Giants Reveal More Lineup Plans for Spring Training Opener vs. Mariners

The San Francisco Giants are set to take some of their key players with them to their spring training opener against the Seattle Mariners.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt (left) and teammate Matt Chapman. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have an extra day of workouts on Friday before they head to Peoria, Ariz., for Saturday’s spring training opener with the Seattle Mariners.

The Giants named Hayden Birdsong the starting pitcher for the game, which is set for 12:10 p.m. pacific time. But, as The San Francisco Chronicle’s Shayna Rubin posted to X (formerly Twitter), the travel roster for the first game is starting to take shape.

Rubin reported that Harrison Bader, Heliot Ramos, Bryce Eldridge, Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss are all set to make the trip to Peoria to face the Mariners. That’s some of the best young players on the team, along with Ramos, who was an All-Star in 2024.

Giants Prepping for Spring Training Opener

San Francisco Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Assuming Bader plays, it will be his spring training debut in a Giants uniform. Last year in 146 games with the Twins and the Phillies he slashed .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. From a slugging perspective, it was his best season since 2021, when he slashed .267/.324/.460 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI.

He is expected to start in center field on opening day. To accommodate him, the Giants are planning to move Jung Hoo Lee to right field.

Ramos is expected to be the starting left fielder. He is coming off a 2025 in which he .256/.328/.400 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI. It was his second straight season with at least 20 home runs.

The reps are important for both players as they ramp up for not only the regular season but the World Baseball Classic. Ramos is expected to play for Puerto Rico while Bader is expected to play for Israel.

Eldridge is the organization’s No. 1 prospect and is expected to make the team and rotate with Rafael Devers at designated hitter and first base. Eldridge has also taken reps in the outfield in the spring to improve his versatility.

In 10 MLB games last season he slashed .107/.297/.179 with no home runs and four RBI. He played four games at first base and six at designated hitter. In the minor last season, he slashed .260/.333/.510 with 25 home runs and 84 RBI.

Schmitt and Koss are fighting for utility spots after the Giants signed Luis Arraez to a one-year deal to play second base. Arraez will play in the WBC for Venezuela, giving the pair more opportunities to play in his absence. Schmitt slashed .237/.305/.401 last season, as his batting average dropped 15 points from a season ago. Koss slashed.264/.309/.368 with three home runs and 23 RBI as a rookie.