Luis Arraez now has yet another SF Giants infield guru to help him at second base

When the SF Giants signed Luis Arraez to be their primary second baseman, naturally there were some concerns about how he would hold up defensively. The fact that Ron Washington was on board as an infield coach assuaged concerns a bit, but now with the news that Ron Wotus is returning to the dugout that means Arraez will have two infield gurus to lean upon.

Washington has a well-earned reputation as one of the foremost infield coaches in baseball. This is partly due to his Moneyball fame, but his demanding infield drills are the stuff of legend. There is a great Giants video on YouTube from spring training showing Washington put Arraez through drills at second base. He’s firm and lets Arraez know if he’s doing something wrong immediately but is also quick to praise if he likes what he sees.

Notably, at the end of the video Wotus pops his head in and gives Arraez some pointers. While at the time is seemed like Wotus was only there as one of the many roving spring training instructors that the Giants have in camp, it is great news that Wotus will be with the team in the dugout for home games this season.

SF Giants get another boost to infield defense thanks to Ron Wotus

Washington is known by MLB at large for his prowess as an infield coach, but Giants fans know that Wotus is not afraid to pick up the fungo bat and hit some ground balls to players. He did it for years in the various roles he served with the Giants so he knows how to get the most out of infielders as well.

Now, there may be a natural fear that having both Wotus and Washington in Arraez’s ear could be a classic case of too many cooks in the kitchen. What if they give him contradictory advice or give him too many things to think about when fielding a grounder?

The thing is, these guys aren't exactly your dad flipping burgers in the backyard. These are two gourmet chefs with decades of experience helping infielders. The video referenced above shows them working together nicely with Arraez without stepping on any toes so it should not be an issue.

The early returns on Arraez at second base are pretty good. It’s only three games and he’s yet to make an error. He is also in the top ten of MLB second baseman in the advanced stat Outs Above Average which is a good sign even though it’s far too early to extrapolate anything meaningful from that. The coaching staff is high on his potential, though.

Having Wotus around will have a positive effect for the entire infield. Casey Schmitt is a natural third baseman playing out of position at first base right now and while he has shown promise there Wotus can definitely help him with the finer nuances of the position. Plus, whenever Bryce Eldridge gets called up he is going to need some refinement at first base as well.

The Giants are lucky to have Wotus back in a more involved role even though he’s never been far from the organization in his quasi-retirement. While the right side of the infield is a concern right now, having him back in the fold should make fans feel much more secure.  

As for Arraez, he is going up against his old team the San Diego Padres tonight. San Diego did not think he was a viable option at second base so he has a chance to prove them wrong in this three-game series.