San Francisco Giants: How Many Games Will Every Position Player Start?

Last week, I wrote about the probability for each player on the Giants 40 man roster to make the Opening Day roster. This week, in a slight variation, I will expand on this article by predicting how many games each of the position players will start.

Catcher

Look for Buster Posey to start 140 games this season. I believe Posey will make several starts away from catcher, however, so you might see Chris Stewart behind home plate 30 or more times this season. If Hector Sanchez gets into the mix, which I don’t see happening with any real regularity, you might see him start five or 10 games late in the season.

First Base

Aubrey Huff is going to start the bulk of games at first base this season. I predict that, while he will not return to 2010 form, he will come back strong and acceptable. That said, Brett Pill will likely relieve Huff frequently, and first base is one of the best places to start Buster Posey when management wants to give him a rest from catching duties. Therefore, look for Huff to start 130 games, Brett Pill to start 25 and Buster Posey to start another seven.

Second Base

I wish I could say that Freddy Sanchez will start 162 games this season. Unfortunately, the talented yet injury prone second baseman will likely start no more than 100 games. I feel like Freddy has not seen the end of injuries. Mike Fontenot and Emmanuel Burriss will round out the rest of the season, starting approximately 30 games each.

Shortstop

Bruce Bochy, Brian Sabean and Giants ownership has given every indication that Brandon Crawford is the shortstop of the 2012 San Francisco Giants. He will start 150 or more games this season, with occasional relief from Burriss and Fontenot. I have actually started to warm up to this idea: If Brandon Crawford is going to underachieve and under-perform, it’s best he get an entire season to prove his worth(lessness). On the other hand, if by some miracle he does achieve, the Giants can reap the benefits.

Third Base

Like Brandon Crawford, look for Pablo Sandoval to start 150 or more games this season. Fontenot and Burriss will provide occasional relief, true to their tags as “utility infielders.” Sandoval will return to camp in good shape and not suffer any hamate bone breaks this season, which will enable him to contribute at a consistent clip.

Outfield

This is not laziness; it’s just impossible to tell what Bruce Bochy is going to do in terms of organizing his outfield at this juncture. One safe thought is Brandon Belt in left field, Melky Cabrera in center field (or right field) and Angel Pagan in whatever field Melky is not playing. Throw in Nate Schierholtz and Justin Christian for occasional relief, and the Giants look pretty solid in the pastures.

I believe Bochy will play Belt either every day or nearly every day, and each outfielder (each main outfielder) will play around 150 games. Schierholtz and Christian will obviously make significantly fewer starts, but both will play in a deceptively high number of games due to their value as late game defensive substitutes. As the Giants offense is still relatively low-powered, there will be plenty of close late games wherein their skills will be invaluable.