Series preview: SF Giants @ Yankees, picks, probable pitchers, how to watch

The SF Giants and New York Yankees square off in each team's first series of the 2023 MLB regular season.

Believe it or not, SF Giants baseball is back, and if you’re just tuning in, you may have missed one of the wildest winters in recent memory. First, the Giants and Yankees enacted a modern romantic drama in their dueling pursuit of prized free agent slugger Aaron Judge. Judge ultimately chose to complete his career in New York, despite bad boy San Diego swooping in at the last moment with a compelling $400 million offer. Next, San Francisco turned its eyes to shortstop Carlos Correa, who agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants. Unfortunately, a failed physical examination sent Correa rocketing across the MLB free agent landscape until he ultimately agreed to a 6-year, $200 million deal with the Minnesota Twins.

The Giants pivoted as quickly as they could, diving into the middle class of free agency and signing OF Michael Conforto, OF Mitch Haniger, RP Taylor Rogers (twin of Giants reliever Tyler Rogers), SP Sean Manaea, and SP Ross Stripling. These additions help blunt the loss of several long-tenured veterans, such as 1B Brandon Belt, 2B Tommy La Stella, and 3B Evan Longoria. All-Star Carlos Rodón also opted out of his contract, joining the Yankees in free agency, although he will be unavailable to pitch against San Francisco due to a Spring Training injury.

With fresh faces at nearly every position, the Giants are eager to reverse their 2022 backslide and recapture the magic of a hard-fought 2021 division title. Can Brandon Crawford produce one more superstar season to end his storied career in San Francisco? Can Joey Bart establish himself as the franchise catcher for once and for all? Which promising prospects and minor league castoffs will emerge to anchor the lineup for years to come? The Giants look to answer these questions and more as they start the season at Yankee Stadium, facing off against a team whose fate is now forever intertwined with their own.

Joining us to discuss the upcoming series is Yankees writer and filmmaker Randy Wilkins. Wilkins is best known for directing "The Captain," an ESPN miniseries on Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter. He has also covered the Yankees for Views from 314. You can follow him on Twitter @pamsson. Randy and I will highlight three players from our respective teams who should make a splash in the opening series, starting with...

SF Giants ace Logan Webb will take the mound in the first game of the 2023 season / © Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

SF Giants: 3 players to watch

1. Logan Webb (SP) - Let’s start with the starter. Logan Webb has been an incredible success story for a team that hasn’t developed a homegrown ace since Madison Bumgarner. Over the past two years, Webb has been one of the most durable and effective starters in the majors, hurling 340.2 innings of sub-3.00 ERA ball. His sinker-heavy approach might not be as flashy as some of the game’s other stars, but he suppresses home runs and avoids walks as well as anyone in the game. Given the power potential of the Yankees’ hitters, it’ll be a real treat to watch him match up against Aaron Judge and the rest of the Bronx Bombers on Opening Day.
   
   
2. Blake Sabol (C/LF) - The second player on this list is someone that even avid Giants fans may not have heard of. Sabol, who the Giants swiped from the Pirates via a trade with the Reds through the Rule 5 draft this offseason, impressed mightily this spring, batting .348 with 3 home runs in just 46 at-bats. Sabol offers intriguing potential at the catcher position, where he’s taken most of his reps. But he’s highlighted here because he may be set to open the season in left field, where San Francisco has featured 17 different Opening Day starters in the past 17 years. The Giants, of course, had other plans to try to end this streak. Now, they’ll try to catch lightning in a bottle and hope Sabol can be a legitimate threat at the major-league level.
   
   
3. Camilo Doval (RP) - For the first time in a long time, the Giants are on the cusp of breaking in a new wave of young talent. Logan Webb and Joey Bart have already begun establishing themselves. David Villar and Bryce Johnson are now pushing veterans for playing time. In the minors, tantalizing prospects like Kyle Harrison and Casey Schmitt are just on the horizon. But amongst their young core, the most fearsome is undoubtedly Camilo Doval. The flamethrowing young closer with ice in his veins pairs a cutter that can hit 103 MPH with a truly devastating slider, and the sinker he added last year may help vault him into elite status this year. After a brief stint in the WBC, he returns to the Giants ready to lock down the back end of the bullpen.

New York Yankees: 3 players to watch

1. Anthony Volpe (SS) - We have to start with the sensation of Yankees camp and the face of the new wave of Yankees' young talent. There were a lot of people skeptical of GM Brian Cashman when he announced an open competition for the starting shortstop position during the offseason. The prevailing presumption was the incumbent Isiah Kiner-Falefa or fellow top prospect Oswald Peraza would get the nod. That notion carried merit because Volpe played a limited amount of AAA games, could be victimized by service time manipulation, and was clearly third on the depth chart going into his first spring training camp. All Volpe did was play the best baseball of anyone on the team, including reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, and wrapped the position up in mid-March. He will be the youngest player in the Yankees Opening Day lineup since his idol Derek Jeter, who also started at shortstop at the age of 21. Beyond that, Volpe will be charged with bringing stability and energy to shortstop the Yankees haven’t had since Didi Gregorius. He also has to satisfy a rabid fanbase already making Jeter comps. No pressure.
   
