SF Giants should not write off inconsistent young outfielder just yet

SF Giants outfielder Luis Matos had a rollercoaster year in 2024. While it could be easy to write him off after he struggled for much of the season, he could still turn things around if he can be more consistent at the big league level.

It is easy to forget that at one point in 2024, Matos looked as if he was going to have the year that Heliot Ramos ended up having. In the month of May he got on a hot streak at the plate and earned NL Player of the Week honors.

It seemed like he was up in the majors to stay. Until he wasn't.

SF Giants should not write off Luis Matos

His bat went ice cold at the plate and he was controversially demoted to Triple-A in early June. He stayed with the team for most of June and July but then he was sent back down so he could get more consistent playing time. This was after the Giants traded Austin Slater which seemed to provide an opening for Matos that did not materialize. He even ended up spending a little time in Double-A Richmond.

Ultimately, he ended the year hitting .213/.237/.347 with 5 home runs and 25 RBI in the big leagues. Those numbers are not great, but the Giants should not write off Matos.

Let's keep in mind that Matos is just 22 years old. He is still incredibly young and learning. Look no further than Ramos to see a player who struggled in limited MLB action for two years before having a huge breakout season in his third year.

That could be Matos. We know that when he is hot he can absolutely demolish big league pitching. The main thing is being more consistent and not being quite so streaky at the plate.

Perhaps it is just one slight swing adjustment or a little more experience seeing live big league pitching that will make the difference and be the thing that clicks things into place for Matos. He has a lot of talent that just needs to be honed a little bit more before he is a solid big leaguer.

It would be easy to write Matos off after his uneven 2024 campaign, but that would be unwise. After Ramos seemingly burst out of nowhere to be the team's left fielder of the future, why can't Matos do the same and establish himself as the right fielder of the future in 2025?