Young, power-hitting outfielder has been a pleasant surprise for the SF Giants in 2026

Victor Bericoto has assumed a semi-regular role with the SF Giants in recent weeks. The young outfielder has taken advantage of that opportunity and has been a pleasant surprise in 2026.

Bericoto was promoted to the major league roster at the end of May. He had an .804 OPS with six home runs and 30 RBI in 186 plate appearances at Triple-A at the time of his promotion.

The right-handed hitter did not see a lot of at-bats right away. In fact, he went 10 days between game appearances in the middle of June. That has been a theme for bench players this season. They can go weeks without playing time. This is an area where Tony Vitello needs to show improvement.

Bericoto worked his way off the bench and has run with the opportunity. He is slashing .293/.305/.552 (133 wRC+) with four home runs, nine RBI, and seven runs in 59 plate appearances.

Victor Bericoto’s power has been on display for the SF Giants

This is not a huge sample, but he has flashed some intriguing power. Three of his four home runs have had an estimated distance of at least 420 feet. They have left the ballpark, and left the ballpark with ease.

You may have noticed the small, 12-point gap between his batting average and on-base percentage. That is due to a 1.7 percent walk rate. Bericoto is an extremely aggressive hitter, but he makes a fair bit of contact. That mix often leads to low walk rates.

Can that work? Casey Schmitt is an example of a player who can add offensive value with an abnormally walk rate, even if that is more of the exception than the rule.

These types of hitters need to hit with power, and Bericoto has done just that in the early going. He has flashed quality raw power and has been able to maximize that in games.

Along with a low walk rate, there are other concerning underlying numbers, including a .333 babip. If that drops another 30 points, it will put more pressure on Bericoto’s power to maintain offensive value. The young hitter’s quality of contact metrics also suggest regression, including a .289 xwOBA.

That said, Bericoto is playing like someone who does not want to return to the bench. He has put up a 1.016 OPS with three home runs and eight RBI in 41 plate appearances over his past 11 games. This is a small sample, but it captures when he started seeing more playing time.

While Bericoto’s defense has not graded out favorably, he has looked good based off the eye test. He has displayed a solid arm, as his two outfield assists are tied with Heliot Ramos for the team lead.

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