What can the SF Giants expect from a young infielder in 2026?

Young SF Giants infielder Casey Schmitt played well enough to enter the 2026 season as the incumbent at second base. What can the Giants realistically expect from him next year?

What can the SF Giants expect from a young infielder in 2026?

Second base is a bit of a wild card this offseason. They could look to make an upgrade, but it is not necessarily a need. Nevertheless, it would not be a bad idea for the Giants to add some depth at that position in case of injuries or ineffectiveness.

Schmitt entered last season as a utility player. He did not see much of the field through the first two months of the year, but when he did, it was primarily at first base. That was kind of an odd setup for Schmitt. He came up as an above-average defensive third baseman, but there is no path to playing time at that position with Matt Chapman on the roster.

The Giants had to look elsewhere to get Schmitt's name into the lineup. Along with third base, he had experience at shortstop and second base. Schmitt struggled during his time at shortstop. Plus, Willy Adames is similar to Chapman in that he wants to play every day, so there were few innings that even needed covering.

Schmitt did look like a serviceable second baseman. That would come in handy after Chapman suffered a hand injury in June. Schmitt took over at third base and quickly proved that his name needed to be in the lineup.

When Chapman did return, Schmitt slid over to second base to take over for the struggling Tyler Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald entered the 2025 season as the everyday second baseman but struggled to a .606 OPS with four home runs and 14 RBI in 243 plate appearances before finishing the year in Triple-A.

If Fitzgerald's bat can rebound, there is a role for him as a utility player who can put pressure on the defense with elite speed.

On the other hand, Schmitt slashed .237/.305/.401 (98 wRC+) with 12 home runs, 34 runs, and 40 RBI in 348 plate appearances. This includes a 7.8 percent walk rate, 23.9 percent strikeout rate, and .163 ISO. That is quality production with power upside for someone who is expected to hit lower in the lineup.

The right-handed bat also put up a .429 expected slugging percentage and a .328 xwOBA, so the expected numbers were more promising than his overall output. One way to interpret this is that he underperformed to some degree. There is room for growth in Schmitt's bat.

On the other hand, Fangraphs' Steamer projections have Schmitt hitting .240/.300/.392 (90 wRC+) with 10 home runs, 33 runs, and 36 RBI in 322 plate appearances. This projection expects Schmitt's numbers to carry over from the 2025 season. This is not terrible production, but it is not the type of growth the Giants might hope to see. Plus, at that point, it is bordering on whether they need to make an upgrade over Schmitt.

The bigger question is whether Schmitt can handle second base. In 2025, he looked passable at the position, but graded out unfavorably. At times, he looked like a third baseman trying to play second base. Schmitt did not show the range for the position, but he has a strong enough arm to make things happen. That said, the Giants are confident that he can show defensive improvement with more reps.