This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- Southern California native Blake Sabol has had the Giants’ series at Angel Stadium circled on his calendar since the offseason, though he knew there was no guarantee he’d be around to enjoy the second-half homecoming. As a Rule 5 Draft pick, Sabol faced an uphill battle to stick on the big league roster for the entire year, but he’s managed to beat the odds thus far. 

Despite coming into the season with limited upper-level experience in the Minors, Sabol has established himself as a valuable piece of the Giants’ roster in 2023, serving as the club’s backup catcher while drawing occasional starts in left field against right-handed pitching. The 25-year-old entered Wednesday batting .250 with a .728 OPS and 11 home runs, which are tied for seventh among National League rookies this year. 

“On the bus ride to the airport, I had my fiancée [with me], and I was like, ‘Hey, we made it to the Angels trip,’” Sabol said. “It’s definitely really cool. I couldn’t be happier. I wouldn’t be here without everybody in the clubhouse helping me. I’m just going to continue to try to get better. I’m really happy with the results we’re seeing. But I definitely know there’s a lot more in the tank."

Sabol, who rooted for the Angels while growing up in nearby Aliso Viejo, Calif., estimated that he’d have a “minimum” of 70 friends and family members on hand to watch him take part in his first series at the stadium he dreamed of playing at as a kid. He didn’t disappoint in his first career at-bat at Angel Stadium, lining an RBI single to cap a six-run rally in the ninth inning that lifted the Giants to an 8-3 comeback win in Monday night’s series opener.

The Giants always liked Sabol’s offensive profile, but there were plenty of questions about his defense behind the plate, particularly since he caught only 94 games in the Minors. While Sabol graded out well as a framer, his throwing was viewed as his biggest weakness, as he threw out only 16 of 92 runners in the Minors. 

After earning a spot on the Giants’ Opening Day roster, Sabol worked with catching coach Craig Albernaz to develop a plyo ball routine, which he credited with helping him improve his arm strength and accuracy.

“I think it’s really helped me take my mind off being robotic and more just using my athleticism and stuff,” Sabol said. “Now I don’t have to think about my throwing much. I’ve kind of learned how my body works a little bit better by getting on a routine.”

Sabol's efforts paid off against the D-backs last week, when he nabbed Geraldo Perdomo on an attempted steal of second base with his best throw of the year. His 1.89 second pop time and 82.1 mph throw on the play were both his top marks of the season, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.

“He was relentless in his pursuit of getting better behind the plate and making his throws better,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “You don’t necessarily see it right away. We saw some hiccups in Spring Training. We were concerned about his ability to be accurate. Would his pop times and the carry on his ball be enough? But certainly, that hard work pays off. That’s why we’re very comfortable putting him behind the plate to catch big games for us.”  

Sabol’s teammates have taken notice of his improvement, as well. 

"I remember seeing him in spring," fellow backstop Patrick Bailey said. "I would say the throwing might have been the biggest struggle. But from what you see today, it's pretty night and day, which is really cool to see. All the credit to him for the work he's put in. To do what he does is pretty cool, with playing almost every day against right-handed pitching in the outfield and DH and then to be able to catch as well is pretty special."