Non-roster invitee leads SF Giants in key category that could bode well for making the team

On Saturday, Michael Fulmer made his team-leading seventh appearance of the Cactus League. The veteran hurler received a camp invite from the SF Giants, and the club is motivated to see what he can do.

Non-roster invitee leads SF Giants in key category that could bode well for making the team

It is not an advanced number, underlying number, or analytic. Playing time in spring training is just a good indicator of who a team wants to evaluate.

For example, the leaders in plate appearances for the Giants are Bryce Eldridge (42), Jerar Encarnación (41), Casey Schmitt (39), and Luis Matos (38). All four players are vying to make the club, and the Giants have seemingly made it known that they want to give them as long of a look as possible this spring.

In the case of Encarnación and Matos, they are out of minor league options. The Giants want to get as thorough of a final evaluation as they can get.

It is not too different on the pitching side. Michael Fulmer leads the club in appearances. It certainly helps that he has ties to Tony Vitello as well. Fulmer was recruited by Vitello before being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft by the New York Mets out of Deer Creek High School.

Fulmer is not the only pitcher getting a lot of looks this spring. Caleb Kilian, Keaton Winn, and Spencer Bivens are all tied for second on the team in appearances with six. Similar to Fulmer, Kilian is in camp as a non-roster invitee. Winn and Bivens have minor league options, but the former is throwing the ball well this spring.

Typically, if a reliever gets 6 - 8 appearances, that is a promising sign for making the team. Playing time is limited in spring training and is often allocated based on a few factors, including performance. If a player performs well, they will continue to get innings or at-bats.

Fulmer has taken advantage of that playing time this far. He has pitched to a 3.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts and three walks in nine innings of work. There are still a few spots open in the bullpen, and Fulmer has pitched his way into that conversation.