San Francisco Giants Spring Training Report: Position Battles, Other Notes

Final Infielder Spot

Mar 6, 2015; Surprise, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman

hits a home run against the Texas Rangers during a spring training baseball game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Much like the battle to wear the catcher’s gear, no one has really stood out from the pack in this fight to make the Opening Day roster. Over the first couple days, Adam Duvall looked like an early favorite, as he started the Spring 3-5, including a big homer in his first plate appearance, but has cooled way off since. He’s 0 for his last 10 with five strikeouts, and on Friday, he struggled miserably on defense while playing third base. He committed a throwing error, and missed a routine play, although he wasn’t charged with an error.

On Sunday, Duvall was again at third, and looked much better. He made some nice plays ranging to his left, and made strong and accurate throws. If his bat can come back to life, and he can continue to play defense like Sunday’s, he has a chance to steal that final spot.

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Matt Duffy has shown the good and the bad, as he has laced a double down the right field-line, and smacked a home run so far this Spring. The bad is that he’s had some baserunning miscues, and also committed two errors on Sunday, one fielding and one throwing. Overall, he’s 2-8 (.250) so far.

Ehire Adrianza, who is out of options, hasn’t shown anything to stand out yet. He’s 2-11 (.182), and has scored three runs. Like usual, his defense has been very good, and he’s also shown a good eye at the plate, working three walks last week. In 2014, he walked only five time in 106 plate appearances, so patience is obviously not in his normal vocabulary.

Brandon Hicks is 1-8 (.125), but does have a pair of RBI and a pair of walks. His defense has been very good as well, which was his big selling point last year. Hicks is a longshot as well, but he had the same odds last Spring. If he can wake up his bat, maybe it becomes impossible to send Hicks away.

It’s a close battle so far, but Duffy seems to have a slight advantage in the early goings.

Next: Fourth (and Fifth) Outfielder