The currently 15-24 Giants are tied with the Mets for the worst record in the National League. The Giants’ offense and pitching staff were both below average to start the year, and the offense was a major factor in the team’s woes. Overall, San Francisco is hitting .241/.284/.357 with an 81 wRC+, the latter of which is tied with the Mets for worst in the Majors. On the other hand, Casey Schmitt has a 144 wRC+ through 128 plate appearances, while Luis Arraez he pairs his old-school hitting style with incredibly strong defense. However, Rafael Devers, Matt Chapmanagain Willy Adams they all don’t hit well. Chapman “leads” that trio with a 79 wRC+ in 160 plate appearances.
The IX-factor in the Giants’ offense is the center fielder Harrison Bader. The 31-year-old has been on the disabled list since April 15 with a strained left hamstring, though Susan Slussler of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Bader could soon be out of the IL. If so, that would be about a month of lost time for the outfielder. Bader only made 55 plate appearances before going down, but the club hopes he can show his form from last year when he returns. In 501 plate appearances between the Twins and Phillies through 2025, Bader had career-best marks in wRC+ (122), wOBA (.346), and home runs (17).
There were signs that Bader was lucky to hit well. He hit .359 on balls in play, which was above the league average. Bader’s .297 expected wOBA was also below his .346 actual mark, while his average exit velocity of 87.2 MPH ranked in the 12th percentile in the Majors. There’s also the issue that Bader has been a below-average hitter in multiple seasons, including every season from 2022-24 leading up to his 2025 breakout. In other words, Bader had a career season at the plate in 2025, but no one expected him to suddenly become a generational pitcher.
The Giants would be happy if Bader was just an average player. Among their first field of Heliot Ramos, Drew Gilbertagain Jung Hoo Leeonly Ramos is hitting. He currently has a wRC+ of 100 even with 150 plate appearances, and an uninviting .368 average on balls in play. Lee is slightly below average with a 96 wRC+, and his subpar defense doesn’t help his value either. Gilbert was a first-round pick by the Astros in 2022 and has some promise, but so far he has been passed over in the Majors. The return of Bader would not be a huge improvement for the team’s offense, whose fortunes depend on Chapman, Adames, and especially Devers returning to their work habits. That said, swapping out Bader for Gilbert in center would hopefully deepen the lineup with average hitting, to say nothing of Bader’s exceptional defense.
Amid the struggles of the Black strikers, one of the standouts has been Schmitt. With a 144 wRC+ in 129 plate appearances, Schmitt had hit the Giants’ best retirement of 2026. At the same time, he’s worked mostly as a DH, and those plate appearances may be hard to come by after Bryce EldridgeThe latest promotion. That said, Sussler writes that Schmitt has been taking outside reps during practice this week. That builds on earlier comments from manager Tony Vitello, who said Schmitt is athletic enough to handle the corner if the team handles it “smartly.”
Sussler clarified that Schmitt is still an emergency option, and there are no immediate plans to play him out. Still, giving him outside reps, even in a low-pressure environment, is a smart move on the Giants’ part. As exciting as Eldridge’s potential is, the club can’t afford to take Schmitt off the roster. For what it’s worth, the six-foot, 215-pound Schmitt’s running speed is in the 72nd percentile according to Statcast. He also has above average arm strength. It remains to be seen how he can take the field, but turning Schmitt into a utility player would be the best way to get him regular reps and utilize his defensive strengths.
Turning to the Giants’ pitching staff, Sussler reports that relief Sam Hentges‘ the repair work ends today. You will probably be set up soon. The Giants’ bullpen has a respectable 3.85 ERA, though its combined 0.1 fWAR puts it in the bottom ten relief units in the Majors. It remains to be seen how Hentges will affect that image. The 6’8″ left tackle for Cleveland from 2021-24 and was solid the last three years. He had shoulder surgery in September 2024 and arthroscopic knee surgery in September 2025, but now appears to be completely healthy. The keys to Hentges’ success will be producing ground balls, which he has done 53.4% of the time in his career, and regaining his mid-90s semi-seam velocity.
Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Imagn Images
