3 Reasons David Villar is SF Giants Third Baseman of the Future

3 Reasons David Villar is SF Giants Third Baseman of the Future

Reason #1: The Power Numbers

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic wrote a piece last month about David Villar hitting 30 home runs in the 2022 season (combining his Triple A and MLB stats). Baggarly notes just how rare 30 homer years have been for the Giants organization at any level since the days of Barry Bonds.

The only names most Giants fans would recognize who are on that list are Adam Duvall and Mike Yastrzemski. Of course, Duvall was traded away and Yastrzemski has had his struggles. With Yastrzemski especially there were high hopes that he would become the premier power hitter in the lineup going forward.

While there is still time for Yastrzemski to rebound, Villar is an exciting new prospect to be a premier power hitter in the middle of the lineup for the Giants. In total, Villar hit 36 home runs across Triple A and the majors in 2022.

His 9 home runs in the big leagues came in 181 plate appearances in 52 games. Let's get greedy and multiply those numbers by three, and we get awfully close to Villar having a 30-homer season in the big leagues.

Now, I should note, I am not a big fan of "on pace for" statistics. We all remember when Joc Pederson was "on pace for" 30-plus homers before falling into a two month slump where he had zero home runs. Or when the Yankees were "on pace for" 120 wins.

Players have slumps and dry spells and they get really hot. We saw both ends of that spectrum from Villar in 2022. But let's take those peaks and valleys into consideration over the course of a relatively healthy 2023, and it is easy to envision Villar hitting 20-something home runs for the Giants.

In an offseason where it is quite possible that the Giants will lose Joc Pederson and Brandon Belt in free agency, Villar is one of the few players we know will be on the team next year who we can realistically hope will have a 20-plus homer season. That prospect is exciting, and it is a big reason why Villar can establish himself in the lineup going forward.

3 Reasons David Villar is SF Giants Third Baseman of the Future

Reason #2: Versatility

If there is one thing we have learned with Farhan Zaidi at the helm, it is that he likes guys who can play all over the diamond. While we mostly saw Villar at the corner infield spots at first and third, we also saw him play a little bit of second base. That makes him a more versatile option that Evan Longoria, who is a very solid third baseman but is limited to that position.

Should the Giants move on from Longoria this offseason and do not go out to get a replacement, we will likely see a lot of Villar at third next year. He had some struggles at third base in 2022, recording five errors there.

But if Villar continues to hit the ball out of the ballpark, the team will likely be able to stomach a few errors no matter where he is playing.

3 Reasons David Villar is SF Giants Third Baseman of the Future

Reason #3: Youth

It is no secret that the Giants are trying to get younger as a team. It is quite likely that after 2023 there will be no more players remaining on the roster from the championship years. Both from a branding and from an on-the-field performance standpoint, the team will want a new, young core of players that fans can get behind.

With Joey Bart showing promise, and young players like Marco Luciano and Kyle Harrison possibly making their debuts in the next few years, David Villar could fit nicely into the next crop of young Giants talent going forward.

Of course, there is still a long way to go before Villar is anointed as a starter going forward. Even if the team moves on from Longoria, Villar will still have to prove himself next spring and throughout the season if he is to get significant playing time.

Without question, Villar is one of the more exciting young players that the Giants have. 2022 gave us a taste of what he is capable of, and in 2023 he can prove that it was more than just a hot month or two.