The San Francisco Giants are currently facing a challenging season, with a struggling offense and a pitching staff that has been below-average. The team's record of 15-24 puts them in a tie with the Mets for the worst in the National League. Among the players who have been underperforming, Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames are hitting poorly, with Chapman leading the group with a 79 wRC+ in 160 plate appearances. However, there are some bright spots, such as Casey Schmitt, who has been the Giants' best hitter with a 144 wRC+ in 129 plate appearances. Schmitt has mostly served as a designated hitter, but the Giants are considering converting him into a utility player to get him regular reps and leverage his defensive strengths.
One of the X-factors in the Giants' offense is center fielder Harrison Bader, who has been on the injured list since April 15 with a left hamstring strain. Bader only made 55 plate appearances before going down, but the club is hoping he can show some of his form from last year when he returns. In 501 plate appearances between the Twins and Phillies in 2025, Bader had career-best marks in wRC+ (122), wOBA (.346), and home runs (17). However, there were some signs that Bader was lucky to hit so well, such as his .359 batting average on balls in play and his .297 expected wOBA.
The Giants' starting outfield of Heliot Ramos, Drew Gilbert, and Jung Hoo Lee is struggling, with only Ramos even being an average hitter. The return of Bader wouldn't be a huge upgrade for the team's offense, whose fortunes depend on Chapman, Adames, and especially Devers returning to their career norms. However, swapping in Bader for Gilbert in center would hopefully deepen the lineup with an average hitter, to say nothing of Bader's exceptional defense.
In the meantime, the Giants are focusing on players like Schmitt, who has been taking outfield reps during batting practice. Schmitt's sprint speed is in the 72nd percentile according to Statcast, and he has above-average arm strength. Converting him into a utility player might be the best way to get him regular reps and leverage his defensive strengths. Meanwhile, reliever Sam Hentges is likely to be activated soon, and his return could impact the Giants' bullpen, which has a decent-enough 3.85 ERA but a combined 0.1 fWAR that places them in the bottom ten relief units in the Majors.
