SF Giants: Who Will Be Their Starting Shortstop in 2022?

SF Giants 2022 Opening Day Shortstop
2. Mauricio Dubon

Mauricio Dubón may well be the starting center fielder for the San Francisco Giants in 2021, but we know that he is a natural at shortstop as well. He has a strong arm and the athletic ability to play just about anywhere on the field, so it would not come as a huge surprise if the Giants decided to slide him in at shortstop a year from now.

Dubón has made some news by adding over ten pounds in weight during the offseason, an understandable effort to bulk up by a guy whose wiriness is apparent when he takes the diamond. That extra weight may convince the team that he has the bulk and stamina to be an everyday shortstop and could provide a little extra pop in the lineup.

We already know him as a solid contact hitter. He hit .274/.337/.389 last year with four home runs and 19 RBI. Those numbers aren’t bad by any means, but if he could add that element of power he could truly be a dangerous weapon for the Giants.

Of course, Dubón had some struggles at shortstop in the first Spring Training game this year. This should not be too concerning, especially so early in Spring Training and was probably just the result of some rust.

Assuming Crawford ends up playing somewhere else next year, and the Giants want to leave shortstop open long-term for Luciano, Dubón would be an obvious fit. The Giants could plug another top prospect, Heliot Ramos, into center field, and push Dubón to the everyday shortstop role. Since the front-office seems to view him in a super-utility role going forward, a full-season at shortstop would be a great way to solidify his abilities on the infield going forward.