SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants expect to have several of their best prospects reach the big leagues this season. The first big debut will come Tuesday at Oracle Park.
Infielder Casey Schmitt has been called up from Triple-A Sacramento, sources told NBC Sports Bay Area. The Giants' fourth-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, Schmitt is expected to be in the lineup at shortstop for the second game against the Washington Nationals, who will have left-hander Patrick Corbin on the mound. To clear a roster spot, the Giants DFA'd Darin Ruf and optioned Cal Stevenson back to Triple-A.
Schmitt, 24, was the organization's second-round pick out of San Diego State in the 2020 MLB Draft. He is one of the best young defenders the organization has ever had, with scouts comparing him to big leaguers like Matt Chapman and projecting that he can compete for Gold Glove Awards at third base down the line. Schmitt won a minor league Gold Glove Award last season, but it's his growing versatility defensively that accelerated the timetable.
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Schmitt shined at shortstop last summer when Marco Luciano got hurt, and the Giants were impressed with what they saw from him this spring as he played both spots on the left side of the infield. Last week, he saw some time at second base in Triple-A, adding another option as he prepared for his big league debut.
The Giants trust Schmitt at all three spots, and many on the staff view him as the organization's second-best shortstop option right now, behind only Brandon Crawford. Without Crawford, the Giants have been playing Thairo Estrada at shortstop, but he rates as below-average there by advanced metrics.
The Giants always knew Schmitt could be an impact defender at the big league level, but he broke out at the plate last season, hitting 17 homers in High-A and then posting a .378 on-base percentage in Double-A. Schmitt kept the momentum going this spring, winning the Barney Nugent Award, given to the best newcomer in big league camp. He had a .313/.352/.410 slash line in 32 Triple-A games, with a homer and 10 doubles.
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While the Giants want to see more plate discipline, their homer-dependent lineup could use a change of pace. Schmitt consistently has shown an ability to find the gaps in the minors, and he'll immediately become one of the faster players on the big league roster. More than anything, though, he will continue to shore up the defense behind a starting staff built on getting groundballs. It doesn't seem a coincidence that his debut will come behind Logan Webb.
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