Players To Watch: Diamondbacks Vs. Giants
Jun 28, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Duffy (5) scores a run during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
After realizing that the Casey McGee experiment was a complete failure (told you), the Giants decided to let Matt Duffy take over at third base. In retrospect, he probably should have been there all season.
Duffy will enter Friday’s contest hitting .293 with 8 homers and 41 RBIs. He tore through Philadelphia’s pitching just before the All-Star break, compiling seven hits over a three-game stretch.
He plays a passable third base (thought there’s a lot of room for improvement, as his fielding percentage sits below .970) and was thought to have a good bat, but his production to this point has been a welcome surprise for the Giants, who clearly didn’t think he would be better than McGee to start the season.
He also boasts a .348 batting average against the Diamondbacks and has four hits in seven at-bats at Chase Field. He’s been a key cog in San Francisco’s surprisingly powerful offense, so keep an eye on him in hitter-friendly Chase Field this weekend.