Drew Gilbert had never hit lead-off before. The vast majority of his plate appearances this season have come out of the 8th and 9th spots in the batting order. There\u2019s plenty of reasons why Gilbert wouldn\u2019t be seriously considered to bat first when constructing a Major League line-up. Mainly, he doesn\u2019t hit for average, he doesn\u2019t hit for power, nor does he inflate his on-base percentage with walks. Gilbert\u2019s barely the same species as a Kyle Schwarber or Shohei Ohtani, the 21st century take on the top spot. Considering he\u2019s swiped only 2 bases in 137 Major League games, Gilbert is pretty far from Vince Coleman and the more old-school, light-and-fast model too, aimed at wrecking havoc on the bases after beating out an infield single.<\/p>\n
The lead-off man has been a revolving door for the Giants all season. It\u2019s been dependent on the opposing starter\u2019s arm, who\u2019s healthy, or the hot hand. No one has been particularly good at it. San Francisco\u2019s lead-off men have posted a .279 OBP \u2014 by far the lowest in the Majors. Their overall production, with a 89 wRC+<\/a>, is well below league average.<\/p>\n The point of the offensive spear being not that pointy could explain some of the team\u2019s frustrating inconsistencies and overall struggles.<\/p>\n Game 123 of this doomed season, Tony Vitello is throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks. Dating back to July 30th, in which the Giants have gone 4-10 while dropping four straight series, seven different players have hit lead-off. Pencilling Gilbert\u2019s name into the top spot \u2014 because why not? \u2014 made him the 13th player to serve in the role this year<\/a>, which is the most in any Giants season since 1901.<\/p>\n 13 might be a lucky number because Gilbert transformed himself to fit into the role. The middle schooler hyped-up on Mountain Dew Baja Blast energy he typically emanates at the plate was completely gone. In its place, a stoic figure, a discerning eye. The new number-1 went 3-for-4, with a walk, 3 runs batted in, and 2 runs scored. He worked a lead-off walk, taking six straight pitches, and didn\u2019t lift his bat off his shoulder. The Number- 9 hitter Gilbert probably would\u2019ve swung a dozen times. But that Gilbert is dead now; or at least, repressed, stuffed in the locker of his subconsciousness (for the day at least), because when he came up again in the 3rd, nothing had changed. Gilbert was just as calm and disciplined. He took a first pitch fastball in the dirt for ball one, and an elevated curveball at the letters for ball two. Being ahead in the count matters, and Gilbert specifically needs that breathing room. He\u2019s hitting .300 with a 1.014 OPS (70 AB) when he\u2019s swinging with count leverage<\/a>. When he\u2019s backed into a corner: .224 with a .585 OPS (85 AB).<\/p>\n Up 2-0, Gilbert was cool and collected. He could sit on a specific pitch in a specific location. Starter Michael Lorenzen\u2019s best bet of getting in the zone was with his fastball, he put it on the inside corner and Gilbert beat him to the spot, lining it onto the arcade for a game-tying solo shot.<\/p>\n Turning an 0-2 count into a base-on-balls was good, the solo homer was obviously better, but Gilbert out-did himself as the lead-off man his third time up. With the bases loaded and two out in a tight 2-1 game, Gilbert didn\u2019t let the situation rush his approach. The prospect of knocking in runs didn\u2019t cause him to devolve back into his previous hacker state in which he was liable to take a cut at any moving object within feasible reach of his bat. He maintained control and put himself in a good count by taking two fastballs off the plate. He fouled off a cutter, only his second swing of the day, but didn\u2019t succumb to swing-mode when Lorenzen dotted another just above the letters. With the count back in his favor, he got his fastball \u2014 this time a sinker decently located low-and-away \u2014 and the ball found a hole.<\/p>\n This is how the number 1 hitter has to operate, especially in the middle of a game. When the line-up flips back over to the top, that shift should be felt by the opposing arm. The pitcher should be thinking Again? Didn\u2019t I just pitch to this guy? They need to be a nuisance. They need to extend and prolong and act as a gateway to the heart of the order. Gilbert did exactly that \u2014 he picked up number-9 man Christian Koss after he rolled an ineffectual comebacker for the second out of the inning. Even with the bases loaded, Lorenzen approached him with care. He made his pitches and Gilbert still got the best of him. His single was the Giants\u2019 first hit with a runner in scoring position, and it led to two more in quick succession from Devers and Eldridge.<\/p>\n