Giants sign third baseman Matt Chapman

The San Francisco Giants have signed third baseman Matt Chapman of Victorville, California. According to Brian Murphy of mlb.com, it is a three-year deal worth $54 million. The Giants are the third team Chapman has played for following five seasons with the Oakland Athletics from 2017 to 2021, and the last two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2022 to 2023.

2023 MLB Statistics

In 2023 with the Blue Jays, Chapman batted .240 with 17 home runs and 54 runs batted in. During 140 games, 509 at bats and 581 plate appearances, Chapman scored 66 runs and had 122 hits, 39 doubles, two triples, four stolen bases, 216 total bases, two sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .330 and a slugging percentage of .424. The two triples came in Blue Jays wins. The first came in a 4-3 Blue Jays win over the Detroit Tigers on July 9 that went into extra innings. The second came in a 3-2 Blue Jays win over the Boston Red Sox on September 17.

Hot Start and Cold Middle and Finish

In the March/April time frame, Chapman was one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball. He batted .384 with five home runs and 21 runs batted in. During 99 at bats and 114 plate appearances, Chapman scored 17 runs and had 38 hits, 15 doubles, one stolen base, 14 walks, 68 total bases, an on base percentage .465, and a slugging percentage of .687.

However, after the month of April, Chapman was simply awful. He only had 84 hits in 410 at bats, as he batted .205 and was only five points above the Mendoza Line. One problem was Chapman’s high strikeout rate. He struck out 139 times from May to October, and showed a significant lack of power down the stretch. In the last two months of the season, Chapman only had three home runs. When the Blue Jays needed Chapman in the postseason, he did not show up either. He only had one base hit in seven at bats for a batting average of .143. That said, the entire Blue Jays team could not hit in the postseason either, and that is why they easily lost to the Minnesota Twins.

Return to the Bay Area

The Giants will be hoping Chapman returns to his 2019 form when he was an American League All-Star with the Athletics. That year he batted .249 with 36 home runs and 91 runs batted in.