Who were the SF Giants Most and Least Valuable Rookies in 2023?
The biggest bright spot in the SF Giants' 2023 season was the wave of rookie talent that surfaced at the major league level. After years of failing to bring up notable prospects, San Francisco saw appearances from no fewer than 17(!) players in their rookie year.
The list is impressive: Patrick Bailey, Blake Sabol, Luis Matos, Marco Luciano, Casey Schmitt, Heliot Ramos, Wade Meckler, Brett Wisely, Bryce Johnson, Cal Stevenson, and Tyler Fitzgerald made their debuts as position players, while Kyle Harrison, Ryan Walker, Tristan Beck, Keaton Winn, Cole Waites, Sean Hjelle were all rookie-eligible as pitchers.
In our previous edition of Best and Worst, we evaluated the Giants overall MVP and LVP in 2023. Today, we polled the Giants Baseball Insider team to find out which rookies impressed and which ones struggled in 2023. Without further ado, our "best rookie year" award for 2023 goes to...
SF Giants 2023 Rookie of the Year: Ryan Walker
Honorable Mention: Patrick Bailey
SF Giants reliever Ryan Walker (74) delivers in an opener role against the Los Angeles Dodgers (2023).
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
In a season full of hyped rookie debuts, Walker killed it. He had the third best season in the Giants' bullpen, just behind Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers. While guys like Kyle Harrison, Pat Bailey, and Casey Schmitt had tantalizing flashes, they also had extended periods of below-average play. Walker might not have been as hyped, but he had a genuinely good season all around. I also think Blake Sabol also deserves a shoutout for similarly exceeding expectations. -JD Salazar
I know plenty will sing the praises of Patrick Bailey so I'll take the road not taken and pick Walker. He looked great whatever the role he was given and should be a key bullpen piece moving forward. -Wrenzie Regodon
It was between Walker, Tristan Beck, and Patrick Bailey. Bailey will get the most votes (deservedly so) but I want to make sure Walker gets a little love. He was legitimately the Giants third-best reliever behind Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers. While he was a good high-leverage arm, he also handled multi-inning outings with ease. -Marc Delucchi
I don't think you can make an argument for anyone other than Patrick Bailey when it comes purely to impact on the team and energy. He's a lifer. He will be a core piece of the franchise. But HUGE honorable mention to Blake Sabol, who I actually think makes the case even stronger for Bailey. His improvement at catcher over this season was impressive, and he has credited working with Bailey and Craig Albernaz for that. -Natasha Welingkar
Since Marc and Wrenzie assumed no one else was voting for Walker, Wrenzie decided to have put together a separate writeup on Bailey's exceptional campaign.
Bailey proved to be far better than expected this season. While he won a minor league Gold Glove last year, he looked be even better than expected this year in the majors. On offense, Bailey took some significant steps forward. He had a .293 average and a .817 OPS pre-All-Star break.
There were signs of fatigue and the classic case of the league making adjustments as he only hit a putrid .188 after the All-Star break. One of his biggest weaknesses in the minors was his inability to hit lefty pitching. In the majors though, he strangely looked more comfortable swinging from the right side with a .298 average as opposed to his left side as he only hit .203 against righties.
Having the stamina to go through the full 162-game season should be Bailey's next step forward. If he can sustain his pre-All-Star numbers or even just produce average offensively going forward, he is a potential All-Star. If not, expect him to be a perennial Gold Glove contender for years to come.
SF Giants 2023 Rookie LVP: Casey Schmitt
SF Giants infielder Casey Schmitt (6) steps up to the plate during his rookie season (2023).
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
As much as I love my guy, it's fair to admit that Casey Schmitt struggled on both offense and defense. Granted, he's played out of position for most of the year and he was experiencing a shift in his plate approach while battling the best pitching that he's faced ever. He's got to do a better job next season.
-Wrenzie Regodon
For a week and a half, we all thought that Casey Schmitt was the second coming of Matt Williams. Then, the league adjusted to his extreme aggression at the plate. After the Giants swept the Dodgers in mid-June, Schmitt had 169 plate appearances over his final 55 games. He hit .154 with 3 home runs, 11 walks, and 44 strikeouts. He's by no means a bust, but the fall from his .325 average at the end of May was real. Sean Hjelle was in consideration here after being demoted multiple times throughout the year, but his 7.0 scoreless innings in September saved him.
-JD Salazar
