The San Francisco Giants open the season tonight against the New York Yankees. With first pitch hours away, manager Tony Vitello has been finalizing his lineup and working out exactly where his pieces fit best.
One question has generated more debate than any other among Giants fans this spring. Where does Luis Arraez bat?
Vitello addressed it this week. The answer was more flexible than some might have expected.
What Vitello Said About Arraez
GettyTony Vitello of the San Francisco Giants.
Per John Shea of the San Francisco Standard, Vitello described Arraez as a unique player who could hit leadoff on some days and in the middle of the order on others, with plans to use him in both spots depending on how the offense is performing.
Arraez backed that up earlier this week, batting leadoff in an exhibition game at Oracle Park against the Sultanes de Monterrey. Tonight’s opener against the Yankees will be the first real test of where Vitello lands.
The thinking is straightforward. If Arraez is hitting first and the runs are coming, there is no reason to change anything. But if he is repeatedly coming to the plate with nobody on base and the Giants are stranding runners, moving him into the heart of the order puts his contact skills in situations where they can do the most damage. For a hitter who almost never gives away an at-bat, that is not a bad card to have up your sleeve.
Why Arraez Is Different
GettyLuis Arraez #1 of the San Francisco Giants.
Arraez is unlike anyone else the Giants have had in their lineup in recent memory. Three batting titles tell the story. He does not chase, does not expand the zone, and rarely gives away an at-bat. In a lineup that leans heavily on power hitters who swing and miss, he is the outlier, a hitter whose value comes from doing the opposite of everyone around him.
The Giants have tried to find that balance before. Last season, manager Bob Melvin slotted Jung Hoo Lee into the three spot early on, hoping a contact-oriented hitter could thrive in RBI situations. It showed promise before Lee cooled off and was moved down the order. Arraez is a different proposition entirely. Lee is a better contact hitter than most. Arraez is a better contact hitter than almost everyone who has ever played the game.
Vitello has something genuinely rare on his hands. The question is just where to put it.
What It Means for the Giants
Tonight against the Yankees will be the first real test of how Vitello wants to deploy him. The lineup construction heading into a series of that magnitude will tell a lot about the direction the Giants are taking this season.
Arraez gives San Francisco a weapon they have not had in a long time. How Vitello chooses to use it will be one of the more interesting subplots of the early season.
First pitch is tonight.
Giants Get Notable Luis Arraez Update Ahead of Yankees opener