Often over the past few years, the Giants have identified favorable pockets of the schedule for individual players on the cusp of the big leagues and test drove them against them, only to option them back to Triple-A after handful at-bats.
Tuesday, with the Giants facing Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin, is a soft landing spot for fourth-ranked prospect Casey Schmitt. But this roster move feels different than some of the more transient ones in the past.
Schmitt, who’s starting at shortstop and hitting seventh against Washington, will be the first position player drafted by the Farhan Zaidi-led front office to debut for the Giants Tuesday night. The 24-year-old is going to get a real chance to be more than that this season.
“Yeah, we always say we can’t really see the future,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said when asked if Schmitt’s call-up will be more permanent. “Nothing’s set in stone. But Casey’s here to play for us. He’s here to help the Giants win and continue to develop.”
Schmitt is a natural third baseman who won a Minor League Gold Glove award for his work there. Brandon Crawford compared his hands to those of Nolan Arenado’s. But Schmitt’s placement at shortstop shows the organization’s faith in him as a potentially generational defender. He also has played second base at Triple-A in the past week and the team is comfortable giving him shots there, too.
That positional flexibility should make it easy for the Giants to pencil Schmitt into the lineup.
“I think that he’s got all the skills necessary to be a good second baseman at the Major League level,” Kapler said. “I’d say the same thing for shortstop. Because we all have so much exposure to Casey’s play at third base, there’s endless comfort there. There’s no question there’s going to be bumps and bruises at shortstop, there’s going to be bumps and bruises at second as well. From an athleticism and skill perspective, he can handle getting through those bumps and bruises because he’s athletic enough and gifted enough defensively to navigate those.”
Opportunities will be there, likely at all three of those positions. Crawford is currently on the injured list with a calf injury and isn’t expected to return until this weekend’s series in Arizona. J.D. Davis has grabbed the everyday third base position by the horns, but will need more frequent off-days to stay fresh. Ditto for Thairo Estrada, who has been SF’s most valuable position player, but a more effective one at second base.
Then there’s David Villar, who had gotten a bulk of second base starts before losing playing time in May. Villar is hitting .145 on the season with a 33.7% strikeout rate.
Villar is in the lineup against the Nationals and Kapler reiterated that the infielder is still a part of the club’s plans, but his roster spot will be tenuous when Brandon Crawford and Mike Yastrzemski return from the injured list. Especially if Schmitt can approach the Mendoza Line — not exactly the highest bar to clear, even against MLB pitching.
“Our roster right now has a need for somebody that can give Thairo off his feet from time to time,” Kapler said. “Move around, play a little shortstop for us, play a little second base, play a little third base when J.D. needs a day off. I feel like there’s ample opportunity for us to get him consistent playing time and not have him out of the lineup for too long. As a result, we just wanted to see how we could help Casey and have Casey help the Giants.”
Those needs won’t dissipate any time soon, even when Crawford returns. Defensively, Schmitt should be well-equipped to act as a souped up utility infielder.
From the plate, Schmitt’s strikeout rate has stabilized recently and his power has come along. He’s riding a seven-game hitting streak in which he’s struck out as much as he’s walked while adding his first Triple-A home run of the season. Facing big-league pitching will certainly be different, but Schmitt hit .295 with 21 home runs across three levels last year.
Given his glove and defensive versatility, almost hitting production could be a bonus, given SF’s alternatives.
“This is not just Casey coming up so that he can develop,” Kapler said. “This is our focus on Casey’s long-term develop and our focus on winning games for the Giants right now.”
Schmitt still needs to make his debut. For that first step, he’ll have at least 40 friends and family members from San Diego in attendance at Oracle Park.
“Yeah, it’s super cool,” Schmitt said. “I’m really excited.”
- Brandon Crawford is eligible to come off the injured list on Wednesday, but is on track to be activated for SF’s upcoming weekend series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona instead. He still hasn’t run the bases as of Tuesday, but there haven’t been any setback to his calf injury.
- Alex Wood said he feels ready to go, and his next turn in the rotation on five days’ rest would be this upcoming Friday. The club still hasn’t finalized a plan for him, but that Friday start remains likely.