San Francisco Giants Manager May Have Already Revealed Opening Day Lineup

Did the San Francisco Giants reveal their Opening Day plans during spring training?

Aug 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin (6) watches before the game against the Miami Marlins at Oracle Park. / John Hefti-Imagn Images

There is still a lot of work the San Francisco Giants' brain trust has to do during spring training.

More rounds of cuts are on the horizon as the Major League roster will be pared down in preparation for the regular season. There are still some spots up for grabs as coaches will keep an eye on players looking to bounce back from a slow start or an injury.

But, in the first week of March, during an exhibition against the Chicago White Sox, manager Bob Melvin may have revealed who is going to be in the lineup on Opening Day against the Cincinnati Reds on March 27.

As shared by Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (subscription required), Melvin told media members in attendance to pay close attention to who he penciled in that afternoon.

He didn’t explicitly say that LaMonte Wade Jr. at first base, Willy Adames at shortstop, Jung Hoo Lee in center field, Matt Chapman at third base, Heliot Ramos in left field, Patrick Bailey behind the plate, Wilmer Flores as the designated hitter, Mike Yastrzemski in right field and Tyler Fitzgerald at second base would be the Opening Day lineup.

But what he showed certainly hinted that.

As long as everyone remains healthy and on track to play, that could be how things look in the first lineup card of the year.

Veteran Justin Verlander, who took the mound as the starter on Thursday, was excited to see that group behind him.

“I know analytics don’t really value this, but it’s nice for guys to get out there all together,” Verlander said. “It’s nice for guys to be in their spot in the lineup and watch the guy before them and just kind of get a pace for the game. So I thought it was great.”

His comments, along with how Melvin carried himself while speaking to reporters, certainly makes it seem like fans were treated to what will be the team’s starting lineup on Opening Day.

The first impression of the group was a positive one.

Four home runs were hit - two by Chapman and one by Lee and Yastrzemski - in what ended up being a 7-3 victory for the Giants.

Verlander set the tone on the mound, pitching four solid innings. He allowed only four hits and was charged with one earned run while striking out four.

Three members of the projected Opening Day bullpen, Sean Hjelle, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, followed Verlander and were just as good.

They fired three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit with four more strikeouts.

Even more important than the statistics themselves was the pinpoint control the staff exhibited again. Limiting walks was something San Francisco struggled with in 2024, but they are looking primed to return to the form shown in 2023.

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