3 under-the-radar SF Giants players off to a good start in 2023

3 under-the-radar SF Giants players off to a good start in 2023

1. Infielder Thairo Estrada

It's becoming increasingly difficult for Estrada to be ignored on a national stage. Ever since he joined the Giants in early 2021, he has done nothing but produce for the team.

Through 33 games this season, the 27-year-old speedster has been on a tear at the plate; hitting seven doubles and six home runs with 23 runs scored, 14 driven in and a .344 batting average. His .929 OPS is well above-average and he actually owns the National League's highest Offensive Wins Above Replacement (oWAR) with 1.9 entering Monday's action.

Estrada's defensive abilities are not to go without mentioning either. He has lined up all over the infield and outfield for the Giants in the past few seasons and while he doesn't necessarily grade out as a top-tier defender at shortstop because of his poor arm strength, he does a solid job of holding down second base, which is his primary position by trade.

The strengths and weaknesses are incredibly apparent within seconds of opening Estrada's Baseball Savant page. He doesn't hit the ball very hard, but he efficiently makes contact to all fields, lays off bad pitches and uses his wheels on the bases to turn a single into either a double or an eventual stolen base with the rest of them, as evidenced by his 85th percentile Sprint Speed.