Young SF Giants outfielder on a tear at the plate in winter ball

The SF Giants outfield might be settled after they agreed to a one-year, $9.25 million deal with Mike Yastrzemski. However, there is still an opportunity for Luis Matos to hit his way back into the mix and he is off to a good start in winter ball.

Young SF Giants outfielder on a tear at the plate in winter ball

Matos put together an impressive stretch at the plate in 2024 that earned him NL Player of the Week honors. However, he cooled off considerably after that and never regained a consistent role on the major league roster.

The right-handed bat dominated Triple-A in 2023 that led to a lengthy stint with the major league club. However, he was a different hitter in 2024 whether that was by design or not.

For starters, Matos was a much more aggressive hitter at the plate in 2024 compared to 2023. He went from a 23.3 percent chase rate two seasons ago to a 37.3 percent chase rate just last year. While the Giants have emphasized plate discipline, there has been a sense that hitters have gotten stuck between approaches at the plate.

This was seemingly the case with Heliot Ramos at times in Triple-A and Matos had a similar experience. With that being said, chase rate will be an important number to monitor because when Matos swings, he generally makes contact. That is great when it comes to pitches in the zone but it can often become a poor swing decision when chasing.

On the other hand, there was a pretty notable shift in the 22-year-old outfielder's batted ball data. He went from a line-drive hitter who sprayed the ball all over the field to one who seemed intent on lifting and pulling. That is typically the best outcome in baseball but it does feel like it goes against what Matos does so well.

Matos was able to lift in pull consistently but the power did not follow. Oftentimes, this approach led to missing the barrel of the bat, resulting in too many fly balls and infield pop ups.

The young outfielder will enter camp with a chance to earn playing time. The Giants should be motivated to see what he can do as he could be entering his final option year.

Matos is making a nice impression before spring training even gets underway as he is slashing .302/.350/.510 with five home runs, 24 RBI, and 21 runs in 160 plate appearances with Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan Winter League.

The Venezuelan Winter League is typically a hitter-friendly league and hitters do not often face off against major league pitching. For Matos, the important detail is that he is getting consistent at-bats after losing some playing time while being on the Giants' bench and shuttling to and from Sacramento. The Giants hope that this experience will pay dividends soon enough.