SF Giants veteran making strong case to be a starter (just not with Giants)

It would be nice if the Giants could keep him.

Nick San Miguel

Washington Nationals v San Francisco Giants / Eakin Howard/GettyImages

With the SF Giants struggling mightily as of late, they have not had many bright spots. One player who has impressed has been veteran first baseman Dominic Smith who is making a strong audition for other teams for next season.

The Giants added Smith earlier this season after they got rid of LaMonte Wade Jr. The hope was he could just be decent at first base for the team but he has exceeded those expectations entirely.

SF Giants veteran Dom Smith making impressive audition for other teams

On the season, Smith is slashing .281/.340/.404 with three home runs and 23 runs batted in. In his last 15 games he is slashing .327/.340/.442 with one homer and 12 runs driven in.

Not only has he hit well, but his defense has been superb at first base. This has been a pleasant surprise as he was not exactly known for his defense when he joined the Giants but he has looked incredibly smooth at the position.

Smith came up with a huge three-run single in Sunday's win over the Rays, what felt like the team's first win in an eternity, and has remained a positive force on the team even despite all of the struggles.

It seemed like Smith was going to see his playing time go down considerably when the Giants acquired Rafael Devers, especially when the slugger began seeing time at first base. That has not been the case at all as Smith has been too valuable both with his glove and his bat to deny him consistent playing time.

In a perfect world, the Giants would be able to hold onto Smith for next season as a depth piece. However, with how well he is playing he may well be earning himself a starting job on another team. Plenty of teams would love to get the production he has provided.

At the very least, he is proving he could be part of a platoon at first base for a team that may have a right-handed option as well.

The Giants are in a weird position at first base next season because they figure to have both Devers and top prospect Bryce Eldridge on the roster for much of the year, both of whom are first basemen. That does not leave a ton of room for someone like Smith.

If San Francisco cannot retain him, do not be surprised to see Smith land a job with a team next season where he sees a lot of time at first base.

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Nick San Miguel

Nick San Miguel has been writing at FanSided since 2017. He began as a contributor writing about the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and became a Site Co-Expert for AtF in 2024. A die-hard Bay Area sports fan born 10 minutes from Levi's Stadium, he has also written about the San Francisco 49ers for Niner Noise as a contributor since December 2023. In October 2025, he joined Blue Man Hoop as a contributor to write about the Golden State Warriors. He graduated with a degree in History from San Diego State University and is now based out of Chicago. He is the same age as Oracle Park.