Three Up and Three Down From the Giants Final Week of Spring Training

The San Francisco Giants saw some encouraging performances from many of their key players including Hunter Pence and Joey Bart.

Spring Training 2.0 is nearing the finish line as the Giants are quickly ramping back up to prepare for a condensed season that is just around the corner.

Just as Spring Training was beginning to ramp up, San Francisco was thrown a curveball with Buster Posey deciding to opt-out of the 2020 season. It was revealed that the Posey family recently adopted twins who were born prematurely.

Since the twins, Ada and Livvi, were born prematurely, they will have a compromised immune system for the next several months. Posey decided to protect his family from the added exposure that playing baseball would have brought on. Of course, my best wishes go out to the Posey family during this.

Posey’s decision leaves a hole behind the plate. Tyler Heineman, Rob Brantly, Chadwick Tromp, and Joey Bart are the few options currently in camp vying for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

Brantly is the only option was substantial major league experience as he has accumulated 429 career plate appearances. With that being said, the switch-hitting Heineman seems like he has an inside shot at making the team.

Despite this, all of the eyes have turned toward Joey Bart. Bart was selected with the second overall pick of the 2018 draft, so he has the draft pedigree that garners a lot of attention.

The 23-year-old has certainly lived up to the expectations so far. He has consistently had one of the loudest bats in camp.

That said, he is not the only prospect making an impact. Infield prospect Will Wilson is opening some eyes as well.

The Giants acquired Wilson in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels. The Giants did a huge favor for the Angels by assuming the remainder of Zack Cozart’s three-year, $38 million pact, and the infield prospect was added to the transaction as a cost of doing business.

The North Carolina State University product has strung together quality at-bats and made meaningful swing changes that have caught the attention of outfielder Mike Yazstrmeski:

As Spring Training winds down, Joey Bart, Hunter Pence, and Chadwick Tromp have been making a lasting final impression.

Catcher Joey Bart

This has been Joey Bart’s camp. With Buster Posey’s decision to opt-out, all attention has shifted to the catcher position.

Every intrasquad game the Giants play, Bart finds a way to make a highlight reel play whether with the bat or behind the dish.

When he was drafted, Bart was known not only for his bat, but his defensive acumen at catcher. He had been calling his own games at Georgia Tech, which is a rare trait among college catchers, so his game-calling is well developed.

Given that Bart has been a catcher for much of his life, the argument could be made that he is more advanced behind the plate than Posey was at the same age. Posey did not become a full-time catcher until the middle of his collegiate career at Florida State University.

On top of this, Bart continues to show off a hose:

This is not the type of play catchers are expected to make since the pitcher was so far out of the zone, but Bart found a way to record the out with ease.

In the batter’s box, he has consistently generated some of the loudest contact. The Giants are not recording official box scores after each game, so we do not have a way to measure how each player is doing.

Despite this, we do know that the right-handed bat is bludgeoning the ball:

The one reservation I will add is that I do not like putting too much weight into Spring Training performances. This year is unique since there will be no minor league baseball season, so it is all we have to analyze.

Now, Bart’s performance has put the Giants’ front office in a bind. He is the best catcher in camp, but questions about starting his service time come into play as well. That is a good problem to have, and one the Giants will need to address in the coming days.

Outfielder Hunter Pence

Hunter Pence already has a spot on the Opening Day roster, so he is not in the same position as Joey Bart.

The Giants brought back the fan-favorite on a one-year, $3 million deal to serve as a left fielder and designated hitter, especially against left-handed pitching. This is an area where the Giants struggled last season as they posted a paltry .692 OPS while facing southpaws.

In 2019, Pence hammered lefties with a 1.015 OPS and eight home runs across 119 plate appearances.

The 37-year-old looks like his old self at the plate, especially in terms of his unorthodox quirkiness.

He has blasted several home runs, including one against relief prospect Sam Wolff:

As with Bart, I caution against putting too much stock into Spring Training performances. However, I cannot recall the ball coming off of Pence’s bat in this swing at the end of his first tenure with the Giants in 2018. Whether that was due to injuries or faulty swing mechanics is up for debate.

Regardless, the ball does not lie, and it looks like he is showing off good power. The Giants will need it as their lineup is still thin on power hitters.

Catcher Chadwick Tromp

Chadwick Tromp has emerged recently as a candidate to win a spot on the Opening Day roster.

The Giants brought in the catcher on a minor league pact this past offseason. Tromp spent the first seven seasons of his professional career with the Cincinnati Reds organization, where he reached Triple-A on two separate occasions.

In 2019, Tromp was on a tear in Triple-A until injuries put him on the shelf. Across 90 plate appearances, the 25-year-old generated a .286/.389/.610 line with seven home runs and 21 RBI.

As his career has developed, so has his plate discipline, and that is likely one quality that appealed to the Giants. Tromp was very aggressive earlier in his career, but his walk rates have improved as he has risen through the minor league ranks.

In camp, Tromp has knocked several home runs, including one against right-handed hurler Jeff Samardzija:

I expect Tyler Heineman to make the Opening Day roster given the fact that he is a switch-hitter, but Tromp is certainly making a case as well.

Several players wish they could have a redo on the final week including Andrew Suarez, Dereck Rodriguez, and Jeff Samardzija.