Going into Spring Training, Mac Williamson was competing to be a possible fifth outfielder for San Francisco’s Opening Day roster. Now, after two solid weeks of spring ball, Williamson is making his case for being the Giants’ starting left fielder come April.
The 25-year old out of Wake Forest has been lighting up Arizona and has been the most productive offensive player in the Cactus League. Through 12 games, Williamson is batting .344 with an OBP of .382 to go along with his Cactus League-leading four homers and 11 RBIs. Some of these home runs were taken with a grain of salt because they came early in the spring when arms weren’t fully in the swing of things, but Williamson made a statement when yesterday he launched an absolute bomb that hit the back wall of San Francisco’s bullpen. If fans weren’t aware of him before yesterday’s game, they sure are now.
Even with his excellent spring, Williamson is not the clear-cut choice to be the everyday left fielder for the orange and black. That title belongs to Angel Pagan. As much as Giants fans love Pagan and what he has done for the team in years past, it is time to usher in the era of Mac Williamson as the starting left fielder for your 2016 San Francisco Giants.
Bruce Bochy may be content to go with Pagan because of his veteran experience, as opposed to Williamson, who has yet to take more than 40 at-bats at the major league level. During his four years in San Francisco, Pagan has been the prototypical center fielder, hitting for average, swiping more than his fair share of bases, and holding down center field with his glove. Since he arrived in San Francisco, Pagan has bat .283 with an OBP of .329 while swiping 56 bases. Being the driving force behind the Giants’ offense, it’s not hard to see why Bochy has trust in Pagan.
However, Pagan is not the same player that he used to be. Although he had the most at-bats in 2015 since 2012, his knees have hindered his ability to produce with any consistency. 2015 was his worst statistical season as a Giant. In 133 games, he had his lowest batting average (.262), on-base percentage (.303), slugging percentage (.332), BB% (5.8%), wRC+ (81), and WAR (-0.8), in addition to his highest K% (16.9%). The days of him being the above-average lead-off man who swipes 30 plus bases are long gone. Although he is projected to make minor improvements in the upcoming season, at this point, he is, at best, a below-average left fielder.
Heading into 2016, Williamson, as opposed to Pagan, has the tools to become a productive everyday outfielder. His main calling card is his raw power, and once he learns how to translate it into in-game power, he will be another gem in the Giants' lineup. Unlike most power hitters, he can hit to all fields, which is a nice bonus. Williamson is also incredibly disciplined at the plate. During the 2015 campaign, Williamson bat .271 with a BB% of 10.05% an OBP of .368, and a 124.5 wRC+.
The biggest problem with Williamson being a fourth or fifth outfielder is it would hinder his ability to play every day. But what’s a better way to adapt to major league pitching than seeing it in person? If Williamson consistently starts during the 2016 season, he’ll gain the first-hand experience needed to hit consistently. With Pagan aging and on the decline, planning for the future with Williamson would be the move to make.
There’s also a hidden gem in starting Williamson; bench depth. With Williamson starting, the Giants get Pagan and Gregor Blanco off the bench. Having these two off the bench would be significant for two reasons. The first, of course, is that it would allow Bruce Bochy to have two quality players to call on that can be plugged into any situation late in games, whether it be pinch-hitting/running, or as a defensive replacement in the later innings. The second and by far more important reason for starting Williamson is that it would allow Pence and Span to keep their bodies well-rested and healthy. Pence and Span are beginning to rack up more and more miles on their bodies, and with Blanco and Pagan off the bench, Bochy won’t have to worry about sacrificing production when swapping these two tandems in and out of the lineup.
As of now, Bochy has made no indication as to who the Opening Day left fielder will be, but if Williamson continues to mash baseballs under the Arizona sun, don’t be surprised if he finds himself rocking the orange and black come April.
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