The San Francisco Giants committed $43.5 million to Mitch Haniger in the offseason, expecting him to be the same player he's consistently been whenever he's been healthy enough to be on the field. For the first month or so of the season, the Giants were without Haniger, who injured his oblique (and later his back) as the season got going. But Haniger has been healthy for over a month now, and the SF Giants are still waiting for him to be a consistent performer offensively. What's behind Haniger's struggles, and will he break out of it?
Blake Sabol has been a success story for the Giants so far this season. Taken by the Reds in the Rule 5 draft, the SF Giants immediately traded for Sabol, who's played catcher, outfield, and DH for the Giants this year. But really, Sabol's greatest strength so far has been hit bat—particularly against right-handed pitching. Will he stick on the roster all season if he doesn't really have a defensive home? And what's his future with the San Francisco Giants beyond 2023 if they're able to keep him all year and shed his Rule 5 status?
What's behind SF Giants prospect Luis Matos' major turnaround from last year to this year? In 2021, Matos was so impressive as a 19-year-old in Low-A that he was widely considered a Top 50 prospect. His 2022 season in High-A, however, was massively disappointing that he fell off virtually all top prospect lists. This year, the biggest improvement has been plate discipline. He nearly doubled his walk rate from 2022 in Double-A, and earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he continues to tear it up. Matos has put himself on the doorstep of the major leagues where he's a phone call away from a spot in the Giants' outfield.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
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