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SF Giants: 3 players that need to prove themselves in 2022

By Nick San Miguel |
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Atlanta Braves v San Francisco Giants / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages
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As the SF Giants head towards 2022, these three players have something to prove as they will likely fight for a roster spot next season.

SF Giants: 3 players that need to prove themselves in 2022

The San Francisco Giants were fortunate to have contributions from their entire 26-man roster in 2021. It seemed like practically every player on the team, whether they were an everyday starter or someone who was mainly a platoon player, had a memorable moment where they helped the team win a game.

That is a big part of why the Giants won a franchise-record 107 games. However, just because players had big moments in 2021 does not mean that they are guaranteed a spot on the big league roster in 2022.

This article is going to examine three players who will have something to prove next season either in Spring Training or early in the season if they want to be a key part of the 2022 team.

These players have a chance to be everyday starters, but due to inconsistency or roster crunches they were either relegated to bench and pinch hitting duties or were doing a lot of traveling back and forth between Sacramento and San Francisco.

Without tarrying any further, let us examine three San Francisco Giants who will have something to prove in 2022.

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Arizona Diamondbacks v San Francisco Giants / Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages

SF Giants: 3 players that need to prove themselves in 2022

1. Steven Duggar

Steven Duggar had a bit of a roller-coaster season in 2021. He was left off the Opening Day roster but was called up in mid-April and went on a bit of a tear over the summer. Some people may forget that he was hitting .326 towards the end of June and was playing basically every day.

But then Duggar got cold in July and early August with his average dropping to .267 when he was sent to Triple-A Sacramento due to a roster crunch.

He was called back up in September just in time for an absolutely clutch and electrifying triple against Walker Buehler and the Los Anegles Dodgers. He finished the season hitting .257/.330/.437 with 8 home runs and 35 RBI.

In all, it was an up and down season for Duggar. But it was a season in which Duggar proved that he can be more than just an above-average defensive outfielder who couldn't hit which is what many Giants fans, myself included, had written him off as.

The next step for Duggar is proving that he can be a consistent threat at the plate. That is what he must prove going into 2022. We all know that he has excellent speed and is probably the best defensive center fielder that the Giants currently have, but he needs to prove that he can hit like a big leaguer for an entire season.

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San Diego Padres v San Francisco Giants / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

SF Giants: 3 players that need to prove themselves in 2022

2. Austin Slater

Austin Slater is very similar to Duggar in that we know he has the potential to be an everyday player but has not shown the consistency required to play every day. He has power, speed, a strong (though sometimes inaccurate) arm, and he can play all three outfield positions well.

In 2021 he played in 129 games and hit .241/.320/.423 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI. At one point early in the season he was playing regularly as the starting center fielder but by the end of the year he was only starting against lefties and coming into games late for his defense.

Slater figures to be a part of the team's plans in 2022 at the very least as an above average bench piece, but he has to prove that he can be more consistent if he wants more playing time. I believe Slater has the potential to put up the kind of numbers that Darin Ruf did last year, but he has to prove that he is able to produce against both righties and lefties if that is to happen.

With how effective the team's matchup-heavy approach was in 2021, the Giants are bound to try and replicate it in 2022. Slater is a perfect fit for that approach which is why he will play a role on the team next season, but he has to prove that he can take on a larger role with the team.

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San Francisco Giants v Chicago Cubs / Nuccio DiNuzzo/GettyImages

SF Giants: 3 players that need to prove themselves in 2022

3. Mauricio Dubón

If one remembers all the way back to Opening Day in 2021, Mauricio Dubon was the starting center fielder for the San Francisco Giants. By the end of the season, he was not even on the roster due to struggles at the plate and the emergence of superior players like Thairo Estrada and LaMonte Wade Jr.

We know that Dubón has great talent and potential and ideally would fit perfectly on a roster that places such a high premium on versatility. He is a solid shortstop but can also play at second, third, and center field.

However, Dubón did not hit well enough to justify keeping him on the big league roster which is why he spent July and August in Sacramento. For the year he hit .240/.278/.377 with 5 homers and 22 RBI. That's not good enough to keep your spot on the roster when guys like Slater, Wade, and Ruf are putting up far superior numbers.

That is why Dubón has to prove that he belongs on the big league roster in 2022. The 27-year-old does not have an option remaining, so he will really need to perform in spring training to justify a spot on the Opening Day roster.

He has his work cut out for him with all the talented options that the Giants have, but if he can prove that he has improved as a hitter then there is a chance that he makes the roster.

In sum, these three players all have something to prove in 2022. Really, it boils down to whether they can be more consistent hitters at the big league level. If they can, then they could be an important part of the Giants in 2022.

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