SF Giants: Mauricio Dubón Picking up Where He Left Off

The 2020 season was a tale of two seasons for SF Giants outfielder Mauricio Dubón, but he is showing signs of carrying over his progress from 2020 into 2021. Slated to see plenty of time in the outfield, if he can build off of his encouraging season last year, the Giants lineup will only get stronger.

When last year began, there was hope that the right-handed bat would become a solid contributor. It took some time and an adjustment at the plate, but Dubon became an exciting spark plug down the stretch.

Mauricio Dubón picking up where he left off for SF Giants

In the first 30 games of the season, Dubon slashed .275/.314/.325 with only one double, one home run, and seven RBI across 88 plate appearances. He was not producing nearly enough offensive value at that point. Plus, to make matters worse, his plate discipline left a lot to be desired as he posted a meager 5.6 percent walk rate.

However, midway through the year, Giants manager Gabe Kapler gave the 26-year-old a three-day break to work on his approach and refocus. That turned his season around and he nearly helped San Francisco reach the playoffs.

In the final month of the season, Dubón registered a .273/.360/.455 line with three doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 12 RBI in 89 plate appearances. This came with a solid 11.2 percent walk rate. The right-handed bat was much more selective at the plate, and his value increased as a result.

This is not any different than what the Giants front office is trying to do with many of its younger players as well. However, Dubón’s solid second half of 2020 is interesting because it took place at the major-league level. He may not hit for a lot of power, but if he can get on base at a high clip, then he is going to give the Giants yet another reliable option on offense.

Now, Dubón is entering his third season. It seems that the success he had late in 2020 is carrying over into 2021. I will admit that spring training stats can be extremely unreliable, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

So far, Dubón has demonstrated good patience and plate discipline. In 17 plate appearances, he has posted an even 1.000 OPS, but this comes with seven walks. Some qualities and stats can be easily written off as a product of spring training, but a good and patient approach is one of those that tends to carry over into the regular season.

So, while Mauricio Dubón’s spring training performance is still in tiny sample territory, it is an encouraging sign to see him continue to show good plate discipline just as he did at the end of last year.