CINCINNATI -- The Giants finalized their 26-man roster on the eve of their Opening Day matchup against the Reds at Great American Ball Park on Thursday.
The pitching staff came into focus once Landen Roupp won the fifth-starter competition and Hayden Birdsong, Spencer Bivens and Lou Trivino earned spots in the bullpen, but there were still a couple of surprises on the position player side on Wednesday.
Despite having a starting lineup that skews right-handed, the Giants decided to option two left-handed hitters -- Brett Wisely and Grant McCray -- to Triple-A Sacramento and carry Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss as their backup infielders.
Here¡¯s how the final team took shape:
Catcher (2): Patrick Bailey, Sam Huff
With veteran Tom Murphy (herniated disk) now on the 60-day injured list, the Giants will lean on Huff to serve as Bailey¡¯s backup to start the year. Huff, who is out of options, beat out veteran Max Stassi for the second catcher spot after batting .313 with two homers and a .994 OPS over 15 spring games.
First base (1): LaMonte Wade Jr.
Wade will get most of the playing time here, but Wilmer Flores should also factor into the mix against lefties. Wade and Flores weren¡¯t at full strength while dealing with lower-body injuries last season, but the Giants will be counting on their veteran platoon to be more productive in 2025.
Second base (1): Tyler Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald ended last season as the Giants¡¯ starting shortstop, but he¡¯s expected to slide over to the keystone to make way for Willy Adames this year. The 27-year-old missed the beginning of Cactus League play with lower back tightness, but he¡¯s healthy now and will be looking to build on a breakout rookie season that saw him bat .280 with an .831 OPS and 15 home runs over 96 games.
Shortstop (1): Willy Adames
Adames¡¯ durability and right-handed pop made him an ideal target for the Giants, who struggled to find an internal successor to franchise icon Brandon Crawford last year. He¡¯s been as advertised so far, hitting .333 with three home runs over 18 spring games.
Third base (1): Matt Chapman
After signing a six-year, $151 million extension in September, Chapman is expected to serve as a franchise cornerstone and team up with Adames to give the Giants one of the best left sides of the infield in the Majors. The five-time Gold Glover certainly looked more at home this spring, batting .400 with a 1.271 OPS and a team-high six homers over 17 games.
Outfielders (4): Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, Mike Yastrzemski, Luis Matos
Matos¡¯ impressive winter ball stint ultimately helped him nab the fourth outfield spot, which will likely set him up to serve as Yastrzemski¡¯s platoon partner in right field this year.
Designated hitter (1): Wilmer Flores
Jerar Encarnacion was in line to get plenty of at-bats at the DH spot, but he was placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a left hand fracture last week and is likely to miss at least four to five weeks. That could open the door for Flores or Matos to get more regular playing time, though the Giants will likely cycle through various players at this position throughout the season.
Utility (2): Casey Schmitt, Christian Koss
The left-handed-hitting Wisely seemed to be a frontrunner for a bench job at the beginning of the spring, but the Giants surprisingly left him off their initial 26-man roster in favor of Schmitt and Koss, both of whom can play multiple infield spots at a high level. Koss, 27, has never played in the Majors, but he impressed after batting .341 with a .938 OPS and one homer over 28 spring games.
Starting rotation (5): Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Justin Verlander, Jordan Hicks, Landen Roupp
Roupp edged out Kyle Harrison and Birdsong for the final spot in the Giants¡¯ rotation, marking the second consecutive year he¡¯s made the Opening Day roster. Birdsong will be the next man up in the event of an injury, but he¡¯s expected to pitch out of the bullpen to start the year.
Bullpen (8): Ryan Walker, Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, Erik Miller, Lou Trivino, Spencer Bivens, Randy Rodríguez, Hayden Birdsong
Miller is currently the only left-hander in the bullpen, but the Giants believe they have several right-handed options who can also handle lefties, most notably Rogers. Bivens and Birdsong will both be available to provide length out of the bullpen as well.