Daniel Susac credits forgotten SF Giants infielder from 2019 for offensive surge

SF Giants breakout catcher Daniel Susac has been doing all the right things on the field and has given all the right answers amidst his scorching start. He dropped a surprise name in one of those answers when asked about why he has had so much success at the plate.

Here is what Susac had to say about why he is hitting so well: "A lot of it has to do with the offseason changes I made...Worked a lot with my brother [Andrew Susac] and Zach Green, two former Giants."

Daniel Susac credits former SF Giants infielder Zach Green for hot bat

Obviously, it is not too surprising to hear Susac credit his older brother Andrew, but the Zach Green name-drop came a little out of nowhere.

For those who need a refresher, Green was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012 but never broke through due to injuries and was signed by the Giants to a minor league contract in 2019. He made his MLB debut with San Francisco and had 14 at-bats that season, recording two hits.

That was the extent of his big league career as he bounced around in the minors a little bit after that, but it is cool that he is helping out the younger Susac brother. The connection between the Susac brothers and Green is they all attended Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California so they have some NorCal roots.

Whatever Green and Susac's older brother have imparted to the 24-year-old Daniel, it has worked. The rookie made his debut on April 2 against the New York Mets and went 3-for-3 at the plate while also drawing a walk. He continued his hot streak on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies as he recorded three hits in four at-bats with two singles, a triple and two RBIs, making some history in the process.

Susac's hot streak comes at an opportune time for the Giants who have really struggled to get much of anything going on offense at times this season.

He has remained eminently humble, though. When asked if he thought he had earned more playing time, he said his mindset was just to be consistent.

"If my name's in the lineup, I'll play as hard as I can. If not, I'll keep staying consistent with my practice and work so that whenever my name is called I'm ready," said Susac.

It's safe to say that Susac isn't letting the success get to him and is just trying to produce when given an opportunity.

There have been a lot of cries from fans for Susac to now be more prominently featured in the lineup due to his rapid success and the fact that the Giants have won comfortably both times he has gotten a start. Patrick Bailey's struggles have certainly fueled the chatter as well.

Ahead of Wednesday's rubber match with Philadelphia Tony Vitello offered some more clarity on the potential catcher controversy:

"Bailey is a Gold Glove catcher and that's our guy," said Vitello. "(Bailey) is very sincerely supporting Susac every time he's out there, and Susac is doing the same."

Bailey has been struggling immensely on offense, but he also is the owner of two Gold Gloves, and is considered the best catcher in the league by many. That obviously presents a conundrum. Do you keep the elite defender in for a struggling defense? Or do you put in the red hot bat to address the anemic offense? It's hard to say. Some might say you DH Susac but there are risks with that approach.

It's really hard to say what is to be done here, and the Giants just feel backed up at many positions. Guys like Jung Hoo Lee, Harrison Bader, and Jerar Encarcion need to start heating up or Vitello might be asking Susac if he can play the outfield.

In all seriousness, it is unlikely that Susac is the ultimate answer for the Giants struggles, and more likely the answer is for the lineup to start hitting as a whole.

He is still a phenomenal story and someone to keep an eye on all season. Plus, he is giving the sickos who remember Green from those 14 at-bats back in 2019 a nice little blast from the past.