SAN FRANCISCO – While fans and the media have been clamoring for Giants manager Bob Melvin to replace leadoff hitter Jorge Soler with the suddenly red-hot Tyler Fitzgerald, not everyone agrees with that being the solution that everyone is looking for.
Especially Fitzgerald himself.
Even though he’s in the best streak of his brief career at the major-league level and swinging the hottest bat in the Giants’ lineup, the 26-year-old believes it’s way too early to consider making a change.
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“Personally I don’t really care where I’m at, if I’m in the one or the nine,” Fitzgerald told reporters at Oracle Park following San Francisco’s 11-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. “As long as I’m in there I’m happy.
“I’m just coming in here to work every day. It definitely makes it easier when Soler has long at-bats and I can pick up the pitcher on the on-deck circle. But I don’t necessarily think this run should just put me in the leadoff spot. I’m still a rookie and still have a lot of growth and a lot of stuff to work on.”
Both players came up big Friday night.
Fitzgerald had the first multi-homer game of his career and drove in a career-high four runs.
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That’s seven home runs in Fitzgerald’s last eight games, a power stretch that hasn’t been seen in these parts since home run king Barry Bonds did it in 2004. Fitzgerald also is the youngest Giants player to have that type of streak since Jack Clark in 1978.
“Yikes. He’s got a little Heliot Ramos thing going on right now,” Melvin said. “He’s relaxed now, he’s getting consistent playing time. There’s a ton of ability there, there’s power, there’s speed and he plays multiple positions. There’s a lot to like.
“Last year when I saw him on the other side, you could just see the athletic ability, and you look up the numbers and the homers and everything he can do, it was just a matter of giving him a chance to play consistently. He’s showing you what he has to offer right now.”
Soler originally was signed with the idea of anchoring the clean-up spot and providing pop to the middle of the lineup. When that didn’t materialize, Melvin made the decision to move Soler to the top of the order.
While the results still are nowhere near what the expectations were when Soler signed a three-year, $42 million contract as a free agent, he’s become more productive than at any other point this season.
On Friday, Soler had the type of game that leadoff hitters dream of: Three hits, including a leadoff home run in the first inning, two walks and three RBIs.
“The most important thing out of the leadoff guy is to get on base, and then when you have some opportunities like today he ends up getting three RBIs,” Melvin said of Soler. “A little bit of a stretch there where he wasn’t getting his hits but he was getting on base, and then a game like today … pretty good.”
Fitzgerald, however, is the one turning heads and raising eyebrows around the league with his smooth stroke at the plate.
Kyle Harrison, who pitched into the seventh inning to get the win, was sitting in the dugout when Fitzgerald launched his second home run of the game, a two-run blast in the sixth inning that put the Giants ahead 7-1.
“After that second home run I was just sitting there, I couldn’t believe it,” Harrison said. “Like, ‘Is this guy real? Is he on this planet? He’s killing it.”
Ironically, the one guy making the least amount of noise about all of this is Fitzgerald himself. While he understands the hype, he would prefer everyone pump the brakes a little bit.
“It’s just one of those weird things that kind of happen,” he said. “I’m not really trying to hit homers but God’s got plans in store for me I guess. I don’t know what to say about it.
“I’m just seeing the ball really well. I’m seeing the spin, I’m seeing just everything they throw at me. Just going out there trying to do damage. Earlier in the year when I wasn’t playing much I was just trying to get on base. Now I’m kind of going up there, not to hit a home run, but swinging a little bit harder and trying to do damage.”
As for the debate over whether he should be hitting leadoff instead of Soler, Fitzgerald doesn’t see it as a big deal.
For most of the season, Soler didn’t have anyone hitting consistently enough behind him for protection, which enabled opposing pitchers to stay away from attacking him in the zone. The way Fitzgerald is swinging the lumber, however, pitchers are now more likely to pitch more aggressively to Soler out of fear of having to face Fitzgerald with guys on base.
The Rockies did it and paid the price.
“Hopefully I’m helping (Soler) out a little bit right now but it’s a weird sport,” Fitzgerald said. “Just trying to say level-headed and take it one day at a time and not get ahead of myself.”