San Francisco Giants Star Infielder Wins Prestigious Award

The long term third baseman of the San Francisco Giants wins award in his first year.

Sep 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (26) awaits his turn at bat against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Oracle Park. / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Every season, the San Francisco Giants give out their most prestigious award, the Willie Mac Award.

"The Willie McCovey Award is an annual honor bestowed upon the most inspirational player on the team, as voted upon by Giants players, coaches, training staff, clubhouse staff and the fans," the definition of the award.

This season, it was awarded to third baseman Matt Chapman.

It is Chapman's first season in San Francisco, and him winning this award goes to show the impact he has had on the team in such a short time. Of course, he will be wearing a Giants uniform for the foreseeable future after signing a six year extension.

The 31-year-old has been San Francisco's best player this season. With a .787 OPS, 36 doubles and 27 home runs, he has been the offensive leader. Not to mention his defense, which has been as superb as always. He leads the team with 7.0 bWAR, to top it off.

"It means a lot. I think the more and more I learn about it, the more I see the significance of this award and how important it is to the organization," he explained to reporters.

There have been some legendary players that have won this award. From Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford to Mike Krukow, it's important in San Francisco.

It was possible that he could've opted out after the season, but decided to sign a long term extension to be the third baseman of the future with the Giants. Winning this award is just the beginning of his continued leadership, and after a long and exciting month, nothing is lost on him.

"Obviously, I was super excited. It’s just been a cherry on top of a great month. Obviously, it’d be better if we were going to the playoffs. That’s my goal. I’m going to work this offseason to make that possible next year, but besides not making the playoffs, it’s been a great month with my daughter and the contract and getting this award. I’ve just been blessed," he said.

There are few months as action packed as Chapman's has been. He was awarded the long-term contract he was looking for, had a daughter and won an award that not only shows who he is, but shows how the people around him view him as a player, leader and person.