Making the Case for Casey Schmitt

The San Francisco Giants infielder has played so well early in the season, it's leading many fans and observers to question why he's not an everyday starter

Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt (10) hits a ground rule double against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

As the San Francisco Giants and their fans look for answers in the midst of what looks like a lost season, there are several choices but not a lot of solutions. At least not yet. It's not even May yet, and with just games in the books, the team isn't ready to quit on the 2026 season that quickly.

However, they do need a spark of some kind, and San Francisco supporters have one simple suggestion to improve the team's play immediately.

Play Casey Schmitt.

This Casey Schmitt home run is Erik Miller approved 🫡 pic.twitter.com/8zQaWwNhFj

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) April 18, 2026

Schmitt, 27, has spent his entire four-year big league career with the Giants after the organization drafted him in the second round of the 2020 MLB draft. He made his debut in The Show in mid-2023 and has largely been in a backup role ever since. He's hit .235 with 25 home runs and 93 RBI in 736 at bats thus far at the game's highest level.

That secondary role might be changing for the third baseman. He's been getting big hits of late, in spite of his team's dreary play. He's put up good numbers, posting a .313 batting average and adding two homers with seven RBI and a .878 OPS. It's enough to have manager Tony Vitello at least considering shaking up the lineup.

Schmitt has earned a starting role

Mar 31, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Casey Schmitt (10) hits a single during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Scmitt's positive play, despite the Giants' mounting losses, even prompted Giants beat writer Jeff Young to make a case for the kid:

Schmitt has seemingly only gotten better with regular playing time," Young wrote at Around the Foghorn. "There is still no path that allows him to see regular playing time at third base, but he is proving his bat needs to be in the lineup. With how the offense has struggled to start the year, there is no way they can leave him out of the lineup."

Following an off day on Monday, fans will surely want to stay tuned to see if Schmitt's name is among the San Francisco starting nine. The Giants will begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM local time.