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Tyler Fitzgerald's turnaround at the plate has been one of the more welcome developments for the surging San Francisco Giants — and he has one of baseball’s greatest hitters to thank.
Last week, while the Giants were back at Oracle Park, Fitzgerald got a hands-on hitting lesson from none other than Barry Bonds. The home run king pulled the 27-year-old second baseman aside and offered a simple but effective piece of advice: swing down on the ball. The goal? Eliminate the tendency to drop the barrel — a habit that had plagued Fitzgerald during a rough start to the season.
It didn’t take long for the lesson to sink in.
Since that conversation, Fitzgerald has looked like a completely different hitter. He went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the Giants’ 11-4 win over the Phillies on Wednesday, continuing a torrid stretch that’s seen him go 11-for-23 over the last six games. He’s raised his average from .179 to .314 and his OPS from .431 to .842 in the span of a week.
“I just never really got over some bad habits after I hurt my back in Spring Training,” Fitzgerald said. “My swing felt super long. Barry helped me focus on getting on top of the ball, and since then I’ve been backspinning balls a lot better.”
The Giants continue to roll, defeating the Phillies on Wednesday
The Giants have rewarded Fitzgerald’s growth with consistent playing time at second base, even as other options like Casey Schmitt remain on standby. Manager Bob Melvin said Fitzgerald has “really settled in,” and praised his ability to contribute from the bottom of the order.
“He’s knocking in runs, scoring runs, playing great defense,” Melvin said. “It’s all good for him right now.”
The breakout could not have come at a better time. With the middle infield struggling to produce and the bottom of the lineup lacking punch early in the season, Fitzgerald’s bat has added length to a Giants lineup already led by Mike Yastrzemski, Jung Hoo Lee, and Wilmer Flores.
“I’m just happy to participate in the runs,” Fitzgerald said. “Flo and Jung Hoo have been carrying us, but it’s about time the bottom of the lineup stepped up.”
Monday’s game in Philadelphia was Fitzgerald’s official breakout: a three-run homer, a triple, and a double, finishing a single shy of the cycle. He said he’s thankful to be part of a roster under the new leadership of Buster Posey, who’s shown more patience with developing players.
“Last year I probably would’ve been gone,” Fitzgerald admitted. “It was a shorter leash. But I did enough to stick around, and it’s a confidence boost, for sure.”
That confidence is showing. Fitzgerald is seeing the ball well, playing clean defense, and — thanks in part to a well-timed chat with a Hall of Famer — helping the Giants stack wins and stay atop the NL West.
