San Francisco Giants infielder Tommy La Stella photographed at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (Suzanna Mitchell/S.F. Giants)
The Giants will play in front of fans for the first time in nearly 12 months Sunday when they open the gates at Scottsdale Stadium to host the Angels.
The club only sold between 750-1,000 tickets for each spring training home game, but with the stadium expected to be close to 10% of its traditional capacity, the Giants hope to have a gauge of how to operate and safely conduct business inside Oracle Park when the team is eventually given clearance to allow a limited number of fans at 2021 regular season games.
With COVID-19 vaccine supply increasing and positive case numbers flatlining and decreasing throughout the Bay Area, the Giants are still optimistic about the possibility of hosting fans as soon as April 9, which is the team’s scheduled home opener against the Colorado Rockies.
For now, there’s plenty of work to accomplish in Scottsdale to prepare for a 162-game grind, and it begins Sunday.
Here’s a look at what to watch for when the Giants play the Angels.
Lineups: Giants manager Gabe Kapler rattled off names off the top of his head Sunday, so the following is an approximation of what fans can expect:
1. Donovan Solano, 2B
2. Buster Posey, C
3. Alex Dickerson, LF
4. Wilmer Flores, 1B
5. LaMonte Wade Jr., CF
6. Austin Slater, DH
7. Jason Vosler, 3B
8. Joe McCarthy, RF
9. Mauricio Dubon, SS
Pitchers: Conner Menez, Sam Long, Jay Jackson, Zack Littell, Sam Wolff, Tyler Cyr, Jimmie Sherfy
Posey’s return: It’s likely Posey will only catch half of Sunday’s seven-inning game as he re-acclimates to playing in a game again, but his return to the lineup is an occasion worth celebrating for a Giants organization that dearly missed his presence last season. Posey’s decision to sit out the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic was met with the utmost respect from his teammates and Giants coaches, but there’s no denying how excited they are to have him back. Giants pitchers have raved about working with Posey and Kapler is eager to see if the muscle his catcher has added this offseason will translate into early success at the plate.
Wade in center field: The Giants have talked up recent trade acquisition LaMonte Wade Jr’s plate discipline and potential to hit for more power, but the key to Wade securing a job in San Francisco is his ability to cover all three outfield positions. The club is already confident he’s a solid defender in left and right, but if Wade proves capable in center field, it allows the Giants to keep Mike Yastrzemski in right and use Alex Dickerson in left against right-handed starters. Wade has a minor league option and may need to spend some time at Triple-A this season, but impressive work in center field can make a world of difference for his and the team’s immediate future.
Dubón on the dirt: The Giants view Mauricio Dubón as one of the most versatile “super utility” players in the majors and think he can be their best defensive center fielder as well as a primary backup to Brandon Crawford at shortstop. Dubón has spent the majority of camp so far taking reps on the infield, where he’s working on straightening out his throws to first base. If he shows off the type of range he did in the outfield last year at shortstop this spring, it will allow Kapler to give Crawford more days off this season.
Let’s see the “stuff”: Every pitcher the Giants have slated to throw Sunday is fighting for a roster spot, which makes the matchup with the Angels slightly more compelling. Conner Menez has worked on mechanical adjustments and will be judged on how well he throws strikes while another lefty, Sam Long, has been one of the early standouts of spring camp thanks to his ability to fill up the zone. Jay Jackson and Jimmie Sherfy are among the many non-roster invitees in camp jockeying for jobs in the Giants bullpen and they can work toward securing a job by out-performing their peers early in Cactus League games.
