SF Giants veteran bat rebounding nicely after extremely slow start to the season

Matt Chapman got off to an extremely brutal start to the season. However, he is rebounding nicely with a strong start in June.

Overall, Chapman is hitting .262/.345/.409 (115 wRC+) with six home runs, 37 RBI, and 33 runs in 287 plate appearances. This includes a 10.1 percent walk rate, 20.6 percent strikeout rate, and .147 ISO.

Chapman’s 1.7 fWAR is second among NL third baseman. Only Max Muncy’s 2.6 fWAR leads him in that category.

On the surface, these are good enough numbers to merit some consideration for the All-Star game next month. Chapman still has time to build up his case even further.

The baseball season is a long one, and it is easy to forget that things can turn around quickly while the season is still relatively young. That may not necessarily be true for the Giants’ odds of getting back into the playoff picture, but there is still time for their expensive core to prove that they can still play at a high level.

SF Giants veteran bat has been on a tear at the plate in June

Chapman is a part of that expensive core. He is in the second year of a six-year, $151 million deal. This includes a full no-trade clause.

If the Giants are going to be competitive over the next few years, they are going to need Chapman to play a role, whether that is with the club or in terms of rebuilding and retaining trade value to be moved.

It has not been a smooth season for the 10-year veteran. In fact, it has been wildly uneven.

If you asked Giants fans how Chapman’s season has gone, the answer would vary widely depending on the timing of that question. At the end of May, the answer would probably be disastrous. Less than two weeks later, that answer has turned more promising.

At the end of May, the right-handed bat had a .633 OPS in 245 plate appearances. While he struggled, the bat speed remained healthy, suggesting that his slump was due more to a mechanical issue rather than age regression.

Chapman has put up 1.548 OPS with five home runs and 18 RBI in 42 plate appearances this month. His overall OPS has risen 119 points during that stretch. Things can still change quickly at this point in the season, and Chapman’s rebound is yet another example of that.

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