SF Giants 2026 spring training preview: infielders
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The names pop off the page.
Matt Chapman at third base. Willy Adames at shortstop. Rafael Devers at first base. And Luis Arráez at second base — yes, second base.
Baseball games aren’t won with names. But Adames, Arráez, Chapman and Devers? Those are some legitimate names. If nothing else, it’s the most tantalizing compilation of infielders that the Giants have had in quite some time.
San Francisco knows what it’s getting on the left side with Adames at short and Chapman at third. As for the right side with Arráez at second — again, yes, second — and Devers at first base? For many reasons, that’s a little more uncertain.
And what of Bryce Eldridge, the Giants’ top prospect? Will he join Adames, Arráez, Chapman and Devers on the Opening Day roster, or does his season begin with Triple-A Sacramento?
Additions: Luis Arráez (Free Agent)
Subtractions: Dominic Smith (Free Agent), Wilmer Flores (Free Agent)
Projected 1B WAR Ranking: 10th
Projected 2B WAR Ranking: 18th
Projected SS WAR Ranking: 10th
Adames and Chapman were nowhere near the top of San Francisco’s list of concerns when the offseason rolled around. They’re both locked up on long-term deals, and in their first year as a duo, they proved they were worth every penny — and then some.
Adames, 30, started slowly on both sides of the ball, entering June with a .620 OPS. From June 10 onward, Adames looked like a ballplayer worthy of a nine-figure contract, posting a team-high .848 OPS and 3.8 WAR. On the final day of the season, he became the first Giant to hit at least 30 homers in a single season since Barry Bonds in 2004.
Chapman, 32, was putting together one of the best seasons of his career until he sprained several finger ligaments in his right hand on June 8. The five-time Gold Glove Award winner not only missed about a month, but the injury continued to affect him for the remainder of the regular season. There’s a stark contrast between his pre- and post-injury splits:
Before injury: 65 games, .243/.360/.452, 12 homers, 30 RBIs, seven steals, 2.4 WAR
After injury: 63 games, .219/.319/.406, nine homers, 31 RBIs, two steals, 1.3 WAR
What’s most telling is the Giants’ record with and without their third baseman. With Chapman, San Francisco was 68-60 — an 86-win pace, which would’ve been enough for the third wild-card spot. Without Chapman, they were 13-21 — a 62-win pace, which would’ve been the third-fewest wins in baseball.
The real intrigue with this infield lies in the right side, which features two big question marks.
Arráez’s offensive profile at this juncture in his career is divisive. He’s a three-time batting champion, but his numbers have been down the last two seasons. He’s got the best bat-to-ball skills in baseball, but that approach may be hindering his production, given how the league has adapted. He’s a legitimate bounce-back candidate, but he’s trending in the wrong direction.
Defensively, the conversation is more straightforward.
Arráez has been one of the worst defenders in baseball over the last half-decade or so. Since 2019, the year he made his debut, no defender has accumulated fewer outs above average, a range-based defensive metric, than Arráez. Infield coach Ron Washington will help, but there’s likely a limit on the impact that “Wash” can have in six weeks.
“We’re all really optimistic about (Washington) getting Luis into a good spot defensively,” said president of baseball operations Buster Posey. “And then the bat — he’s the best bat-to-ball guy in all of baseball. You look at the strikeout rate last year, he’s won three batting titles. … Then, as far as the defense, there’s not going to be for a lack of effort and work on his part and the coaching staff.”
Defense will also be a question with Devers, who’s gearing up for his first season as a full-time first baseman.
Devers, despite some early bumps in the road, fared well upon picking up the position following the blockbuster trade that brought him to San Francisco, totaling +2 defensive runs saved over 249 innings. He doesn’t have a ton of experience at first, but his 952 career games at third base cannot be discounted when projecting his potential defensive upside.
As far as the offense? With Devers, that won’t be an issue. Over the last five seasons, Devers has averaged 32 home runs and 99 RBIs with an .868 OPS. That type of pop is not insignificant for a team that didn’t have a 30-homer hitter for more than two decades.
“Coming in, I already knew what he could do for our lineup and what type of year he could put together. … I don’t put as much weight on exactly what the statistics say, but he’s a presence in the lineup that can affect how the other team has to gameplan,” said manager Tony Vitello. “But also, I’ve had to be in the dugout when you’re gameplanning against a guy like that. You know it makes the other guys in the lineup better, too.”
Eldridge, the Giants’ best position player prospect since Barry Bonds, should get some burn at first base … at some point this season. His role is trending more towards that of a designated hitter at this juncture anyhow, so let’s shelve the discussion on him for the DH preview.
The primary backup infielder should be Casey Schmitt, who got squeezed out of a starting job when the team signed Arráez. San Francisco appears intent on keeping him instead of flipping him for pitching, and his versatility and pop make him an ideal backup.
Vitello said the Giants haven’t yet decided whether they’ll carry two backup infielders. If they do, that battle will fall between Tyler Fitzgerald and Christian Koss.
Koss, 28, was a surprise addition on last year’s Opening Day roster, and while he didn’t provide much offensive pop, his combination of defense and speed made him a valuable contributor off the bench. Fitzgerald, also 28, has the higher ceiling, as evidenced by his breakout 2024 season, but injuries and inconsistency landed him in Triple-A Sacramento for a good chunk of last season.
Whether the team carries a second infield might depend on whether or not Eldridge makes the Opening Day roster. If Eldridge is on the roster, the Giants’ bench could be: backup catcher, fourth outfielder, Schmitt and Jerar Encarnacion. Without Eldridge, Encarnacion, who plays first base along with corner outfield, probably slots into that DH spot, which creates an opening on the bench.
“We got a couple guys who can do different things,” Vitello said. “We’ve had conversations and people have thrown out a bunch of different scenarios.”