The San Francisco Giants opened the MLB season with a brand new beginning left fielder. Once more.
For the 18th instantly yr, the Giants had a brand new Opening Day starter at left box on Thursday, this time penciling veteran Michael Conforto into the lineup. The Giants dropped the opener 6-4 towards the San Diego Padres, however Conforto a minimum of went 3-for-4 with 3 runs and an RBI.
The thrill of the Giants’ cursed lineup spot is the person who began it. From 1993 to 2007, the staff had one participant get started all however one Opening Day in left: Barry Bonds.
You could be accustomed to what took place after 2007, when Bonds hit loose company and by hook or by crook did not discover a staff excited about his services and products in spite of hitting 276/.480/.565 with 28 homers and an MLB-leading 132 walks the former season.
Since gazing Bonds go away, the Giants have stuffed left box with a selection of getting old veterans and more youthful, unestablished gamers, with combined effects.
Here is the entire staff, with why they were not beginning the following season. Blake Sabol used to be the starter in 2023, however opened 2024 with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats after being optioned from the big-league squad.
Giants’ Opening Day left fielders since Barry Bonds
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2007: Barry Bonds (left in loose company, by no means performed in MLB once more)
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2008: Dave Roberts (retired the following yr)
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2009: Fred Lewis (traded subsequent offseason)
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2010: Mark DeRosa (benched subsequent season)
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2011: Pat Burrell (retired the following yr)
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2012: Aubrey Huff (possibility declined, by no means performed in MLB once more)
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2013: Andrés Torres (left in loose company, by no means performed in MLB once more)
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2014: Michael Morse (left in loose company)
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2015: Nori Aoki (possibility declined, left in loose company)
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2016: Ángel Pagán (left in loose company, by no means performed in MLB once more)
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2017: Jarrett Parker (launched subsequent yr)
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2018: Hunter Pence (left in loose company)
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2019: Connor Joe (DFA’d 8 video games later)
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2020: Alex Dickerson (did not get started Opening Day subsequent season)
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2021: Austin Slater (did not get started Opening Day subsequent season)
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2022: Joc Pederson (moved to designated hitter)
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2023: Blake Sabol (optioned to Triple-A subsequent season)
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2024: Michael Conforto (TBD)
The streak brings the Giants just one yr clear of tying the 1937-55 St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles for the longest such streak within the historical past of MLB, in step with MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. That streak used to be additionally in left box, which makes some sense given how groups will frequently rotate gamers in probably the most much less vital defensive positions.
It is going to be as much as Conforto to damage the streak. For the reason that he’s a pending loose agent, odds seem narrow the Giants will steer clear of making some very strange historical past.