San Francisco Giants likely Opening Day lineup with final roster cuts upon us

The Giants will enter 2024 a better team than they were in 2023. They made tons of additions and hope to improve after not even making it to .500, finishing last season with a 79-83 record. More than anything, they added multiple big-name players who project to play every day. This has gotten fans very excited, given that the last few years since their unbelievable 2021 season, they have been a revolving door of some random players who changed positions and spots in the order every day.

A big reason that they won't be platooning as much is the addition of Bob Melvin as their skipper. He's more of an old-school manager and is widely considered one of the best managers in baseball. Aside from Melvin, President of Baseball Ops Farhan Zaidi finally got to scratch the itch of spending money after losing Carlos Correa last offseason. This time, though, he spread it out between multiple players who fill out the whole lineup.

Their big acquisitions to the lineup were Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler. Adding these guys to the lineup will help to make it a little more steady and they will try to make a Wild Card push this year in a stacked National League West.

Projecting the Giants Opening Day lineup after final roster cuts

1. Jung Hoo Lee - CF
2. LaMonte Wade Jr. - 1B
3. Matt Chapman - 3B
4. Jorge Soler - DH
5. Michael Conforto - LF
6. Thairo Estrada - 2B
7. Mike Yastrzemski - RF
8. Patrick Bailey - C
9. Nick Ahmed - SS

There are definitely some more recognizable names in the lineup this year, which has gotten fans excited.

After the signing of Lee, Bob Melvin said he would be the everyday leadoff hitter and centerfielder, providing some stability in that role. Lee got a lot more money than people expected, so clearly the Giants are excited about him. With that being said, it still needs to be seen how his contact-first approach translates in Major League Baseball. He's the one to really keep an eye on.

The middle of the order could be pretty exciting in terms of driving in runs. Wade has been one of the best on-base hitters in the Giants lineup over the last couple of seasons. Couple that with Lee's ability to get on base and that creates tons of opportunities for Chapman and Soler.

We pretty much know what SF will get from Chapman. He's going to hit the ball hard a lot, and even though he hasn't been the same hitter he used to be, he still has the ability to create some power.

The story that may be tracked the most for the Giants is if Jorge Soler can get to 30 home runs. It's pretty well known that the last Giants hitter to hit 30 home runs was Barry Bonds in 2004, so this is a storyline that will get talked about a lot. Not only that, but can Soler be the first right-handed hitter to hit a splash hit?

The rest of the order might not be as exciting, but it's still rock solid. Before he got hurt in the middle of the season last year, Conforto was one of the better Giants hitters. If he's fully healthy and can get back to his Mets days, that could be a big help to the team.

Thairo Estrada and Mike Yastrzemski are pretty much the heart and soul of this Giants team and have been for the last two years. They aren't the superstars, but they are the clubhouse leaders and will continue to be that.

Patrick Bailey came up last season and took the catcher job almost immediately, but not necessarily because of the bat. He's one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, but doesn't bring a ton at the plate. With that being said, he's in the lineup for his defensive prowess and will continue to be the starter because of that.

Nick Ahmed is the most interesting one because this wasn't the plan coming into the season. Marco Luciano was supposed to be the next guy up after the team didn't bring Brandon Crawford back. But after a pretty lackluster Spring Training from Luciano, it seems like it could be 50-50, but it wouldn't be surprising if he begins the season in Triple-A.

The Giants improved pretty drastically over the offseason and will look to make a playoff push. They're not going to catch the Dodgers, so they will have to be in a dogfight with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres for a Wild Card spot. And that's just in their own division. They're a team to keep an eye on with the lineup additions because they could be one of the most improved teams in the league.