Schmitt shows his all-around athleticism in historic game

Share

SAN FRANCISCO -- When the Giants broke camp in March and headed back to Northern California for the Bay Bridge Series, Casey Schmitt was on the flight. The staff wanted to reward him for a breakout spring, but also give him a chance to play in a big league park, knowing he would do so at some point during the regular season. 

Schmitt started that first game against the Athletics and went 0-for-5, striking out three times. But the next day, as a small group from the front office watched Schmitt take grounders at Oracle Park, one of them flashed a wide smile.

"Did anyone see his sprint speed yesterday?" he asked. 

Schmitt had gotten down the line at 29.4 feet per second on a grounder to third, just a hair below 30, which is considered elite for big leaguers. It was a throwaway moment in an exhibition game, but it opened some additional eyes within the organization.

The Giants knew Schmitt had plenty of raw ability when they drafted him in the second round in 2020. He was also a pitcher at San Diego State, with such a strong arm that there was some short-lived speculation around the time of the draft that he could try to go both ways in the minors.

But as Schmitt worked his way toward San Francisco, the attention shifted elsewhere. He became known for his glove more than anything else, with most scouts putting an elite grade on him defensively but more average ones on his other tools. 

Through three games, the raw production certainly has stood out. But so, too, have the tools. 

Schmitt had four hits on Thursday and showed off a spectacular all-around game while leading the Giants to a 6-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 27 big league innings, he has displayed surprising pop and an arm that is well above average. Schmitt hasn't had to run much yet -- it helps when you're depositing balls in the seats -- but he reached 29.5 feet per second on an infield single in the seventh. 

Schmitt's homer in his first at-bat Thursday left the bat at 111.6 mph, making it the third-hardest-hit ball of the season by the Giants, trailing only two from Joc Pederson. When you're getting similar juice from your burly DH and your rookie infielder, you know the latter is in some pretty good company. 

The ball traveled an estimated 443 feet, landing in the second deck at Chase Field, a rarity for right-handed hitters. Afterward, manager Gabe Kapler described Schmitt as "athletic, young, explosive and physical," adding that the rookie has kept a loose demeanor throughout.

"I think he's done everything really well since he has come up," Kapler told reporters in Phoenix. "The shortstop play has been really impressive, as well. The arm strength, big hits ... now, like, extreme power with that ball to left field. It's just been a lot of timely, important moments for Casey so far."

Schmitt wasn't really tested defensively in his first two games, but he had plenty of opportunities behind sinkerballer Alex Cobb, who got 12 grounders on the quick turf at Chase Field. Schmitt handled six of them and was part of two double plays. 

On one of Schmitt's first chances, he jumped toward the hole to backhand a grounder from Ketel Marte, then fired a 92.7 mph strike to LaMonte Wade Jr. The throw was the fastest of the season by a Giants position player and second-fastest of the season by an MLB infielder, trailing only a 92.8 mph strike from Pittsburgh's Oneil Cruz. 

The more traditional stats tell the story of someone who is off to one of the best starts in franchise history.

Schmitt joined Willie McCovey as the only Giants to record eight hits in their first three games, and he's the first shortstop in the modern era to get multiple hits and an extra-base hit in each of his first three MLB games. 

RELATED: Examining Villar's reduced role due to Giants' breakout players

I'm just making it as simple as possible, just trying to stay within myself and have good at-bats and play defense," he said. "That's what I've worked on. I'm trying not to do too much." 

That type of production will keep him in the lineup short term. Long term, the advanced stats tell an equally important story. At some point, pitchers will adjust and some of the luck will turn, but in just three games, Schmitt has shown that he might have the bat speed and athleticism to limit slumps and lock down a consistent role for years to come. 

"He seemed pretty toolsy to all of us in spring training," Kapler said earlier this week. "I think the organization believes that he's not just a quality defender, but a good all-around athlete with good instincts as well."

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Contact Us