San Francisco Giants Shortstop Among Best Rookies in Baseball

Tyler Fitzgerald of the San Francisco Giants was one of the best rookies in 2024

Sep 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants infielder Tyler Fitzgerald (49) reacts after scoring the go-ahead run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

It was another challenging season for the San Francisco Giants, as the mediocrity of the franchise unfortunately continued in 2024. 

For the last few years, the Giants have just been hovering around the .500 mark, which in the extremely competitive National League West has resulted in them feeling like they are way behind the top tier teams in their own division. 

Now, with a major change in the front office, with Buster Posey taking over as President of Baseball Operations, things could change drastically this offseason. San Francisco feels like a team that is in desperate need of some star power, as they have missed out on some big free agents in recent years. 

However, while the Giants will try to land a star once again this offseason, they do have some nice pieces already in place. One of those good players for the franchise is rookie shortstop, Tyler Fitzgerald. 

Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report ranked Fitzgerald as the 11th best rookie in 2024, which, in this talented class, is very high praise. 

“Fitzgerald was an afterthought in the spring position battle between Nick Ahmed and Marco Luciano for the starting shortstop job, and he only tallied 86 plate appearances during the first half before turning in a fantastic second half. He hit .281/.333/.519 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 27 RBI and 10 steals in 255 plate appearances after the All-Star break, and he racked up 2.7 WAR in just 96 games overall.”

It was a really great rookie season for the young prospect, as he forced his way into the lineup with his strong play. Fitzgerald emerging as a great hitter for the Giants was a big boost for a lineup that needed to find some talented bats. 

While he was an excellent hitter, there was still some room for improvement on the field. Luckily, Fitzgerald plays alongside one of the best defensive third basemen in the league, but in the long-term, he will need to improve defensively. 

After locking up Matt Chapman to a six-year extension, the left side of the infield is set for years to come with those two. Now, San Francisco will have to try and find some pieces to fill out a roster that does need some upgrading. 

Overall, it was a great and unexpected season for Fitzgerald in 2024. Being ranked near rookies like Wilyer Abreu and Austin Wells is a great indication of the type of season the rookie shortstop had.