Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini brought a little extra pop to Giants batting practice, and this time Smith got all of it.
Smith launched a home run, while Celebrini came close with a ball that hit the Levi’s Landing sign. The San Jose Sharks stars, who also took part in batting practice before a San Francisco Giants game last year and fell just short of leaving the yard, looked much more comfortable this time around.
“It was great. Been waiting for that,” Smith said about his homer. “Felt different when it came off the bat.”
Celebrini had his own positive read on the round, even if the ball didn’t quite clear the fence.
“I’m happy with it,” Celebrini said. “Hitting one square is one of the best feelings.”
Smith’s baseball connection runs deeper than a quick celebrity swing. Along with his hockey career with the Sharks, he has a notable family tie to the game as the great-great grandson of original Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey.
Before the batting practice session, Giants manager Tony Vitello was firing grounders at Smith at second base and compared him to Baseball Hall of Famer Jeff Kent.
“I was telling him to bring it in hot,” Smith smiled.
Celebrini, meanwhile, sounded like a player who already has one more round in mind.
“I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get it over,” Celebrini said.
With Sharks training camp set to begin in mid-September, the pair seems to be enjoying their time back around the ballpark.
The boys are back in town, and it looks like they’re having a good time before San Jose Sharks’ training camp starts in mid-September.
In Other News...
Sharks Rebuild Could Turn Fast If Mike Grier Makes This Bet
Connor Hellebuycks name has quickly slipped into the kind of conversation that can change a rebuild in a hurry. The Winnipeg goalie, long considered the backbone of his team, has now publicly asked for a trade, and that has naturally put clubs with ambition on alert. For the Sharks, who have already started spending on new pieces and are trying to accelerate their way out of the basement, this is the sort of star-level opening that tests how aggressive Mike Grier really wants to be.
Grier has made clear he is open to adding major talent if it makes the roster better, which is why the idea of chasing a goaltender of Hellebuycks caliber has real intrigue. San Joses interest is not hard to understand, but any serious pursuit would come with hard choices and plenty of moving parts, from the cost of acquisition to the cap gymnastics that often shape these kinds of swings. The Sharks are at the point where a bold move could speed up the timeline, and the question is whether this is the one Grier decides is worth the price. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Face A Risky Connor Hellebuyck Debate They Can't Ignore
Connor Hellebuyck is the sort of goaltender who can change a franchises timeline, and that is exactly why he has become such a complicated fit for the Sharks to consider. Winnipegs veteran has built an elite regular-season reputation and carries the kind of profile that would instantly raise San Joses ceiling, but any conversation around him has to account for his age and the long-term commitment that would come with adding him to the roster.
The harder part for the Sharks is what such a move would mean for their own crease and their broader rebuilding plan. Yaroslav Askarov is still viewed as a key piece of the future, so the price of chasing Hellebuyck would not be limited to cap space or contract terms. It comes down to whether San Jose believes it is close enough to contend for a Stanley Cup to justify making a bold swing now, even if the payoff is anything but certain. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Quietly Made A Behind The Scenes Move Fans Should Notice
The Sharks have spent plenty of time building out the roster, but some of the most important work this summer came far away from the spotlight. San Jose promoted Eric Pinsky to assistant video coach and Josh Woodard to equipment manager, a pair of moves that keep familiar faces in the organization after both had been with the Barracuda. The club also added amateur scouts Cameron Burt and Tyler Holske, along with new head physical therapist Scott Greenberg, strengthening the support system around the NHL club.
There was also a quieter addition that says something about where the league is headed. San Jose brought in Nathan Airey as an emergency backup goalie, a role that will become mandatory for NHL teams on a full-time traveling basis starting in the 2026-27 season. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes move fans rarely notice until it matters, but it fits into a broader effort to make sure the Sharks are covered in every corner, from the bench to the training room to the crease. [Read more 🡒]