Without much offensive success from Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames so far in 2026, the Giants have struggled to a 20-30 start to the season and sit in fourth place in the National League West.
But if San Francisco’s stars can turn it around, they’ll be joined by a somewhat unlikely source of top-flight production.
That would be Casey Schmitt, who has served admirably as the Giants’ designated hitter in 2026. After a home run in Wednesday’s series finale against Arizona, he has a .293/.337/.529 slash line, and his .866 OPS is the highest among any Giants regular.
"He's been one of our best producers for the whole year,” manager Tony Vitello said.
Here’s how Schmitt has found success for San Francisco in his fourth Major League season.
Elevate and celebrate
There’s nothing like pulling the ball in the air for most hitters to put up big power numbers, and Schmitt has been doing that well in 2026.
His 28.3% pulled-air rate entering Wednesday ranks 18th among qualifying hitters, with sluggers such as Byron Buxton, Kyle Schwarber and Yordan Alvarez toward the top of that leaderboard. Eight of Schmitt’s nine home runs have been pulled to left field, with only one -- the second of his two dingers on Saturday against the A’s at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento -- going the other way.
Schmitt has shown his ability to slug in the past, posting a .477 slugging percentage in 113 plate appearances in 2024. But so far in 2026, he’s been even better, and his quality-of-contact metrics back it up: Schmitt has a .510 expected slugging percentage.
He has been squaring the ball up more, too, lifting his barrel rate from 9.0% in 2025 to an impressive 14.3% clip that ranks in the 86th percentile of qualifying hitters. Schmitt’s 47.5% hard-hit rate is also a career high.
Mashing slow stuff
While Schmitt is more than holding his own against fastballs with a .306 average (26-for-85), he’s been even better against breaking and offspeed pitches.
Schmitt is slugging .612 on breaking pitches and .688 on offspeed stuff, including a slugging percentage over .800 on sweepers, changeups and cutters and a .750 SLG against curveballs.
At .631, he’s one of seven players with a .600+ combined SLG against offspeed and breaking pitches (min. 50 PA), ahead of players such as Alvarez (.551), Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (.557) and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (.563).
"I feel healthy, good, confident,” Schmitt said about his strong start to the season. “Just keeping those things with me was something that I made sure I wanted to key in on this year. Just stay confident in myself and my swing and not try to do too much."
Plate discipline tweaks
Schmitt still isn’t walking much -- his 3.6% walk rate ranks in the fourth percentile of qualifiers -- but his 20.6% strikeout rate is a career best.
Overall, Schmitt has been more selective, swinging less overall and especially on pitches in the strike zone. After swinging at 38.5% of first pitches in his first three seasons, his first-pitch swing rate in 2026 is just 33.3%, much closer to the MLB average (30.2%).
Schmitt has always run a high chase rate, and his 36.1% mark in 2026 (16th percentile) is little exception. But he’s making more contact, cutting his whiff rate to a career-low 22.7% -- in the 62nd percentile of MLB hitters.
While Schmitt’s lack of walks will ultimately limit his overall potential at the plate, he’s managed to make some changes that have clearly paid off so far in 2026.
Defensive versatility
Schmitt has played all over the infield ever since joining the Giants, making 19 appearances at second base, 42 at shortstop and 35 at third base in his debut season and seeing time at first base beginning in 2025.
This year, though, he’s taken on a new role. Schmitt entered Friday’s game in West Sacramento as an injury replacement for Heliot Ramos in left field, his first career outfield appearance. He started in left field then moved to shortstop on Monday, and on Wednesday, he played the whole game in left.
Vitello praised Schmitt’s ability to keep things simple while handling a super-utility role for the Giants.
“If you think about it, any kid that's asked to do that at any level, you don't really have control over what the coaches think or ask of you,” Vitello said. “You just have a choice to either be gung-ho about it or you could see it as a detriment or a reason why you might not have success. He obviously hasn't gone that route at all. He's just kind of been eager to learn.”
MLB.com’s Maria Guardado contributed reporting to this story.