SF Giants camp battle could pit two young outfielders against one another

The SF Giants seem fairly set with their roster going into Spring Training. However, one camp battle could pit two young outfielders, Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos, against one another as they compete to make the Opening Day roster.

SF Giants camp battle could pit two young outfielders against one another

As of right now, assuming everyone remains healthy, the outfield roster spots will likely go to Jung Hoo Lee, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Conforto, and Austin Slater. They also have Jorge Soler and LaMonte Wade Jr. who could play in the outfield if needed, but they will play more as a designated hitter and first baseman respectively.

With six players who can play outfield on the roster, that would seemingly not leave much room for others. But both Matos and Ramos (as well as outfielder Wade Meckler) have a chance to earn their way onto the team.

Matos and Ramos have a better chance than Meckler because they are higher on the organizational depth chart. Plus, Meckler simply looked outmatched for much of his big league stint and was likely rushed up too soon.

It is important to remember that Ramos only has one minor league option while Matos has two. If the Giants are deciding between the two, that may factor into their decision.

Matos definitely seems to have more upside at this point. He showed solid signs last season at the plate but was not quite as advertised with his glove. He seems like he has the potential to be a corner outfielder of the future if he can hit consistently. That said, it bears mentioning that Matos maybe does not profile as a traditional corner outfielder given his limited power upside.

Ramos once seemed to be on that same trajectory, but he has never really taken advantage of his chances at the big league level. To be fair, he has had limited chances to prove himself but if he wants to be a part of the team's plans going forward he is going to have to prove something this year.

Ultimately neither guy may end up getting a roster spot. The Giants may feel that both would benefit from more at-bats in Triple-A.

At the same time, Yastrzemski and Slater are both dealing with injuries, one of Matos or Ramos may be added as a necessary depth piece to start the season. Not to mention the fact that another youthful presence on the team would be a welcomed one.

I would give the early edge to Matos since he showed some promise last season and because he bulked up a bit coming into camp this year. The Giants probably want to see him become the left fielder of the future for them in a perfect world.

There are not a ton of roster spots up for grabs for the Giants, but this potential competition between Matos and Ramos could be one to watch this Spring Training.