2 SF Giants players who have played their way onto Opening Day roster

The SF Giants have had a strong spring training thus far. Many players have looked very strong, but there two players in particular needed strong showings to make the Opening Day roster and they have delivered on that.

Outfielder and designated hitter Jerar Encarnacion has torn the cover off the ball at the plate and Landen Roupp has looked phenomenal on the mound for the most part. Both players now seem to be near locks for the Opening Day roster.

Jerar Encarnacion and Landen Roupp have likely earned their way onto SF Giants Opening Day roster

Coming into camp, Encarnacion was not a lock to make the team. Even though he looked solid with the team last year and was out of minor league options, he still needed to prove that his power surge in the minor leagues and high exit velocity last season was not a fluke.

He has done just that in spring training. In 38 at-bats, the 27-year-old slugger has 13 base hits including a loud home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers and 13 runs batted in.

His main competitors for spot on the team are Luis Matos and Grant McCray who have also looked great, but the fact that Encarnacion is out of options means the Giants will not want to lose him if they can help it.

Turning to the pitching staff, Roupp may not be a guarantee for the starting rotation but it would be hard to imagine him not making the Opening Day roster with how he has pitched. In four starts and 12 innings pitched this spring, Roupp has a 3.75 ERA which is a bit misleading because he had three scoreless outings, including a very impressive one against San Diego, and then had one rough outing in his fourth start.

That start against the Chicago Cubs seems like a bit of an outlier at this point. If he can rebound and look a little more like the Roupp we saw in his first three outings then he should certainly have a seat on the plane to Cincinnatti.

As of right now, he is a strong contender for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. Even if someone else like Kyle Harrison ultimately gets the nod for that final rotation spot, Roupp should still make the team as a long reliever.

No matter what, given the natural ebb and flow of a season, it seems likely we will see Roupp start games for the Giants this year. He showed promise as a starter last season, but with so many starters and long relievers in camp this spring it would have been easy for him to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Instead, he has impressed everyone again just like he did last spring.

Both Encarnacion and Roupp needed to show up and perform in the Cactus League to snag a spot on the Opening Day roster and both have done that. Let's hope they can carry their strong performances over into the regular season.