The Giants are deep enough into lineup tinkering season that Saturday finally brought something worth watching. With the usual leadoff options gone after the trade deadline, San Francisco handed the top spot to Drew Gilbert for the first time in his big league career, and he made it look a lot more interesting than the recent alternatives.
Gilbert wasted no time cashing in on the opportunity. He went 3-for-4 with a home run, walked once, drove in three runs and scored twice, reaching base four times in the Giants’ 7-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. For a club searching for answers near the top of the order, that’s the kind of night that at least gives the staff something real to chew on.
The move came out of necessity as much as anything else. Luis Arraez had been one of San Francisco’s regular leadoff choices against right-handed starters, while Heliot Ramos often filled that role against lefties.
With both players gone, the Giants have spent the last few months trying to figure out who fits where. Bryce Eldridge got a look for a bit before that idea appears to have been shelved, and Jung Hoo Lee remains the obvious name on paper even if he’s seemed more comfortable lower in the lineup.
Gilbert, though, has the kind of profile that makes sense in the role against right-handed pitching. He’s hitting .243/.330/.376 with six home runs and 28 runs batted in overall, and the split is hard to miss: .274/.366/.429 with all six homers and 27 of his RBI coming against righties. Against lefties, he has only two hits in 36 at-bats.
That leaves him in clear platoon territory for now, but it also opens a door. The Giants don’t need to force him into every matchup to see whether he can handle the job against right-handers. They just need to keep giving him chances and see if he can keep setting the table.
Against lefties, Jonah Cox is another name to watch. The Giants used him in the leadoff spot on Friday night against Kyle Freeland, and the offense was quiet for much of the evening. Even so, Cox brings the speed you expect from a leadoff type, and he still profiles as a better option there than Gilbert when a left-hander is on the mound.
At this point, San Francisco has little reason not to keep experimenting. Gilbert may stick at leadoff or he may not, but the Giants are in the part of the season where the staff can keep trying combinations and see what actually works.
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