The offseason is a critical period for San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman, who spent much of the 2025 season hampered by a hand injury that drastically affected his performance. Chapman, a Gold Glove winner, battled strained ligaments in his right hand, limiting him to his fewest games in a full season since his rookie year in 2017. The injury not only curtailed his playing time but also interfered with his ability to swing comfortably, particularly with two strikes.
Chapman’s struggles at the plate were evident in his .144 batting average with two strikes, the second-lowest on the team among players with at least 225 at-bats. He acknowledged that part of the difficulty stemmed from the pressure to generate offense during prolonged scoring droughts, leading him to over-swing, ground out more frequently, and avoid using the whole field effectively. “I want to refine my two-strike approach, drive the balls I’m supposed to drive,” Chapman said. “I want to be more efficient with my swing. I want to get back to doing what I do well.”
The hand injury, sustained on June 8 while diving back to first base against the Braves, made gripping the bat properly a constant challenge. Chapman explained that even minor adjustments with two strikes caused pain, disrupting his timing and approach. “I was starting to get really, really hot… and then all of a sudden, boom, I missed five weeks with the torn ligaments in my hand,” he said. “Then I wasn’t able to string it together when I came back. I haven’t consistently felt healthy with my hand.”
Despite attempts to manage the injury, including a stint back on the injured list in August and receiving a cortisone shot, Chapman never fully regained his form. His struggles at the plate were compounded by difficulty catching up to fastballs, causing him to rush and cheat his mechanics.
Looking ahead to 2026, Chapman is focused on full recovery. With healed hands, protective sliding gloves on both hands, and ideally softer infield surfaces at Oracle Park, Chapman expects to return to the 25-plus home run production he has shown in previous seasons. “I’m better than a .230 hitter,” he said. “I could strike out less, I could hit more line drives. But I need to have two hands.”
Once healthy, Chapman’s priority will be to refine his two-strike approach and rebuild confidence at the plate, setting himself up to be a cornerstone of the Giants’ infield and middle-of-the-order bat for the 2026 season.
