Cactus triumph a first for Kapler
Skipper impressed by prospect Hjelle in victory over A’s
MESA, ARIZ. >> Gabe Kapler has entered the win column.
After the Giants dropped a blowout on day one of Cactus League play, the first-year manager watched his players defeat the A’s 5-3 on Sunday to secure his first win with his new club.
The spring training victory doesn’t count for much and won’t go in an official record book, but the energy and enthusiasm his players and coaches had as they departed Hohokam Stadium meant a lot to Kapler.
What stood out from the Giants’ first win of the spring?
Here’s five things we learned in Mesa:
SEAN HJELLE DEBUTS IN ORANGE AND BLACK >> Giants pitching prospect Sean Hjelle didn’t receive an invitation to major league camp last year, but after reaching Double-A during an impressive 2019 season, Hjelle got the nod this spring.
The 2018 second-round draft choice made his Cactus League debut Sunday and impressed Kapler with the confidence and velocity he showed in the bottom of the ninth against the A’s.
“It was certainly encouraging to see him come out there in this situation which is probably a bit of a nerve-wracking situation for him,” Kapler said.
Hjelle was the last pitcher to enter Sunday’s game and he recorded a pair of flyouts to right field before inducing a soft groundout to pick up a save. The Giants will eventually stretch Hjelle out as a starter as he prepares for his second full minor league season, but they were pleased with his work out of the bullpen against Oakland as he consistently hit 95 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball.
Kapler said he could tell Hjelle had butterflies in his stomach for his first outing when he began warming up ahead of schedule in the top of the eighth inning.
“When (Luís) Madero was on the mound, I had to call down and say, ‘Hjelle doesn’t think he’s coming in in this inning, right?’ (Craig Alvarez) said no, he just wanted to throw a bit so I think that was getting some nerves out.”
The Giants haven’t said where Hjelle will open the season, but the organiza- tion’s sixth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com will likely start out the year at Double-A Richmond. CATCHER COMPETITION BEGINS >> With Buster Posey and Joey Bart splitting time behind home plate in Saturday’s Cactus League opener, the Giants essentially postponed the start of their catching competition until Sunday. Posey will start for the Giants while Bart is expected to open the year in the minors so he can play every day, but the team needs a replacement for Stephen Vogt who parlayed an excellent 2019 season into a free-agent deal with the D’backs this offseason.
After Aramis Garcia underwent hip surgery earlier this month, Tyler Heineman and Rob Brantly emerged as the front-runners for the job and the Giants expect the battle to go down to the wire. Heineman started Sunday’s game and went 0-for-2, but hit two balls hard and made an outstanding defensive play as he leaned over the third base dugout railing to snag the final out of an inning.
Brantly sent a flyball to the right field warning track in his first plate appearance, drilled a goahead single in the eighth and also turned heads with his defense as he threw a strike to second base to catch A’s shortstop Nate Orf stealing in the fifth inning.
The Giants won’t necessarily choose between Heineman and Brantly as the team could still acquire a veteran catcher closer to Opening Day, but Kapler loves the energy each of the primary backup candidates provide.
After Sunday’s game, Brantly walked through the victory handshake line yelling, “Never in doubt!” STARTERS STARTING SLOW >> It’s important to give players at least a week or two of game-action before making judgments on the effectiveness of new adjustments or tweaks, but the Giants should be encouraged by the way so many veterans have been willing to embrace the suggestions of new coaches.
Looking for results from the regulars? You’ll have to wait at least another day.
After Posey, Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt combined to go 0-for-6 in Saturday’s
game, Mike Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores and Alex Dickerson went 0-for-5 with a walk against the A’s. The Giants held Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence back from games on the first two days, but Kapler has indicated they’ll be in lineups soon.
It’s not the way the Giants envisioned the first two days of the spring going for players who figure to have the most opportunities early in the year, but time is on their side. INFIELDERS MAKE AN IMPRESSION >> The Giants have eight infielders on the 40-man roster and are also giving minor-league freeagent Yolmer Sánchez a serious chance to win a major league job this spring, so the competition for roles is expected to heat up quickly.
Infielders Kean Wong and Abiatal Avelino made early impressions in their first Cactus League action on Sunday as Avelino’s first swing of the spring resulted in a loud home run that landed beyond the left field fence while Wong went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles.
“It was nice to see Avelino drive the baseball because he’s perceived to be a defense-first shortstop caliber player and to see him drive the baseball early in the game was certainly encouraging.”
Both players have minor league options, but Wong appears to have an easier path to the roster as he’s a left-handed hitter who can give the Giants depth behind starter Evan Longoria at third base. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Avelino and Wong to form the Opening Day middle infield combo for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, but both could easily see time in San Francisco this year. WESTBROOK ON THE RADAR >> With so many players in camp, it’s easy for some of the unfamiliar faces and less heralded players to fly under the radar until games start.
Minor league free agent Jamie Westbrook is one of several non-roster invitees in camp without major league experience, but he showed off some intriguing talent in Sunday’s game. The 24-year-old designated hitter reached base in both of his plate appearances as he walked and scored a run in the third inning and then doubled out to the deepest part of Hohokam Stadium in the top of the fifth.
Westbrook’s impressive speed helped the Giants score their first run as he went from first to third on a single to left field by Wong and then scored when Wong took second base on a throw.