San Francisco Giants: New Guys Paying Dividends Early
The first week of the season hasn’t exactly been pretty for the San Francisco Giants, as they are 3-4 through the first two series, and are just halfway through this stretch of 14 straight games to open the year. The injury bug continues to bite the team, as six players from the projected opening day roster are either on the disabled list, or have missed time with some kind of ailment.
Before any freaking out is done, let’s take a second to remember that there are 155 games left in the year. There have also been some bright spots as well, specifically from some of the new guys on the roster. Newcomers Nori Aoki and Justin Maxwell, as well as rookie Matt Duffy, have all played very well so far in this very young season.
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Aoki was signed in the offseason, and since being inserted into the lineup as the leadoff man, he has been a quiet, but extremely consistent force. In his first seven games with the orange and black, he owns a .400 average (12/30) with four runs scored, constantly setting a spark for the Giants’ lineup. He’s walked three times, and has struck out only twice.
Aoki has hit safely in all seven games, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, dating back to 2014 with the Kansas City Royals. His defense has been lackluster in the past, as he has been known to take weird routes to flyballs, and to sometimes just misplay them. But this year, it has been much better than advertised, as he made multiple running or sliding catches in the series with the San Diego Padres.
There were a lot of questions that came with the decision to put Aoki in the leadoff spot, and move Angel Pagan into the three-hole. With Hunter Pence‘s injury, the need for offense became more apparent, and so far, Aoki has been a catalyst.
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Maxwell, a teammate of Aoki in Kansas City, also came over in the offseason, as the Giants gave him a minor league deal. After a very strong Spring, Maxwell earned an opening day roster spot, which was left vacant by Pence. Although he hasn’t had a ton of at-bats yet, he has made the most of them so far.
In 11 at-bats, Maxwell has three hits, including a double, two RBI, and a pair of walks. His first RBI with the team came in Thursday’s series opener with San Diego, which proved to be the game-winer in the 12th inning. On Saturday, he had another RBI, driving one in with a double, although it did come in garbage time.
His defense has also been pretty good, and was exemplified in Sunday’s series finale, by a leaping catch that potentially robbed a home run from Yangervis Solarte.
Maxwell has always had a lot of potential, but has never had a real opportunity to unlock it. Only once in his big league career has he played more than 100 games. In 2012, he played in 124 games, mostly as an outfielder, for the Houston Astros, and led the team with 18 home runs, and was second with 53 RBI.
Another new guy, although he’s a familiar face, that has played well so far is Duffy, the rookie who found himself on the 2014 roster, as well as the postseason roster. Much like Maxwell, Duffy had a fantastic Spring, and took an Opening Day roster spot, despite not being seen as the favorite to win it.
Just seven games into the season, Duffy has already played all four infield positions, including first base for the first time in his professional career. His versatility has made the Giants’ injuries hurt a little less, as he has been able to fill in for Casey McGehee at third base and Brandon Belt at first base.
His bat has also been good, as he has four hits in 15 at-bats, matching his .267 average from 2014. In his first start of the year, the third game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he doubled in a run in his second at-bat. His second RBI came on Sunay, when he started the scoring with an RBI single in the second.
Between the offseason and the start of the season, the Giants have lost a lot of players, either by free agency or injury. The lineup has been anything but stable, as there have been six different starting lineups in seven games.
Aoki has been the only real stability so far, being the only hitter to bat in the same lineup spot in all six games. Maxwell and Duffy have both provided solid depth and good offense.
As the season goes on, these three players could prove to be more and more valuable to the Giants, and their early performances have to inspire confidence.