SF Giants backup outfielder competition may come down to the wire

The SF Giants have several position battles to sort out before they break camp and head to Cincinnati for Opening Day. One battle is over who will be a backup outfielder and it may come down to the very end.

Barring injury, the Giants are certain to have Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, and Mike Yastrzemski as their starting outfielders going into the year. That really leaves just two open spots for other outfielders on the roster.

Two young SF Giants outfielders competing for roster spot

One of these spots will almost definitely be taken by outfielder/first baseman/designated hitter Jerar Encarnacion who is out of minor league options and has also been very impressive at the plate in spring training. 

He figures to challenge first baseman Wilmer Flores for a lot of at-bats at the DH spot in the lineup early in the season. However, he is limited defensively and can only play the corner outfield spots which means the Giants are going to need a more agile and athletic outfielder for the other backup spot.

That really only leaves two viable options as of right now: Luis Matos and Grant McCray. Both are young outfielders who showed some very positive signs in 2024 but were not consistent enough to be seriously considered as potential starters. 

Both have the speed and agility to play center field which is important especially if Jung Hoo Lee misses any time like he did last season. McCray is definitely the superior defender as of right now given his speed and the better routes he takes on fly balls, but if Matos can improve he could be a solid defender.

Who gets the nod for the spot on the Opening Day roster may ultimately come down to who fares best at the plate in spring training. The bats have been solid for both players thus far, with Matos racking up 14 hits in 39 at-bats with one homer and nine RBI while McCray has ten hits in 30 at-bats with one home run, four RBI, and four stolen bases.

As of right now, Matos may have a slight edge over McCray because he probably has a greater ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark with consistency. However, even if McCray starts the year in Triple-A he will almost certainly see time with the big league club at some point this year given his speed.

With Mike Yastrzemski set to be a free agent after this season, one or both of these outfielders could end up being a future starter for the team. The race to earn that final outfield spot may come down to a photo finish and whoever wins will have the chance to help the Giants out first in the 2025 season.