SF Giants' Thairo Estrada is having a breakout season

San Francisco Giants utilityman Thairo Estrada is having a breakout season. Not a lot has gone right for the SF Giants in 2022, but Thairo Estrada's season should definitely be counted among the positives. Estrada delivered yet another late, clutch home run in Monday night's Giants win over the Rockies. Estrada is on pace for about 3.0 FanGraphs WAR, qualifying him as a solidly above-average everyday player. The Giants don't have a lot of everyday players to begin with.

Looking at the San Francisco Giants' position player mix, there isn't a lot to be excited about. They've been one of the worst units in MLB since the All-Star break. Wilmer Flores is solid and just signed a two-year extension. Joc Pederson is good in his role (defensively-challenged righty masher), but it's unclear whether he'll be back in 2023. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Luis González haven't had great seasons and are non-tender candidates. Mike Yastrzemski has had his second straight disappointing campaign. Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt might not be back next year. Brandon Crawford has had a highly disappointing season following a fourth-place MVP campaign in 2021.

David Villar is among the players who could be a big part of the mix in 2023, and watching him the rest of the way is a big deal for the Giants. He had a rough defensive night on Monday, but redeemed himself in a big way with a two-out double in the ninth inning that tied the game. Villar has been about 20% above average by wRC+ this season, hitting for above-average power and walking at a very strong clip. Defense has been an issue at times, and he makes a well-below-average amount of contact, but overall it's not hard to see the ingredients of a quality player. How he plays over the season's final two weeks is very significant to his and the Giants' future.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

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