SAN DIEGO – All eyes will probably be on the Giants’ young players this September as they struggle to carve out their roles for next season.
And if you happen to ask Grant McCray, it's thing that folks are watching.
McCray, 23, began the season in Double-A and didn't make it to Triple-A until mid-June, but within the 19 games since being called as much as the main leagues, his combination of power and athleticism has made a robust case for him becoming a mainstay in the main league outfield, or at the very least having an edge in big-league competition next spring.
“You can't help but think of it differently,” Melvin said of the Giants' 2025 outfield plans after McCray hit two home runs and scored five runs of their 6-3 win over the Padres on Saturday night. “There's still some time and we want to see as much of him as possible, but you can't help but imagine what it might look like for us in the outfield next year with Jung Hoo (Lee) coming back as well.”
McCray's first home run against Padres starter and perennial Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease — with two men on base — was an instantaneous response to San Diego's two-run inning and gave the Giants the lead for good. His second — a two-run shot — prolonged their lead within the ninth inning against left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui.
Both were sure favorites for right field, traveling a complete of 265 yards, a day after he hit two singles in the other way.
“I mean, one was a breaking ball, one was a heater,” Melvin said. “He's hit left-handed a lot in the minor leagues. It's all about getting the bat on the ball and finding a good pitch to hit. When he does that, you see him go to left field – the opposite direction – there's a lot of power in that.”
McCray, who found himself surrounded by reporters at his locker afterward, was probably the smallest person within the huddle. His height is generously listed at 6'2″ and 190 pounds, but as starter Logan Webb noted, “He hits balls lots farther than his frame would suggest.”
When he asked the question directly – how does he manage to generate so much power with such a petite stature – McCray was as baffled as everyone else.
“I don't know, you tell me, bro,” he laughed. “I don't know, man. I used to be never really an influence hitter until a pair years ago. It's all within the hips, man. All within the hips, I assume. I don't know. The ball just bounces off (my bat).”
Since his Aug. 14 call-up, McCray has hit five home runs in 19 games, along with a triple and three doubles – a .569 slugging percentage that would be higher than any number he's hit in four and a half minor league seasons. In 162 games, that would put him on pace for 42 home runs, a number no Giant has come close to since Barry Bonds. As a minor leaguer, McCray peaked at 23 in 2022, when he also stole 43 bases.
With his brilliant start to his Major League career, he is already in exclusive company: Alongside Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda and Jarrett Parker, he is the only player in the Giants' San Francisco era to have hit so many home runs in his first 19 games.
“I don't think he'll hit 40 before the tip of the yr, but he's got that power,” Melvin said. “I wouldn't put that number on him. It's just concerning the quality of his pitching, because he obviously has plenty of power. It's just as impressive when he goes the opposite way and hits a few singles the opposite way.”
While Melvin said he “never thought” McCray would make the major leagues this season, the same cannot be said for Webb, who rebounded from a two-run first inning to finish his 19th good start of the season with three runs in six innings in unseasonably hot and humid weather.
Last winter, McCray joined Webb and Kyle Harrison at the Giants' Papago Park complex and their private training sessions at nearby Push Performance in Arizona.
“I believe I probably asked him day-after-day in the course of the offseason if he got the invitation to major league training camp,” Webb said. “He finally got it and I used to be super excited. He didn't play much within the spring, but having the main league training camp experience and the people around him, I definitely thought it was possible.”
It was harder for Webb to imagine next year's outfield without Mike Yastrzemski or Michael Conforto, who would have to clear the way for McCray to join Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee, although Melvin has certainly thought of it before.
On defense, McCray plays with the same tenacity that caused his father, Rodney, to run through a wall trying to catch a ball during his brief major league career. McCray is a natural center fielder with the speed and instincts to master the position. He has already made a handful of pike catches and showed off his arm strength on a couple of occasions Saturday night.
However, the Giants have invested $113 million in a player they signed last winter as their future center fielder.
“I've told plenty of people who if Jung Hoo and I play in the identical outfield, it's going to be a nasty day for everybody else who involves our stadium,” McCray said. “To be honest, I'm a midfielder. I've been a midfielder since I used to be a child. That's where I feel most comfortable. But if I even have to play within the corners, I even have to play within the corners.”
The brief glimpse the organization got of Lee before he opted out of the season due to injury gave them enough confidence that he could fill the position long-term, and Melvin was able to dream of an outfield lineup with Ramos – who was celebrating his 25th birthday – on left, Lee in center and McCray on right.
“It's exciting — and athletic,” Melvin said before the game. “I believe in our stadium, that's really going to work. I believe that's something we’d like to have a look at somewhat bit more, is how the games are played in our stadium. Maybe we’d like somewhat bit more athleticism in alternative ways to attain points, on defense. I believe that's exciting to observe.”
Remarkable
In the second inning, the Giants announced that that they had swapped IF/OF Cavan Biggio to the Atlanta Braves for money. Biggio, 29, has played in 12 games for Triple-A Sacramento since signing as a minor league free agent on Aug. 23.
Next
Harrison would have been as a result of start in the ultimate game of the Giants' series against the Padres, but because he’s on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation, manager Bob Melvin has not named a starter for the sport against San Diego RHP. Joe Musgrove (5-4, 4.09). The first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
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