SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- LaMonte Wade Jr. isn¡¯t as speedy as the prototypical leadoff hitter, but he possesses another coveted skill that makes him an ideal candidate for the job: He¡¯s an on-base machine.
While Wade¡¯s .219 batting average this spring doesn¡¯t jump off the page, he¡¯s currently sporting a robust .422 on-base percentage, thanks in large part to 10 walks over 45 Cactus League plate appearances.
¡°He¡¯s got that kind of eye,¡± manager Bob Melvin said before the Giants¡¯ 4-3 split-squad win over the Padres on Tuesday night at Scottsdale Stadium. ¡°It¡¯s really unique in the game. We¡¯re seeing it again this spring. We feel pretty good about him in the leadoff spot.¡±
Center fielder Jung Hoo Lee served as the Giants¡¯ primary leadoff hitter before going down with a season-ending left shoulder injury last season, but he¡¯s expected to move down to the three-hole to vacate the top spot for Wade this season.
Wade is no stranger to the role -- he batted first 10 times in 2024 -- and he showed his tablesetting abilities on Tuesday after he led off the bottom of the first with a single and came around to score on an RBI single by Matt Chapman to put the Giants on the board.
¡°The timing has been a little bit off, but I still feel good because I¡¯ve been swinging at the right pitches,¡± Wade said earlier this spring.
Wade hit .333 with a .470 on-base percentage through his first 51 games for the Giants last season, but he couldn¡¯t sustain his hot start after he landed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. He returned after missing one month, but he never really felt like he had his legs under him the rest of the way, hitting only .213 with a .316 on-base percentage over his final 65 games.
The 31-year-old first baseman feels he now has a stronger base after focusing on strengthening his legs over the offseason. He spent most of the offseason working out in his native Maryland, where he incorporated more running into his workouts and developed a lower batting stance to help him stay in his legs and unlock more power this season.
¡°If I don¡¯t have my legs, then I can¡¯t do what I want to do,¡± Wade said. ¡°I was still making contact with the ball. I was hitting line drives, but nothing was going in the air. I think it was because I couldn¡¯t push off on the back side. I really need my legs. If I get my legs, I think I can be better.¡±
Wade¡¯s eyes, meanwhile, remain as sharp as ever, which made him especially curious to try out the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system this spring. Wade issued his first challenges in Monday¡¯s 3-0 win over the White Sox at Camelback Ranch, successfully overturning back-to-back calls to draw a walk against left-hander Cam Booser in the fourth inning.
¡°I like it,¡± Wade said. ¡°I like it as long as it¡¯s not the full [ABS] system. I still think the umpires need to make the calls. I feel like if you lose the umpire-player relationship, I don¡¯t really like that.
¡°I like their system, though. I like the challenges. I think guys will start to learn how to use them the right way and in good situations. Not just to use them just to lose them. I think it¡¯s a good system.¡±
¡°They should let LaMonte umpire,¡± Melvin joked. ¡°Just give him the clicker and let him do it because he¡¯s not going to be wrong.¡±
Worth noting
? Left-hander Robbie Ray continued his impressive spring by allowing only one unearned run over five innings against the Padres, lowering his ERA to 1.26 over four Cactus League outings. He¡¯s on track to make one more exhibition start, against the Tigers at Oracle Park next week. That will give him a chance to see reigning American League Cy Young and Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal, who helped Ray out by sharing his changeup grip with him over the offseason.
¡°I¡¯m definitely going to give him a big hug and tell him thank you,¡± Ray said. ¡°He told me that I¡¯m not allowed to throw it against them. I said that every changeup I throw, I¡¯m going to look in their dugout and give him a thumbs up.¡±
? The Giants announced that the start time for Saturday¡¯s Cactus League finale against the D-backs has been moved up from 1:05 p.m. to 12:05 p.m. PT.