San Francisco Giants: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the San Francisco Giants set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco's starters pitched on short rest more than most: 44% of starts came on four days of rest or fewer, third highest in the league, and only 5% after six to ten days, the lowest share. Logan Webb made 34 starts, Robbie Ray 32 and Justin Verlander 29.
Patrick Bailey started 114 games at catcher (70% of all games, fourth highest among primary catchers), but only 40% of day games after night games, against 83% otherwise. The leadoff spot moved often: the same hitter led off consecutive games 59% of the time, with Heliot Ramos the most frequent (82 games). Wilmer Flores was the main DH (82 starts) and started 96% of games against left-handed starters, against 54% against right-handers.
Where the San Francisco Giants ranked in 2025
| San Francisco Giants | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 81 | 81.0 | T-16 |
| Different batting orders | 135 | 135.9 | 17 |
| Same order as previous game | 2.5% | 4.8% | T-19 |
| Most uses of one order | 5 | 4.8 | T-8 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 59% | 75% | 27 |
| Players in the lineup | 25 | 24.4 | T-11 |
| Games vs LHP | 45 | 42.6 | T-15 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 3.4 | 3.6 | 22 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 1.8 | 2.0 | 20 |
| Starting pitchers | 15 | 13.2 | T-8 |
| Top-five starters' share | 78% | 76% | T-12 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 44% | 31% | 3 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 4% | 5% | 17 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 70% | 58% | 4 |
| Players at DH | 10 | 10.7 | T-16 |
| Top DH's share | 51% | 51% | 13 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 79–83 | 114 / 48 | 149 | 32 | 13 |
| 2024 | 80–82 | 118 / 44 | 139 | 30 | 16 |
| 2025 | 81–81 | 117 / 45 | 135 | 25 | 15 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Patrick Bailey (84) | Patrick Bailey (101) | Patrick Bailey (114) |
| 1B | LaMonte Wade (104) | LaMonte Wade (87) | Dominic Smith (47) |
| 2B | Thairo Estrada (98) | Thairo Estrada (93) | Tyler Fitzgerald (63) |
| 3B | J.D. Davis (105) | Matt Chapman (153) | Matt Chapman (128) |
| SS | Brandon Crawford (85) | Tyler Fitzgerald (67) | Willy Adames (159) |
| LF | Mitch Haniger (43) | Michael Conforto (95) | Heliot Ramos (153) |
| CF | Luis Matos (48) | Heliot Ramos (57) | Jung Hoo Lee (144) |
| RF | Michael Conforto (90) | Mike Yastrzemski (113) | Mike Yastrzemski (85) |
| DH | Joc Pederson (72) | Jorge Soler (91) | Wilmer Flores (82) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 31 | 19–12 | 9 | 21 | 5 | – |
| May | 27 | 13–14 | 8 | 24 | 7 | Brett Wisely |
| June | 27 | 13–14 | 5 | 26 | 7 | 6: Andrew Knizner, Daniel Johnson, Dominic Smith and others |
| July | 24 | 9–15 | 7 | 20 | 7 | Sergio Alcantara |
| August | 28 | 14–14 | 10 | 27 | 8 | Drew Gilbert, Grant McCray |
| September | 25 | 13–12 | 6 | 23 | 8 | Bryce Eldridge |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Heliot Ramos (82); 2. Rafael Devers (65); 3. Willy Adames (54); 4. Matt Chapman (95); 5. Wilmer Flores (40); 6. Casey Schmitt (37); 7. Jung Hoo Lee (27); 8. Patrick Bailey (71); 9. Tyler Fitzgerald (35).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Andrew Knizner (28) | 4 | 52% |
| 1B | LaMonte Wade (41) | 8 | 70% |
| 2B | Casey Schmitt (48) | 4 | 37% |
| 3B | Casey Schmitt (23) | 6 | 9% |
| SS | Christian Koss (2) | 3 | 4% |
| LF | Luis Matos (8) | 3 | 11% |
| CF | Luis Matos (8) | 4 | 21% |
| RF | Luis Matos (30) | 7 | 45% |
| DH | Rafael Devers (60) | 10 | 40% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 3.4 | 4.9 | 0.7 |
| Left-handed | 1.8 | 6.6 | 0.6 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Matos | right-handed | 16% (19) | 64% (29) |
| Wilmer Flores | right-handed | 54% (63) | 96% (43) |
| Mike Yastrzemski | left-handed | 63% (74) | 24% (11) |
| Dominic Smith | left-handed | 43% (50) | 4% (2) |
| Casey Schmitt | right-handed | 44% (52) | 73% (33) |
| LaMonte Wade | left-handed | 33% (39) | 4% (2) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Webb | RHP | 34 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 15 |
| Robbie Ray | LHP | 32 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 19, 2025 | 5 | 14 |
| Justin Verlander | RHP | 29 | March 29, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 4 | 14 |
| Landen Roupp | RHP | 22 | April 2, 2025 | Aug. 20, 2025 | 5 | 9 |
| Hayden Birdsong | RHP | 10 | May 20, 2025 | July 21, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Jordan Hicks | RHP | 9 | March 31, 2025 | May 14, 2025 | 4.5 | 4 |
| Kai-Wei Teng | RHP | 7 | Aug. 2, 2025 | Sept. 20, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Carson Whisenhunt | LHP | 5 | July 28, 2025 | Aug. 27, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Rest before start | San Francisco Giants | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 44% | 31% |
| 5 days | 47% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 5% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 4% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 70% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 47 | 40% | 44% |
| All other games | 115 | 83% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmer Flores | 82 | 51% |
| Rafael Devers | 60 | 37% |
| Bryce Eldridge | 6 | 4% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used 5 times, more than the club average of 4.8.
Lineup 1 (5 times, last on April 21, 2025): 1. Mike Yastrzemski RF, 2. Willy Adames SS, 3. Jung Hoo Lee CF, 4. Matt Chapman 3B, 5. Heliot Ramos LF, 6. LaMonte Wade 1B, 7. Wilmer Flores DH, 8. Patrick Bailey C, 9. Tyler Fitzgerald 2B.
Lineup 2 (4 times, last on May 10, 2025): 1. Mike Yastrzemski RF, 2. Willy Adames SS, 3. Jung Hoo Lee CF, 4. Matt Chapman 3B, 5. Wilmer Flores DH, 6. Heliot Ramos LF, 7. LaMonte Wade 1B, 8. Patrick Bailey C, 9. Christian Koss 2B.
Lineup 3 (3 times, last on April 9, 2025): 1. LaMonte Wade 1B, 2. Willy Adames SS, 3. Jung Hoo Lee CF, 4. Matt Chapman 3B, 5. Heliot Ramos LF, 6. Mike Yastrzemski RF, 7. Wilmer Flores DH, 8. Patrick Bailey C, 9. Tyler Fitzgerald 2B.
Top nine vs RHP (16/117): Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, LaMonte Wade, Matt Chapman, Mike Yastrzemski, Patrick Bailey, Tyler Fitzgerald, Willy Adames, Wilmer Flores.
Top nine vs LHP (6/45): Casey Schmitt, Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, Luis Matos, Matt Chapman, Patrick Bailey, Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Wilmer Flores.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.