re back after yesterday’s off-day for the Giants. For the first time this season, the Giants got a day off at home, and it was needed after two poor performances in St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday.

The Giants are 35-24 on the season, and still four games out front in the National League West after the Los Angeles Dodgers lost on Monday.

With no game yesterday, here’s some thoughts before the Giants take the field again.

1 – Give Mac Williamson a Chance

Besides infielder Christian Arroyo, who currently plays at the Double-A level with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, outfielder Mac Williamson is probably the Giants’ best offensive prospect. But through his three short stints with the big league club this season, Williamson hasn’t gotten a proper chance to showcase himself.

Williamson has been on the big league roster for 20 games this season, but has appeared in only nine of those games, and started just three. He hasn’t played very well in his limited opportunities, collecting three hits in 17 at-bats, but it’s difficult for any player to get into a rhythm while swinging the bat when he sees the field once every three or four days.

The 25-year-old rookie has proven he can hit Triple-A pitching, with 25 doubles, 14 home runs, and 60 runs batted in over 90 games with Sacramento between this season and last, but he hasn’t been afforded the same opportunity in the big leagues yet.

With Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan both out right now because of their respective injuries, the offense needs a spark. Williamson’s power potential could be the spark they need. But he can’t jolt the offense sitting on the bench 90-plus percent of the time.

2 – Bullpen Usage

The Giants’ bullpen has not been very good this season. That’s not news. But Bruce Bochy‘s usage of some pitchers in his bullpen has been very questionable as of late.

Bochy has been using just about all of his relievers as specialists lately. Some guys in the bullpen are specialists. A guy like Cory Gearrin should mainly be used to retire right-handed hitters, and a guy like Javier Lopez should mainly be used to retire lefties (although he has struggled in that capacity thus far). But for guys like Hunter Strickland and Josh Osich, their roles should be expanded to more than just “specialist”.

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Strickland has become one of the Giants’ more reliable relievers, but Bochy has subdued his usage against lefties. But so far in his big league career, he’s been very effective against southpaw hitters. Since his initial call-up in 2014, Strickland has held lefties to a .216/.262/.299 slash-line, and he has surrendered just one home run in 97 at-bats.

Osich has had his struggles against right-handers this season, but had been very good against them before that. From his organizational debut in 2012 to the end of 2015, righties hit just .222 against Osich, and hit a home run every 74 at-bats.

Strickland and Osich are two pitchers that are supposed to be future stalwarts in the backend of the bullpen. They need to be treated as such. When they’re pitching in the eighth or ninth inning with an opportunity to close the door on the game, they’ll be facing whoever steps in their way. They won’t be treated as specialists. They should start being groomed as such now.

Next: Giants Morning Minute: Bumgarner Sound, Lincecum on Mound

And that will do it for this edition of the Giants Morning Minute. Up next, the Giants start a quick two-game set with the Boston Red Sox, the first time these two teams have met since the 2013 season. Albert Suarez will make his second career start, and will face off with Rick Porcello.

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