Veteran SF Giants outfielder reaches impressive career milestone with leadoff blast

Veteran SF Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski led off Sunday's game against the Miami Marlins with a solo shot to right field. It marked the 100th home run of his six-year career.

Veteran SF Giants outfielder reaches impressive career milestone with leadoff blast

You know, if the game ended right after that swing of the bat, it would have been a positive weekend for Giants fans. However, the game just had to continue and San Francisco was unable to clinch the series victory with a 7-5 loss against one of the worst teams in baseball.

Yastrzemski's home run became just the fourth time in baseball history that a grandson-grandfather duo reached 100 home runs apiece. Of course, the great Carl Yastrzemski collected 452 home runs in his Hall of Fame career with the Boston Red Sox.

The other three grandson-grandfather duos to reach that milestone include:

• Gus Bell (206 home runs) and David Bell (123 home runs)
• Aaron Boone (126 home runs) and Ray Boone (151 home runs)
• Bret Boone (252 home runs) and Ray Boone (151 home runs)

Anyone reaching 100 home runs is an impressive milestone but Yastrzemski got such a late start to his career that it probably seemed nearly impossible for him after being a 12th-round pick in the 2013 draft and spending seven seasons in the minors before debuting as a 28-year-old rookie in 2019.

Since then, the left-handed bat has proven to be a solid producer at the plate and an above-average defensive right fielder. In six seasons with San Francisco, he has slashed .240/.324/.457 line (112 wRC+) with a 10.0 percent walk rate, 25.4 percent strikeout rate, and .216 ISO.

This includes a 2024 campaign in which he has posted a .739 OPS with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 389 plate appearances. The home run total is a tad lower than usual, but that has been offset to some degree by setting a career high with nine triples.

The 34-year-old outfielder is under team control through the end of next season. He earned a $7.9 million salary this year and is due for a raise in his final turn through arbitration this winter. In a vacuum, tendering him a contract for next season is a relatively easy decision to make.

That said, the Giants have to weigh whether they find an alternative who provides a higher ceiling than Yastrzemski. That is a conversation for a different day. For the time being, the veteran outfielder reached a really cool milestone and looks to finish the season on a high note.