Veteran SF Giants third baseman takes home the 2024 Willie Mac Award

The SF Giants held their Willie Mac Award ceremony ahead of Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. There were no surprises this year as Matt Chapman took home the award after becoming a leader both on and off the field in his first season with San Francisco.

Veteran SF Giants third baseman takes home the 2024 Willie Mac Award

There were a few good choices with Chapman being one of the more obvious selections. Logan Webb and Heliot Ramos stand out as a couple of players who could have been heavily considered as well.

Similar to Chapman, Webb has become a leader for the Giants organization, especially on the pitching side. He has been a workhorse since joining the rotation permanently early in the 2021 season.

Webb eclipsed the 200-inning mark for the second straight season after reaching that number in a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week. He will not lead baseball in innings pitched, but he will be the NL leader by a decent margin. In addition to this, the 28-year-old pitcher has become a vocal leader for the organization while trying to correct a narrative about the city of San Francisco.

On the other hand, Ramos was not in the mix when the season started. He earned a promotion early in the year and has been playing with a chip on his shoulder since then. This includes him becoming the first Giants homegrown outfielder to reach the All-Star game with the club since Chili Davis.

Perhaps, Ramos also serves as a reminder that development is never linear. He struggled for a couple of years in Triple-A before turning the corner in the middle of last season. That can be a model for players like Marco Luciano and Luis Matos, both of whom struggled with the Giants in 2024.

However, Matt Chapman was the obvious recipient this year. In his first season with the club, he found ways to contribute on all sides of the ball. The veteran third baseman is penciled into the lineup on an everyday basis while hitting for power and playing elite defense. On the latter note, there is a good chance that he takes home his fifth Gold Glove Award at this base.

His hustle on the field was one aspect that helped him win the award. Though, Chapman also became a vocal and respected leader in the clubhouse as well. We would like to congratulate Chapman on earning the Willie Mac Award and are excited for what he brings to the organization for years to come.