Young outfielder settling into nice role for the SF Giants

Drew Gilbert's overall numbers are not all that strong, but he is demonstrating a trend that could lead to a nice role with the SF Giants. The left-handed bat has displayed solid platoon splits against right-handed pitching in 2026.

Gilbert is hitting .232/.321/.360 (92 wRC+) with three home runs, 16 RBI, and 20 runs in 189 plate appearances this season. This includes a 9.5 percent walk rate, 17.5 percent strikeout rate, and .128 ISO. Gilbert is not hitting with much power, but he is reaching base at an acceptable clip while posting a healthy walk rate on a team that has the worst mark in that category.

Over the past few weeks, Gilbert has strung together some competitive at-bats. It does not always end in a hit, but he is making pitchers work. He has a .394 on-base percentage in 67 plate appearances in June, with more walks (12) than strikeouts (eight).

64 of those plate appearances have come against right-handed pitching, whereas the other three have come against southpaw pitchers. Gilbert does not have a hit in 25 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, which highlights that the Giants should minimize his exposure in those matchups.

SF Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert has performed well against right-handed pitching

That said, Gilbert will still face a left-handed pitcher from time to time. It is hard to entirely protect a player from a certain matchup. Gilbert has been much better against right-handed pitching, posting a .270/.362/.418 line (120 wRC+) in 164 plate appearances this season. That type of production will keep a player's name in the lineup in those matchups. There is also a case to be made that he should be hitting higher in the lineup, but for now, he is a tough out a little lower in the lineup.

From a value standpoint, Gilbert has only generated 0.3 fWAR in 298 career plate appearances. That is not much value considering the playing time. If a player is fulfilling a role, then overall value matters, but what also matters is whether they are playing to that role. For the time being, Gilbert is playing to that role.

The strong side of a platoon will see bulk of the playing time, which is why Gilbert's name is in the lineup every day. Plus, Harrison Bader has missed most of the first half of the year, and the coaching staff does not have much confidence in the alternatives to handle center field outside of Gilbert and Jonah Cox.

It might be hard for Gilbert to shake the narrative of his prior connection to Tony Vitello, who has seemingly never missed an opportunity to give Gilbert an at-bat. Then again, Gilbert is playing to a role, and one that often lends itself to considerable playing time.

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