Mexican League to MLB: SF Giants to call up hot-hitting outfielder from Triple-A

The SF Giants plan to call up Jerar Encarnación from Triple-A. The right-handed hitting outfielder and first baseman has been tearing it up in the Mexican League and in Sacramento this year which has reportedly earned him a promotion to the big leagues.

Jerar Encarnación goes from Mexican League to SF Giants in one season

Encarnación has had an interesting route to the major leagues this season. He began the year in the Mexican League where he was absolutely tearing the cover off the ball. He slashed .366/.439/.989 with 19 home runs and 36 RBI in 107 plate appearances. These numbers gained the attention of the Giants who signed him to a minor league deal in May.

He has continued his hot hitting in Sacramento, slashing .352/.438/.616 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 146 plate appearances. The 26-year-old Dominican-born right-hander has MLB experience under his belt in the 2022 season with the Miami Marlins. He only hit .182 in 23 games with the Marlins that season, so this offensive explosion has come a little out of nowhere.

But it makes complete sense why the Giants would want his bat in the lineup. He could provide some pop and slugging to a lineup that badly needs it. He figures to see a lot of playing time against left-handed pitching playing at first base, one of the corner outfield spots, or DH. He should not take too many at-bats away from newly acquired Mark Canha since Canha can serve in all of those roles as well so they can easily slide one into a corner outfield spot and the other at first base against lefties.

This move could render the speedy and defensively gifted Derek Hill as the odd man out to make room on the roster. Hill just does not have the same pop in his bat that Encarnación does and the Giants desperately need more power in their lineup.

We will have to wait and see if Encarnación's success in Mexico and in the minor leagues will translate to success with the Giants. At this point, the Giants need to try everything they can to spark their offense so this move makes sense as a way to shake things up and, one hopes, bring about more production on offense.