Giants Batting Order Experiments Hint at a Long-Term Plan

The San Francisco Giants appear to have a fairly set lineup at the plate but they’re not putting limits on how they arrange it.

Venezuela first baseman Luis Arraez. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants signed Luis Arráez to give them contact at the plate, bring a high on-base percentage and probably lead off the batting order.

That’s probably. Arráez isn’t yet back from the World Baseball Classic, as he and Team Venezuela advanced to the championship game to take on Team USA. When he returns, he may find himself in a different place in the order.

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The Giants have experimented while he’s been gone. Plus, his new hitting coach has hinted that the new second baseman’s role in the order may be different than originally thought.

Giants Long-Term Lineup Plan

San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Earlier this spring, hitting coach Hunter Mense told NBC Sports Bay Area that while Arráez was a good fit as leadoff hitter, but he also sees him as a run-producer that could hit later in the order.

"I believe that his best attribute is being able to drive in runs," Mense said. "He gets a lot of hits and being able to score guys from third base with two outs or score guys from second base with two outs oftentimes requires a hit. I just want him in those situations.”

That doesn’t mean Arráez is going to slide in the batting order on opening day. His best fit still looks like leadoff. And this lineup needs table-setters.

The core of the order has been assembled in the past few seasons, spearheaded by president of baseball operations Buster Posey. That includes third baseman Matt Chapman, who signed a long-term deal just before Posey took the job; shortstop Willy Adames, who became the first Giants player in more than two decades to hit 30 home runs in a season in 2025; and first baseman Rafael Devers, who has hit 35 home runs last season between his time in Boston and San Francisco.

Chances are, that trio bats third, fourth and fifth in the order the question is which hitter offers Devers more protection?

Jung Hoo Lee has batted leadoff before and has the tools and speed to do that. That also makes him a solid choice to hit behind Arráez, should he lead off. Or he could bat lower in the order, with the theory being that a second “lead-off” type hitter gives the Giants more run-scoring chances after the first run through the order.

The wild card might be Harrison Bader, the center fielder who was signed in the offseason to boost the team’s overall defense. His bat bounced back last season. Will the Giants bat him late in the order, which is where he’s batted in previous seasons, or slide him higher?

Arráez, Lee and Bader would give San Francisco options at the top, something the Giants had fewer of a season ago. In the long term, that will make the Giants tougher to handle at the plate.