   
2. Clarke Schmidt (SP) - In a surprising turn of events, Schmidt will be the game two starter of this opening series against the Giants. Clarke entered spring training in a battle with Domingo Germán for the fifth spot in the rotation following Frankie Montas’ shoulder surgery. Throughout the spring, the Yankees suffered more injuries to their starting rotation, including a forearm strain for former Giants’ pitcher Carlos Rodón. Schmidt took full advantage of his opportunity. Normally used as a spot starter and long reliever during his time in the big leagues, Clarke added a cutter to his repertoire this spring that could lead to a breakout season for the former first-round pick. The new pitch gives him a formidable weapon against lefties to help neutralize platoon split issues he’s had in the Majors. He’s also improved his command, which allows him to be more aggressive with his elite fastball. He’ll have to do a better job of giving up hard contact, but if the spring performances are any indication, he will do just that.
   
   
3. Aaron Judge (OF) - We couldn’t have a Yankees-Giants preview without mentioning the 2022 AL MVP and AL home run king, Aaron Judge. We all know about the flirtation with the Giants over the winter and the infamous “Arson Judge” tweet, so we’ll spare the details here. The focus should be on how important Judge is to the Yankees. Baseball fans outside of New York City will try to downplay the importance of the captain role with the Yankees, but that would be foolish. It’s an official acknowledgment of the rare player who can consistently perform at an elite level while deftly navigating the rigors of playing in New York and leading the locker room. It is truly a different animal in this market between the relentless media and never satisfied fans. Judge has thrived in this environment, and his new nine-year/$360 million contract acknowledges just how important he is to the franchise. In fact, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has sought out Judge’s opinion on the organization’s facilities, roster, and free-agent moves. The Yankees had a strong run last year, and Judge was the primary reason. There were times during the season when he was the only productive offensive player in the lineup. He willed the team to wins during a horrible stretch in August when the Yankees endured a brutal stretch of injuries. The focus now shifts to Judge maintaining a consistency that could lead to a Hall-of-Fame career. The rise of Anthony Volpe has taken eyes away from the added pressure Judge now has as a top earner in the league and being the captain. The Yankees didn’t do much to improve their offense from last year. The lineup has valid question marks. Judge may be in a position once again to carry a significant load for the team. He is more than capable, but if the Yankees want to win title number 28, Judge will need some help.

NY Yankees' slugger Aaron Judge is poised to play a defining role in the SF Giants' first series of 2023 / © Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Series Predictions:

JD Salazar: I think the Giants take the series 2-1. There’s not much really to base this off of, given that every team (and every player, really) deals with the transition from Spring Training to the regular season differently, and there's no telling who could get hot in the first couple weeks. And while the Yankees enter the series with a lot of hype, I think the Giants have been aggressively underrated this offseason. The pitching staff is rock solid from top to bottom, and they might have 9 guys who can threaten 20 home runs. By itself, that’s enough for me to tip the odds of a 50/50 coin flip ever so slightly in their favor.

Randy Wilkins: The Yankees win their first series of the season, 2-1. The team normally gets off to sluggish starts early in the season, but they are clearly the better team on paper. The infusion of energy and excitement with Volpe’s first few games at shortstop is going to make Yankee Stadium a madhouse. Josh Donaldson has adjusted his stance and load during the spring, and the results have been impressive. There is a chance he will return to being an above-average bat, which is crucial for the lineup. He was a black hole last season. The Yankees have strong infield depth for the first time in a long time, both offensively and defensively. And their bullpen is deep and powerful. If they have a lead late in the game, there is a pretty strong chance they will win the game. The Giants must get to the Yankees starters early to stay away from those tough arms in the pen. 

Series Details:

Who: SF Giants @ NY Yankees
Where: Yankees Stadium, Bronx, NY
When: 3/30 (10:05 AM PT), 4/1 (1:05 PM PT), 4/2 (10:35 AM PT). No game 3/31.

Projected starters: Logan Webb vs. Gerrit Cole (3/30), Alex Cobb vs. Clarke Schmidt (4/1), Ross Stripling vs. Domingo Germán (4/2)
*Indicates LHP

How to watch:

• Giants broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area (except 4/1), KNBR 680/1510 AM
• Yankees broadcast: YES Network (except 4/1), WFAN 660/101.9 FM
• National broadcasts: MLB Network (3/30), FOX (4/1)