Matt Chapman Has Been Everything and More for the San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have to be thrilled with how things have turned out with third baseman Matt Chapman.

Sep 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (26) hits a two run home run during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. / Chadd Cady-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants made a number of moves with their roster leading up to the 2024 season.

Some of those moves, such as signing outfielder Jung Hoo Lee from the KBO and acquiring starting pitcher Robbie Ray from the Seattle Mariners in a trade have not panned out.

Signing reigning Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell looked like a bust early on, but he has found his groove since returning from a second injured list stint in July. Alas, his dominance could lead to him departing this offseason, as he is likely to opt out and hit the open market again.

The biggest home run that the Giants hit with their offseason haul has been third baseman Matt Chapman.

In free agency, the two sides agreed to a three-year, $54 million deal. He outproduced that contract, which led to an extension getting done during the regular season.

The final two years of that deal were thrown away, replaced by a six-year, $151 million deal. How everything panned out is a big reason why Bradford Dootlittle of ESPN named Chapman the team’s biggest success of the campaign.

“The signing of Matt Chapman paid off, and boy did the Giants need it. It paid off in the form of an All-Star caliber season, arguably the best by a Giants third baseman since the days of John McGraw. Even better: Chapman signed an extension that stabilizes at least one spot on the field for a few years,” Doolittle wrote.

There are a lot of question marks about what the Giants lineup will look like in the near future. Knowing the hot corner is accounted for will make life a little easier for the front office.

It was a contract that Chapman earned as one of the most productive players in the National League in 2024. He continues to be in a league of his own with the glove at third base but has been an impact player at the plate as well.

Through 148 games and 625 plate appearances, he has produced a .247/.330/.457 slash line with 26 home runs, 36 doubles and 75 RBI. He has also been unexpectedly productive on the bases, stealing 15 bags after having only 11 in his career previously.

This is the best Chapman has looked since 2019 with the Oakland Athletics when he made his only All-Star Game to this point and was sixth in the MVP voting. Had San Francisco been able to stay in the race, some MVP votes would have come his way again.