SF Giants may have a brand new leadoff hitter for 2026 season

It's a new year for the SF Giants and that might mean they have a new leadoff hitter as well. After the team signed second baseman Luis Arraez it has seemed like a possibility that he could be used in the leadoff spot, but would that be the best place to slot him?

Last season with the San Diego Padres, Arraez spent a lot of time in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. That is where we slotted him in our projection of the team's new-look lineup following his signing, but there are lots of possibilities for the unique hitter.

Could Luis Arraez be the leadoff hitter for the 2026 SF Giants?

If you went back in a time machine 50 years or so, it would not even be a question as to where to put Arraez. He'd be a prototypical No. 2 hitter given the fact that he is a high-contact second baseman who puts the ball in play better than just about anyone in baseball.

But in today's game, contact is not thought of as highly. Typically, teams like to put a player with a high on base percentage in the leadoff spot which makes sense on paper. That is why the Giants started last season with LaMonte Wade Jr. as their leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching, because he got on base at such a high clip prior to 2025 when things went south.

Andrew Baggarly recently projected the team's Opening Day roster and had Arraez in the leadoff spot. Manager Tony Vitello has said he's open to the three-time batting champ batting leadoff so it definitely seems to be in the realm of possibility.

Having a high-contact guy like Arraez who puts the ball in play get things started for the order makes some sense because you know he is going to be a tough, pesky at-bat for opponents. At the very least he will probably be able to get a lot of pitches out of a starter which is valuable.

At the same time, a case could be made for Arraez to come up in more situational spots. The Giants have sorely needed a bat that can make contact and put the ball in play when there are runners in scoring position. They have so many guys in their lineup with power but who also swing and miss a ton which is not ideal in those sorts of situations.

Maybe having him as the No. 5 batter would make sense so he can drive in some runs in those spots where a clutch single, or maybe just even a ground ball if there are less than two outs, can score a run.

Spring training is where the coaching staff can really experiment and see which lineups work best, so if Arraez seems to be the most productive in the leadoff spot then don't be shocked if he's the new leadoff hitter this season.