San Francisco Giants Spring Training Battle for the Bench

The San Francisco Giants have a noticeable battle to earn a spot on the opening day bench, with a lot of players competing for the job.

The first four Spring Training games are in the books, and it feels so good to be watching actual baseball games again. The San Francisco Giants‘ projected opening day roster is pretty much set from the beginning, barring any serious injuries (cross your fingers, knock on wood, avoid black cats and broken mirrors). The most notable battle in Giants’ camp is for the final bench spot, and a lot of players have their hats in that circle.

As Spring Training goes on, we’ll keep a close eye on this battle, watching to see which players’ stocks are going up, and which are going down. The numbers are four games don’t mean a whole heck of a lot, but it is a great starting point.

Ehire Adrianza entered camp as seemingly the favorite to earn the job, but didn’t get off to a fast start. He went hitless in his first five at-bats, but played the usual strong defense that everyone has come to expect from him. On Friday, Adrianza collected his first hit, a single up the middle to drive in a pair of his teammates. He also played a little bit of first base on Friday and didn’t get hit in the face by a ball, so that’s an improvement. On Saturday, Adrianza picked up another base hit in three at-bats.

Kyle Blanks, a non-roster invitee first baseman and corner outfielder, only played in one of the first three games, but he put his stamp on that game in a hurry. In his first at-bat, he showed a keen eye, taking some close pitches to work a walk, no easy feat in a player’s first at-bat of the Spring. His second chance saw Blanks do what he’s been known for, taking Milwaukee Brewers’ pitcher Ariel Pena yard over the left-center field fence. His third appearance ended the same way as the first, with Blanks jogging to first base after taking ball four. He started again on Saturday, and recorded a base hit in three chances.

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Gorkys Hernandez, another non-roster invitee, got a long look in the first set of games, starting all four in center field. In nine at-bats, Hernandez has collected four hits, including a double and a run-scoring groundout, as well as working a pair of walks. Known mostly for his speed and range as a center field, he’s shown off some off that range in the outfield, and some of the speed with a stolen base. His throwing strength has also been impressive.

Conor Gillaspie, an old friend of the Giants in camp on a minor league contract, got his exhibition period off to an inauspicious start. On his first defensive opportunity at third base, Gillaspie booted a groundball, resulting in an error during the third inning of the opening game. That was soon forgotten, as the former first-round pick led off the bottom half of the inning by smoking Matt Shoemaker‘s first pitch over the right-field wall for the Giants’ inaugural run of the spring. He also added a frozen-rope double down the line on Friday.

Outfielder Jarrett Parker has a bit of advantage in the battle, as he’s already on the 40-man roster, and his great performance down the stretch last year earned him a lot of good favor in the clubhouse. He is off to a quick start down in Arizona, totaling four singles in nine at-bats, including a run-scoring single that he took the other way.

Mac Williamson certainly has a chance to make the roster, but the Giants probably want him to play everyday at Triple-A, rather than getting sporadic time as a big leaguer in 2016. The 25-year-old outfielder got out to a slow start, picking up one hit in six at-bats, including three strikeouts, over the first three games. On Saturday, he made a quick impression off a former All-Star pitcher. He saw a first pitch fastball from the Texas Rangers’ Cole Hamels, and took it deep to left field for his first home run of the spring. In the ninth inning, Williamson put on an encore, taking Donnie Veal deep for his second home run of the day. He also added a walk in two other chances.

Trevor Brown, another player on the 40-man roster that played well late last year, could earn himself an opening day job if Bruce Bochy decides to take a different approach to setting his roster. The Giants could possibly keep three catchers, and Brown’s versatility could be the catalyst to that decision. He has already played first base this spring, and has minor league experience at second base as well. In four at-bats in exhibition games, Brown has a single, a double, and two walks, but his defense as a catcher and ability to play other positions is of greater value.

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Hak-Ju Lee, another non-roster invitee, is a darkhorse to win an opening day job. He was a top prospect in the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays’ farm systems, mostly for his ability as a contact hitter and his speed. When his knee injury occurred in 2013, Lee’s wheels slowed, and took a long time to get back under him.

In the exhibition period, Lee recorded one hit in his first four at-bats, but the one hit showed that Lee’s speed may be back with him. On Friday, with the defense deploying a shift that took the second baseman into shallow left field, Lee laid down a bunt, and beat an attempt to get the out at first. After the hit, Lee stole second base with no throw from the catcher. On Saturday, he added another hit, this one a single with the bases loaded that scored a pair. He’s also played good defensively at shortstop.

Next: San Francisco Giants: Headlines for 2016

Players off to a slow start have plenty of time left in Arizona to make it up. Remember, it’s not always how one starts, it’s how one finishes.

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