San Francisco Giants Superstar Receives Elite Ranking at Key Position

This San Francisco Giants infielder is considered among the best players in Major League baseball at his position.

Sep 23, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants third base Matt Chapman (26) hits a RBI triple in the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have started spring training with some uncertainties as the new season is around the corner. Those uncertainties are largely focused on the back end of the starting rotation and the bullpen.

The Giants' chances of making the playoffs looks really thin, even after making the addition of shortstop Willy Adames, who will definitely add hope for the Giants to climb out of the cycle of mediocrity they've been caught in the past few seasons.

One game changer on the roster is third baseman Matt Chapman, whom the Giants signed last March on a one-year, $18 million contract that also featured an opt-out after the season. Before the season end, Chapman opted to stay with the Giants and worked out a six-year, $151 million extension.

ESPN insider Buster Olney recently ranked the Top 10 third basemen in Major League Baseball and Chapman was ranked second behind the Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez.

The 31-year old has been among the best at the hot corner for some time. He started slowly with the Giants, but he turned it around and by season's end his new deal seemed justified.

He finished the season with a slash line of .247/.328/.463/.790 27 home runs and 78 RBI. But, in the final 97 games of the season he had19 home runs and 10 stolen bases with a slash line of .253/.340/.494.

He will likely be remembered as one of the greatest defensive third basemen of all time. In the past seven years, he has won five Gold Gloves, including last season.

Retaining him gives the Giants and their new president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, a great foundational piece for future success.

Alongside Adames and pitcher Logan Webb, Chapman's ability can definitely be a deciding factor as to whether the Giants can make a run to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

The quality of the National League West Division makes it more difficult for San Francisco to push for a much better result than it did the previous season.

Without a doubt, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite, not only to win the division but also to win the World Series again.

Additionally, the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, with respective average win totals of 84.4 and 86.6, are projected to finish well ahead of the Giants.