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Legendary Giants third baseman Matt Williams sees himself in up-and-coming infielder Casey Schmidt.
Williams, who currently serves as the Giants’ third base coach under new manager Bob Melvin, said in an interview with KNBR’s Brian Murphy and Marcus Boucher that Schmidt’s tenure in San Francisco began with Schmidt’s first team. He explained why the situation is eerily similar to his early days in office. A storied MLB career.
“When his name came up, my comment was, ‘It’s like looking in a mirror,'” Williams told Murphy and Boucher. “He’s a strong kid, he’s got all the tools you’d want and he has the ability to really move up and play shortstop. That was kind of my scenario.
“It’s a matter of him finding himself. Understanding himself. What he can do and what he can’t do. What are his strengths? What are his weaknesses? Defensively , he’s very confident. He’s got a great skill set, his glove works well, he’s got plenty of arm strength, all that stuff.
“The question is, can he get the reps? So Bob.” [Melvin], I’m confident this spring will give him every opportunity to get as many at-bats as possible. But it’s a process, he’s still a very young player and it’s a process of finding himself for him.
“He’ll take his time and hopefully his hitting coach will help him find himself as quickly as possible. If he can do that, his natural talent will take over and he’ll It’s going to be okay.”
Schmidt revealed how Williams compares to him and detailed the benefits of being able to work hands-on with the Hall of Famer during spring training.
“Yeah, he told me he sees himself in me, so it’s really great to be able to make that comparison,” Schmidt told Murphy and Boucher. “I’ve worked with him on the field and had a chance to talk to him during spring training and discuss some things.
“Adjustment period — there was an adjustment period last year, but I’m really confident in where I’m at.”
Williams was an All-Star five times during his 17-year career, including 10 seasons with the Giants.
However, the first three seasons of Williams’ MLB career included some struggles at the plate, as he hit .198 in 693 at-bats from 1987 to 1989 before earning his first All-Star selection in 1990. It was a break. Nod.
Schmidt faced a similar speed bump during his rookie season in the 2023 MLB season, hitting .206 in 253 at-bats with the Giants.
Despite his early struggles at the plate, Schmidt, like Williams, developed incredible talent with the glove, which could be his ticket to buying the time he needs to adjust to major league pitching. Maybe.
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