Daniel Susac plays the catcher position for Jesuit High School during a game in May 2019. Susac was drafted by the Athletics in 2022 and made an MLB roster for the first time in 2026 as the San Francsico Giants backup catcher.
Allene Salerno
Special to The Bee
With hours remaining before Opening Day, the San Francisco Giants finalized their roster Wednesday by naming Roseville native Daniel Susac as their backup catcher.
Susac, 24, made the Giants’ 26-man roster and will back up Patrick Bailey to start the season.
A Jesuit High School graduate from Carmichael, Susac played collegiately at the University of Arizona. He followed a familiar path: his older brother, Andrew Susac, also starred at Jesuit before reaching the majors.
Andrew Susac spent six seasons in Major League Baseball and debuted with the Giants as a backup catcher. He backed up Buster Posey during San Francisco’s championship run that included World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Daniel Susac earned his roster spot with a strong spring training, batting .350 with two home runs in 17 games. He beat out veteran Eric Haase, who hit .286 with two home runs this spring and has played in the majors since 2018.
Posey, now the Giants’ president of baseball operations, oversaw final roster decisions.
The Athletics, then of Oakland and now playing temporarily in West Sacramento, drafted Susac in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft. He played in the A’s minor league system before being selected in last December’s Rule 5 draft by the Minnesota Twins, who immediately traded him to the Giants.
Daniel Susac of the Athletics signs autographs for fans before a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Las Vegas Ballpark on March 9, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Susac was draftd in 2022 by the Athletics and will start the 2026 season on the San Francisco Giants 26-man roster. Ethan Miller Getty Images
There’s one other Susac in pro baseball: Daniel and Andrew’s cousin, Sacramento-born Anthony Susac, was drafted in 2024 by the Texas Rangers. The 23-year-old pitcher plays in the Rangers’ minor-league system. He’s slated to start his season in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for the High-A Hub City Spartanburgers.
The Giants open the season Wednesday at Oracle Park against the New York Yankees. First pitch was scheduled for 5:05 p.m., with the game streamed exclusively on Netflix — the first MLB game broadcast live on the platform.
Susac could return close to home in May when the Giants faced the Athletics, now playing temporarily in West Sacramento, in a three-game series May 15-17 at Sutter Health Park.
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Michael McGough is a sports and local editor for The Sacramento Bee. He previously covered breaking news and COVID-19 for The Bee, which he joined in 2016. He is a Sacramento native and graduate of Sacramento State.Â