It’s almost impossible to come out of a 1-7 road trip and have something positive to talk about. The Giants lost six straight and looked as bad as they have all season, finding every possible way to lose games — including a rare walk-off balk. However, outfielder Mac Williamson, who was given numerous opportunities this past week, showed he has no intentions of heading back to Sacramento any time soon.
Williamson has finally gotten a chance to prove whether or not he belongs in The Show, and he’s taken advantage of this opportunity. In the eight games on the trip, Williamson hit .444 in 18 at bats, with three home runs and seven RBI, including a go-ahead RBI single in the 12th against the Yankees on Saturday. His average on the season has jumped up to .259 and he’s slugging an impressive .506. Williamson has shook a slow start to the 2016 season, and if you need evidence, the outfielder is among the league leaders in OPS since late June.
UPDATED Select OPS Since June 23rd
Mac Williamson – 1.028
David Ortiz – 1.024
Jose Altuve – 1.010
Mookie Betts – .975
Carlos Gonzalez – .963— Ahmed Fareed (@AhmedFareedCSN) July 24, 2016
The Giants have been platooning Williamson and Jarrett Parker since Hunter Pence went down with a hamstring injury in the beginning of June, but with Pence returning soon, Bruce Bochy must ask himself: How will he continue to use Williamson once Pence returns?
In his rehab stint with Sacramento, Pence is hitting .455 in four games and the Giants are in desperate need for another hot bat in the middle of the lineup to spark some production. Prior to the injury, he was putting together another strong campaign, hitting slightly under .300 and led the team in RBI when he went to the DL. But with Pence’s return, and his injury history, it will be hard to completely bench Williamson, just when he’s beginning to show what he’s capable of.
With both Williamson and Pence being right-handed, it is highly unlikely they will be used in a platoon role in right field. But the Giants can use Williamson more often as Pence returns to give the 33-year-old days of rest to ensure he does not re-injure his hamstring. This is the second consecutive season in which Pence has suffered an injury forcing him to miss a large chunk of the season and he’s been he is a major cog to the offense. If the Giants want to stay competitive down the stretch, they will need Pence to be healthy.
Another option the Giants should weigh is to give Angel Pagan extra days off and use Williamson in left field. In a contract year, Pagan is stringing together a bounce back season for the Giants (.292/.337/.432) but just like Pence, the 35-year-old has had numerous trips to the DL during his time in San Francisco. Pagan has adjusted well to the move to left field, but eerily similar to Pence, it’s important the Giants have a healthy Pagan as the race for the postseason heats up in August and September.
A final option, while less likely, is to use Williamson in left and give Pagan spot starts in center field. A career center fielder, Pagan has made only one start in center field all season. But if Denard Span continues to struggle at the plate — he’s hitting .240 in the month of July — the Giants may call on Pagan to return to the position he has played his whole career, so that Williamson can earn some more at bats as the season progresses and continue to ride this hot streak.
If Williamson continues to perform at the high level he is, the Giants will be forced to keep him in the lineup and find at-bats for him. As outlined above, they can use him in various roles, but after the road trip, one thing is for sure: the Giants need offensive production and they cannot afford to take Williamson’s bat out of the lineup.