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Jared Oliva's valuable trait could be huge asset for Giants during 2026 season
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- Jared Oliva's valuable trait could be huge asset for Giants during 2026 season
Jared Oliva's valuable trait could be huge asset for Giants during 2026 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SCOTTSDALE — Spring training lineups generally are pretty meaningless, but Giants manager Tony Vitello has tried to have a bit more purpose with his decisions in recent days.
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With all three starting outfielders at the World Baseball Classic and Rafael Devers sidelined, there are a lot of reps to go around, and Vitello is trying to prioritize players who are behind others in terms of Cactus League plate appearances, even if they're unlikely to make the Opening Day roster.
On Friday, that meant Jared Oliva and Daniel Susac were hitting first and second. Vitello wanted Oliva to get an extra at-bat if possible, but if he's with the team at some point this season, it probably will be because of another part of his game.
The 30-year-old non-roster invitee leads the Cactus League with six stolen bases. He got hit by a pitch while leading off Friday and promptly stole second on a pickoff throw by left-hander Andrew Abbott . After swiping third, Oliva scored on a medium sacrifice fly.
That's the norm for a player who stole 57 bases in 63 attempts last year in 95 Triple-A games and is 225-for-269 in the minor leagues. A former top 10 prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, Oliva played 26 games in the big leagues in 2020 and 2021 and ranked in the 96th percentile in sprint speed as a rookie. He has been up to 30.3 feet-per-second this spring, which qualifies as elite.
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"Obviously, he can run, but (he's) also just as a real reliable defender out there at all three spots," Vitello said. "He might be a guy that fits into that pinch runner category."
Oliva is the answer to the question of why the Giants were OK with moving on from Justin Dean and Joey Wiemer late in the offseason as they shuffled their 40-man roster. It's a similar skillset, and whether it's him or Grant McCray or Drew Gilbert , the Giants will need more athleticism on their bench at some point.
Oliva hit just .179 in limited action over two years with the Pirates. He has played in Triple-A for the Los Angeles Angels , Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers since those cups of coffee, and last year he slashed .252/.335/.413 with 11 homers for the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate. The Giants have seen good power in batting practice, and Vitello said there have been adjustments at the plate, most notably with Oliva's hand position.
Oliva became a minor league free agent in the offseason and said the Giants showed early interest and continued to communicate well throughout the process. It was conveyed to him that they were hoping to inject some more speed and athleticism into the roster.
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"The more conversations I had with (the front office and Tony Vitello), it just felt right," he said. "A lot of teams had similar situations. There was a feeling in my gut where it just felt like a good fit."
Feeling Good
Tyler Mahle was a bit behind the other starters because he got sick early in camp, but he pitched two innings against his former team Friday, allowing no hits, walking three and striking out four. Mahle's fastball was up to 94 mph, which he said is unusual for him this time of year.
"I was surprised," he said. "I saw last outing it was up to (93) and I was surprised. But at the same time, I'm not because I feel really good."
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Mahle has said this is the best he has felt physically since 2021 in Cincinnati . He made 33 starts that year and posted a 3.75 ERA and 3.80 FIP.
The Future
Major League Baseball's Spring Breakout Games will be played in a tournament format next year, which should be fun to watch for Giants fans given how many of their best prospects are in A-ball or below. All of those guys will be on the roster for this year's nine-inning game against Cincinnati Reds prospects on March 19.
Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernandez, Johnny Level and Gavin Kilen are part of the group joining Bryce Eldridge , Trevor McDonald , Bo Davidson and others who are in big league camp. Hernandez, 17, signed a $5 million deal with the Giants in January and will take the very rare step of skipping the Dominican Summer League entirely. He's expected to begin his professional career in the Arizona Complex League, where he might be teammates with Gonzalez.
Trainer's Room
Devers (hamstring tightness) ran sprints Friday morning and is cleared to do his normal hitting work. The Giants anticipate him back in their lineup soon, possibly as early as Monday.
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Jung Hoo Lee rolled his ankle during a workout for the World Baseball Classic. Vitello said there were no concerns and he wasn't expected to miss any time.
