This weekend, Luis González took a trip to Pittsburgh and did his job.
He went 4-for-14 with a leadoff home run, double, and triple in a three-game series win over the Pirates. The rookie reached safely every game, stole two bags and made a charging, sliding catch in the outfield.
It was the full Luis González experience, and none of it was surprising. Clock in, clock out.
González’s business trip was far from a big league audition. Pacing the Giants in hitting and earning National League Rookie of the Month honors already proved his worth. His performance at the plate, plus the intrinsic value that comes with his play style, has made González indispensable.
González’s weekend in Pittsburgh rather cements the status he’s accumulated for nearly two months now: he belongs on the Giants in San Francisco, and the team should do everything possible to keep him there.
It must all be surreal for a guy whom the Giants claimed off waivers late last summer. Then again, he might not have too much time to put his revelatory season into context.
“We’re playing at the highest stage here,” González, who’s hitting .303, said earlier this week. “It’s a blessing. I’m happy to be here, and maybe at the end of the season maybe I’ll relax a little bit more and kind of process everything.”
González hit three doubles in the series directly preceding the one in PNC Park. He also uncorked a 97 mph fastball from right field to nab a Royal at home and nailed the fastest player in baseball, Bobby Witt Jr., with a strike to second base. Fielding was González’s biggest concern at first, but he’s used his athleticism to make it a strength.
“Whether we’re losing by 10 or winning by 10, just trying to go hard at every ball and make things happen,” González said after his big outfield assist on June 14.
The performances inspired manager Gabe Kapler to label González as an “aggressive baseball player.” He dances off bases, charges balls in the outfield and executes bunts against unsuspecting defenses.
“I’m always looking to put my body on the line,” González told KNBR. “Whether that’s in the outfield or running the bases — I mean, hitting doesn’t really show as much your intensity. But if you’ve seen me play long enough, I like to go hard at it. If I’m ever slacking, there’s a problem there. I just try to keep the intensity up and treat every ball like it’s my last one.”
The juice González brings just by taking aggressive leads, forcing pickoff throws and being opportunistic on the basepaths is probably mostly incalculable. But it’s not zero, and he’s one of few rostered players wired to supply it.
“His volume is always kind of turned up,” Kapler said. “I think that can be a good thing and a good balance to a team full of more even players.”
González’s sprint speed of 28 feet per second is slightly above average, but he plays with a distinguishable force. A fire. He said he’s always had that in his game, ever since he was a shy kid still learning english in Tucson, Arizona.
Being overly aggressive can cost González. In a game against the Rockies, he overran a ball in the outfield grass while trying to come up firing at a runner heading to second. But mistakes are more tolerable when they’re made with a purpose, and more experience will lead to fewer of them.
Wilmer Flores, more aptly described as calculated than aggressive, said González does “all the right things” which should allow him to adjust when pitchers get more of a read on him. He too has been impressed by González’s grit.
“I don’t think we have many fast guys on the team, but certainly not aggressive,” Flores said.
“So that’s what you want. Something about being fast, but you’ve got to be always aggressive at the right time. Taking your chances, that’s something I don’t do. But it’s really fun to watch him, just settling into the big leagues and getting comfortable.”
Statistically, González has been the only Giant hitting over. 300 for the entire season. The outfielder is hitting .412 with a 1.013 OPS with runners in scoring position on a team that’s struggled at times to knock in runs. He’s posted a 1.2 WAR, in line with Mike Yastrzemski and Joc Pederson — SF’s two most valuable position players of 2022.
González isn’t just on a hot streak, though. His at-bats have been impressive since spring training, Kapler has said. Giants officials had a feeling they had something with the former White Sox outfielder in Scottsdale. He’s only provided mountains of evidence to support their inklings.
But the way the Giants’ roster is built, González still very well could be on the fringe. When LaMonte Wade Jr., Steven Duggar, Jakob Junis and Anthony DeSclafani return from the injured list — which projects to be soon and somewhat simultaneous — the Giants won’t have enough roster space to carry everyone.
There’s no exact threshold a player can reach to prove for sure that he won’t spend any more time in Sacramento. But LaMonte Wade Jr. crossed that imaginary bar at some point last year. Mike Yastrzemski did the same in 2019. González has, too, whether it was in Pittsburgh this weekend or otherwise.
But in this specific case, González still isn’t entirely insulated on the 26-man roster.
“I think that we’ve seen enough where Luis González can really hit,” Kapler said on June 7.
“So, just sharing my own personal evaluation. Does that mean that the roster isn’t going to require that we make a move? I don’t have that crystal ball. But what I can say is the sample size, for me, is large enough where I think this is a quality major league hitter, competitor, teammate, fine on D and has shown some glimpses of being better than just fine…has a chance to be a really good all-around baseball player, major leaguer for us.”
If keeping González requires the Giants to keep Duggar with the River Cats, make a trade or put one of their veterans — possibly Evan Longoria or Tommy La Stella — on the injured list, so be it.
As long as González plays the way he has all year, he shouldn’t have to pack up his briefcase for a drive up I-80 to Sacramento again.
