SF Giants competition for 2026 starting second baseman is already heating up

While the SF Giants still have a shot at the 2025 playoffs, their actions at the trade deadline show they are already thinking about 2026. One interesting battle that will have implications for 2026 will be at second base between Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss.

Beginning the season, Tyler Fitzgerald was the undisputed starter at second base. He had a great breakout season in 2024, so it was only fair to give him first dibs at second base to begin 2025.

SF Giants second base competition will be fun to watch the rest of the year

Unfortunately, Fitzgerald struggled after a decent start to the season. He went on the IL with a cracked rib and after he returned from that injury he just was not the same. He has slashed .227/.287/.333 with three home runs and 13 runs batted in for the Giants this season. Those numbers caused the Giants to eventually demote him to Triple-A.

Thankfully, Casey Schmitt has stepped up in a big way and has taken over starting duties at second base. He got hot with the bat and has shown much better plate discipline, not chasing as much as he used to in his career. He is slashing .249/.323/.399 with six homers and 22 runs batted in.

Schmitt's defense has also been superb. He has a good enough pair of hands that he can play any infield position and his arm is strong enough to make him a very good third baseman. He has looked solid at second base this year.

Koss has done a nice job as well. He filled in for Fitzgerald earlier in the year at second base and did a nice job. He is slashing .257/.301/.371 with three homers and 14 runs batted in on the season. He also just crushed an impressive home run in Pittsburgh earlier this week. He too is a versatile defender who can play second base, third base, and shortstop.

Koss brings a little more to the table with his speed as he has stolen three bases this year while Schmitt has not stolen any.

They are fairly comparable players but Schmitt brings more to the table with his bat and has more power than Koss. It will be interesting to see how this competition plays out the rest of this season.

Second base could be a spot the front office tries to upgrade in the offseason, but they will probably have more pressing issues to address in their starting rotation and outfield. Therefore, whoever plays better between Schmitt and Koss could end up having the inside track on the starting job for 2026.

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