San Francisco Giants: A way too early look at the 2022 outfield

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 24: Gerardo Parra #8, Kevin Pillar #1 and Steven Duggar #6 of the San Francisco Giants congratulate each other following victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in a MLB game at Rogers Centre on April 24, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 24: Gerardo Parra #8, Kevin Pillar #1 and Steven Duggar #6 of the San Francisco Giants congratulate each other following victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in a MLB game at Rogers Centre on April 24, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 03: Steven Duggar #6 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 03, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 03: Steven Duggar #6 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 03, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)

Center Field

This seems to be the easiest spot to analyze at the moment with Steven Duggar having a lock on this position for the foreseeable future.

However, with top prospect Heliot Ramos tearing up the minor league ranks and the newly-drafted Hunter Bishop capable of manning center field, things are not as definite going forward.

So far this season Duggar has a line of .238/.279/.345 which is not horrible for a guy playing his first full season in the majors. He has shown decent contact but lacks power on a team that desperately needs it, tallying just three home runs in 223 at-bats.

The bright spot is his glove. Duggar has great speed and the instincts to play in center field at this level. He has shown this so much so that Kevin Pillar was moved to right field to continue Duggar’s development and experience in the center seat. Duggar has a great glove, but in a league that is becoming overpowered by the home run ball will a “great glove” be enough to keep him in that role come 2022?

I believe it will be, but a lot will have to go right for Mr. Duggar.

One thing working in his favor is the fact that most around baseball view Bishop as a corner outfielder going forward as opposed to a center fielder, which was the position he played in college.

However, Duggar needs to be able to hit for a decent average if he is going to be the future leadoff piece that he has the potential to be. It’s unlikely he will ever be a real power threat, but if he can bat in the .270-.300 range, he will be the Giants starting center fielder on opening day in 2022.

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