Rookie backstop has one of the best at-bat qualities of any SF Giants hitter

The rest of the season will be an open audition for a lot of young SF Giants players to carve out a role for next year. For Drew Cavanaugh, there is now a clear path to show what he can do, and he has some of the best quality at-bats of any hitter on the team.

The catcher position has been a revolving door in 2026. Patrick Bailey began the year as the everyday catcher, but he was traded to the Cleveland Guardians after a slow start.

Since then, Daniel Susac, Eric Haase, and Jesús Rodríguez, along with Cavanaugh, have taken reps behind the plate. Haase has since been released after struggling mightily at the plate. Rodríguez and Susac are currently on the injured list, with the latter expected to miss the remainder of the year after sustaining a left knee patella fracture. Last week, the Giants reunited with Andrew Knizner after running out of catching depth.

Drew Cavanaugh has offered the best at-bat with quality of any SF Giants catcher in 2026

Susac spent enough time on the active roster to retain his rights beyond this year, meaning that he would no longer be bound to the rules of a Rule 5 pick. He displayed above-average defense, even if he did not offer much offense after a blistering start.

Rodríguez could return this year, but he has a ways to go before he is a competent major league catcher. He would profile as a bat-first option, but will need to hit a lot to generate value.

Lastly, there is Knizner, who should be used as a backup option.

The pathway is cleared for Cavanaugh to get an extended look in the final six weeks of the year. In theory, he should get regular at-bats without the every-other-day approach Tony Vitello has employed with Giants catchers.

Plus, Cavanaugh hits from the left side, so he should be in the lineup against right-handed pitching more often than not.

The 24-year-old catcher brings the best at-bat quality of anyone from the group. Overall, he is hitting .250/.363/.265 (89 wRC+) with zero home runs, five RBI, and four runs in 82 plate appearances. This includes a 14.6 percent walk rate, 23.2 percent strikeout rate, and .015 ISO. Oddly enough, Cavanaugh has tallied only one extra-base hit.

That said, Cavanaugh offers one of the best blends of swing decisions of any hitter on the roster. Among Giants hitters with at least 50 plate appearances, he has the second-lowest chase rate at 27.2 percent and the seventh-highest zone swing rate at 69.6 percent.

To put it differently, Cavanaugh is laying off of pitches out of the zone and swinging at pitches in the zone. There is a plan to his approach, and it is to stay within the zone. This has led to an extremely high walk rate, which has carried his offensive value this far.

At the very least, Cavanaugh could prove to be a platoon bat. That role would lend itself to the bulk of the playing time as a left-handed-hitting catcher. His .664 OPS against right-handed pitching includes a .380 on-base percentage. That will keep a hitter in the lineup.

Cavanaugh’s defense is passable in all facets. He is a solid blocker, and manages the running game about as well as a catcher can do with this Giants pitching staff.

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