Rookie infielder established himself as a reliable bench bat in 2025

We looked at three priorities the SF Giants need to address this offseason. Not included in that list, but a little further down is rebuilding the bench, and Christian Koss likely played his way into a role in 2026.

Rookie infielder established himself as a reliable bench bat in 2025

The bench was not much of a strength for the club in 2025. Andrew Knizner served as the primary backup catcher, and he did an adequate job. It took some time for his bat to get going, but they did not really lose any games because of him behind the plate.

The Giants had a rotating group of fourth outfielders. Luis Matos, Drew Gilbert, and Jerar Encarnación saw time in that role, but no one ran with the opportunity. In a perfect world, the Giants would add a right-handed-hitting outfielder who can capably play center field and give Jung Hoo Lee an extra day off here and there.

Christian Koss split time with Brett Wisely in the infield. There was not a lot of playing time on the left side of the infield, as Willy Adames appeared in 161 games and Casey Schmitt filled in for Matt Chapman when he was on the injured list. In a limited showing, Koss looked like a capable defender at either position.

Koss saw the bulk of his time at second base. The defensive metrics ranged from neutral to comfortably above average. He put up eight Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) at second base, which was tied for sixth among second basemen.

Schmitt took over the bulk of the playing time at second base in the second half of the year, but Koss looked like the more natural defender at the position. This is not terribly surprising given that Schmitt came up as a third baseman. The Giants are confident that Schmitt can learn second base.

On the other hand, Koss has experience in the outfield as a pro. Plus, he is a fast runner. The Giants seem less inclined to experiment with him in the outfield, but that would be another avenue for playing time.

The 27-year-old rookie gave the Giants some capable coverage around the infield, which is what you want to see out of a utility player. He also put up a respectable .264/.309/.368 line (91 wRC+) with three home runs, 23 RBI, and 25 runs in 191 plate appearances. While that type of production will not carry a lineup, it is solid for the role.

Koss did a lot of little things well. As the Giants sketch out what their bench might look like next season, there is a good chance that he will have a prominent role for that unit.