San Francisco Giants Need Nate Schierholtz in Their Lineup

Nate Schierholtz's youth, dedication, and tough, gritty demeanor epitomize new owner Bill Neukom's "Giant Way of playing baseball".  He mowed down China's catcher Yang Yang in Beijing, is one of the few players who bats without gloves, and most importantly, he can hit. 

Schierholtz celebrated his 25th birthday just one week ago and it's about time he play a major role for the Giants. 

Schierholtz is listed at 6'2" and 217 lbs.  The Giants drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2003 draft.  After great success in the minors, he made his MLB debut on June 11, 2007.  A week and a half later, he had the game winning hit in the 13th inning against the Yankees, forcing his way onto fans' radars. 

Schierholtz's Stats 

AAA Fresno Career (761 AB's): .327 BA  .576 SLG  .940 OPS

MLB Career with SF (187 AB's): .310 BA  .439 SLG  .777 OPS

He was better in '08 (75 AB's): .320 BA  .473 SLG  .863 OPS 

Schierholtz has been strong on both ends of the field, only committing 1 error in 58 big league games. 

He is also clutch, hitting for a .329 average and .806 OPS with runners on, in 73 MLB at bats. 

The Giants naturally want to take advantage of his strong arm by placing him in right field, but with Lewis, Rowand, and Winn, the outfield is crowded.  The plan is to have Schierholtz replace Winn after this season, when Winn's contract expires.  Lewis is solid and Rowand is inconsistent but heavily overpaid, preventing management from platooning him. 

Then there's Roberts, who can make 6.5 million as a pinch runner/hitter, but should not start, especially over Schierholtz. 

Filling in occasionally is not a big enough role for Schierholtz and 2010 is a whole season away.  With additions such as R. Johnson and E. Rentieria, the Giants can compete now. 

Here are some various ways to get Schierholtz more at bats:

1. Bench Lewis against lefties.  

Shift Winn to left while Rowand stays in center, making room for Big Nate in right.   

2. Bench Rowand against righties. 

Shift Lewis to Center, Winn to left, and play Schierholtz in right.

3. Give Schierholtz some playing time in the corner infield. 

The infield has an opening at first or third.  The Giants are reluctantly planning to start 2009 with Pablo Sandoval at third and Travis Ishikawa at first.  Ishikawa plays great defense, but is an offensive liability, pretty much the opposite of Sandoval. 

Nate Schierholtz played third base until the Giants had him switch to outfield in 2004.  For a guy who played third in college, corner infield shouldn't be out of the question.  PECOTA projects a .748 OPS for Ishikawa and .802 OPS for Schierholtz in 2009. 

Ishikawa is being praised by the Giants for his defense, but Schierholtz is clearly the better hitter.  Splitting time between the two youngsters at first base could be a great option for the team this year.    

By the way, I watched Sandoval hit 7 out of his 10 swings for home runs to defeat Miguel Cabrera in the Venezualen HR Derby.  I understand why the Giants are ensuring his place in the lineup. 

I was also reminded of how out of shape Sandoval is, and cannot help but question his range at third.  With a Fielder-esque physique and strong offense, he may be better suited for first. 

The Giants lineup is seriously lacking power, and if given the chance, Schierholtz could lead the team in OPS this season.  Obviously, a Manny signing would change everything, but Schierholtz is the best internal option for added power in 2009.

Schierholtz deserves plate appearances on a regular basis, so the Giants need to finally start sitting other players for him.

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