SF Giants have nothing to lose by playing young right-handed bat at first base

The SF Giants could be nearing an uncomfortable conversation with LaMonte Wade Jr., as Jerar Encarnación is close to returning. In the meantime, they have nothing to lose by giving an extended look to Casey Schmitt at first base before that happens.

SF Giants have nothing to lose by playing young right-handed bat at first base

Wade Jr. has struggled to a .533 OPS with one home run and 14 RBI in 160 plate appearances this year. His struggles look to be a continuation of how he finished the second half of last season. This is pretty close to being a five-month long slump for the left-handed bat.

Wade Jr. has seen nearly all of his time this year at first base, which is a bat-first position. Not that it is all that important, but the defensive metrics paint him as a below-average defender at first base due to having limited range.

When Encarnación does return, the Giants will likely send Wade Jr. to the bench. That might be a short-term setup, as the Giants cannot carry Encarnación, Wade Jr., and Wilmer Flores on the roster for an extended period of time. That is too many defensively limited players who fill the same role.

Until they broach that conversation, Casey Schmitt should get a look as the everyday first baseman. Giants first basemen have struggled to a .176/.292/.273 line (66 wRC+) with one home run, 18 RBI, and 17 runs this season.

They have some soft spots in the lineup at catcher, first base, and shortstop. There is not much they can do at catcher or shortstop, but they have to at least try and exhaust their options at first base.

Moving Schmitt into the everyday role likely will not change the dynamic of the lineup, but it would be hard to get worse production from a position that needs to hit. His topline stats do not jump off the page, with a .676 OPS with zero home runs, three RBI, and one run in 35 plate appearances.

The right-handed bat has some leverage in platoon matchups, recording a .706 OPS against left-handed pitching in his career.

Schmitt does have some power. He hit 21 home runs split across three levels in the minors in 2022. He added 13 more with the Sacramento River Cats last season. There is much more power upside in his bat than what LaMonte Wade Jr. currently offers.

The Giants' coaching staff and front office have been extremely patient. That is a great quality and helps build trust with the players. However, it is time to start looking at other alternatives at first base, starting with Schmitt. They have nothing to lose.