Chapman, Adames lead Giants¡¯ infield options
Maria Guardado
@mi_guardadoThe Giants locked up the left side of their infield by signing third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames to long-term deals last year. San Francisco will lean on the veteran duo to lead the way in 2025, but the club will need steady production across the diamond if it intends on surging back into contention this season.
Here¡¯s a look at how the infield is shaping up heading into Spring Training.
Projected starters
First base: LaMonte Wade Jr., Wilmer Flores
Barring a late acquisition, the Giants appear poised to run it back with a Wade/Flores platoon at first base. The left-handed-hitting Wade figures to draw the majority of starts and should slot into the top of the lineup after recording a .380 on-base percentage in 2024. The 31-year-old saw his power dip while dealing with lower-body injuries last season, but he¡¯s shown that he can be a key tablesetter when healthy.
Flores, 33, is coming off a career-worst offensive season, but he was the Giants¡¯ best hitter in 2023 and could be a bounceback candidate after undergoing surgery to repair a right knee issue that hampered him last year.
Second base: Tyler Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald ended last season as the Giants¡¯ starting shortstop, but he¡¯s expected to slide over to second base to accommodate Adames this year. The 27-year-old will be looking to build on a breakout rookie campaign that saw him hit .280 with an .831 OPS and 15 home runs over 96 games in 2024.
Shortstop: Willy Adames
The Giants struggled to find stability at shortstop following the departure of franchise icon Brandon Crawford, but they finally found a long-term answer in the form of Adames, who signed a franchise-record seven-year, $182 million deal in December. Adames, 29, will be counted on to be an impact player on both sides of the ball, especially after slashing .251/.331/.462 with a career-high 32 home runs and 112 RBIs over 161 games for the Brewers last year.
Third base: Matt Chapman
The five-time Gold Glove winner earned a six-year, $151 million contract extension after emerging as the Giants¡¯ most valuable player in 2024, when he hit .247 with a .791 OPS and a team-high 27 homers over 154 games. He should team up with Adames to give San Francisco one of the best left sides of the infield for years to come.
Backup options
Casey Schmitt, UTL: Long viewed as a potential Gold Glove third baseman, Schmitt is now blocked from his best position by Chapman, though he¡¯s proved capable of filling in at both shortstop and second base. The 25-year-old slumped badly during his rookie season, but he took a step forward at the plate last year, batting .252 with a .760 OPS and six homers over 40 big league games.
Brett Wisely, UTL: The Giants¡¯ infield skews heavily right-handed right now, which could open the door for the left-handed-hitting Wisely to nab a bench spot this spring. Wisely, 25, hit .279 with a .736 OPS over his first 45 games last year, but he cooled off in the second half, batting only .181 with a .466 OPS over his final 46 games. His best defensive position is second base, but he can fill in at shortstop and third base if needed.
David Villar, 1B/3B: Villar appeared in line to take over the starting job at third base in 2023, but he¡¯s tumbled on the depth chart over the last couple of years and spent most of last season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he batted .260 with an .802 OPS and 16 homers over 106 games. He¡¯ll be out of options this spring, but the Giants already seem to be covered at the corner infield spots, which could make it difficult for him to crack the Opening Day roster.
Also in the mix
Bryce Eldridge, 1B: Ranked No. 24 overall on MLB Pipeline¡¯s 2025 Top 100 Prospects list, Eldridge will probably need more seasoning in the Minors before he¡¯s ready to break into the big leagues, but he¡¯s widely viewed as the Giants¡¯ first baseman of the future. The 6-foot-7 slugger reached Triple-A Sacramento in his first full pro season and batted .291 with an .890 OPS and 23 home runs across four levels last year, making him one of the most exciting prospects to come up through the Giants¡¯ system in recent years.
Jake Lamb, 1B/DH: A 2017 All-Star with the D-backs, Lamb reportedly agreed to a Minor League deal with an invitation to big league camp this week. The 34-year-old veteran spent the entire 2024 campaign with the Pirates¡¯ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, where he hit .264 with a .743 OPS and seven home runs over 98 games. The Giants don¡¯t have a ton of experienced left-handed options behind Wade at first base, so Lamb could get a chance to compete for a bench spot this spring.