SF Giants: 3 biggest snubs from the 2023 Opening Day roster

Opening Day of the 2023 MLB season is officially in the rearview mirror, and the SF Giants are not off to the best start (already).

After falling to Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees 5-0 in the season opener, there are a few names the Giants left off of the Opening Day roster that perhaps could've been of assistance in the game against the Yankees.

Here are the 3 biggest snubs from the SF Giants' Opening Day roster

RHP Sean Hjelle

Hjelle, 25, is a 6-foot-11 giant on the mound, who was easily one of the best pitchers on the staff during Spring Training. In six games, he had a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings of work, notching 22 strikeouts in that time while walking only three and allowing one home run.

Hjelle easily could've squeezeed onto the Opening Day roster in place of one of the position players the Giants are rolling with. Per FanGraphs' Roster Resource, there are currently 14 position players and 12 pitchers on the active roster.

OF Bryce Johnson

Johnson, 27, did absolutely everything right during spring and frankly, should've been on this roster. The switch-hitting outfielder made 11 appearances for the big league club last year, posting a .111 average in 18 at-bats, but hit a whole new level in 16 spring games.

Johnson managed to hit .310 in 42 at-bats, hitting four doubles with eight runs driven in, 12 stolen bases and 81 innings of errorless ball in center field during spring. He will certainly be back in the big leagues with a vengeance at some point early on in the season.

The Giants did right this wrong as Johnson was added to the active roster after just the first game of the season. They are light on speed and outfied defense, which are qualities that Johnson offers.

OF Stephen Piscotty

Piscotty, 32, left the Oakland A's organization after being released last year in the midst of a poor offensive showing. He latched on with another Bay Area team in the Giants on a minor league contract with an invite to big league Spring Training.

From the get-go, the eight-year veteran seemed to be a favorite to swipe one of the spots on the Opening Day roster with the club. Instead, he was informed that he wasn't making the team and was subsequently released.

In 10 spring games, Piscotty went eight-for-25 (.320 average) with three doubles, seven runs batted in and four runs scored. He did make a good impression with the Giants but was not considered a candidate for the Opening Day roster, so he requested his release on Thursday.