Could San Francisco Giants Rising Star Play Himself Into Rookie of the Year Running?

The San Francisco Giants have a player that, according to one MLB insider, is on the outside of the top of the NL Rookie of the Year race.

Aug 9, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald (49) goes from first to third on a single by Heliot Ramos during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park. / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Recently, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal talked about the tight National League Rookie of the Year race on his Fair Territory podcast.

He spent several minutes talking about the three players he considered to be the best candidates for the award — San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.

All have strong cases for the award. Rosenthal didn’t provide a prediction.

But, he said, to avoid backlash, he provided three other names that could be deserving of the award, depending upon how things go the rest of the season.

Another Cubs player, first baseman Michael Busch, made the list. So did Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio.

The last name was San Francisco Giants shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald.

“(He) hasn't even played 60 games yet, but those 60 games, or whatever it is, have been impactful,” Rosenthal said.

The 26-year-old right-handed hitter has played in 57 games this season and the Giants fully committed to him after being unable to get what they needed offensively out of the position.

His numbers have been great — a slash line of .315/.376/.618/.994 with 12 home runs and 24 RBI.

His power since he took over the full-time job has been nothing short of staggering.

In the span of 17 games he hit 11 of his 12 Major League home runs this season. He joined Alex Rodriguez, Trea Turner and Troy Tulowitzki as the only shortstops to homer 11 times in 17 games, per NBC Sports Bay Area.

He also joined an array of Giants legends to accomplish that feat, per MLB.com. That list included Mel Ott, Walker Cooper, Willie Mays, Jim Ray Hart, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds.

At one point he hit a home run in five straight games and his surge was enough to earn him National League Rookie of the Month honors in July.

He’s already exceeded what the Giants were hoping for when they selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Louisville. He grew into a well-regarded prospect in the minors, as in 2021 he was named to both the NWL postseason All-Star team and to the MiLB Organization All Star team.

His play in the minors eventually led to a call-up to the Giants late last season, where he slashed .219/.265/.469/.734 with two home runs and five RBI. That provided no hint of what was to come.

So Rookie of the Year may be an uphill climb. But, if he continues to hit like this, he could make a strong case.