Five offensive challenges await the Giants’ new coordinator

The Giants made James Rowson’s appointment official on November 12, adding the former Yankees hitting coach to manager Tony Vitello’s staff as offensive coordinator. President of baseball operations Buster Posey said Rowson will oversee run production. His responsibilities will include coordinating hitting and baserunning plans and supervising the hitting coaches, with the club planning to add another coach to the group.

One priority is helping Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman avoid another slow start. The three struggled early last season, and the team failed to recover. Devers improved considerably from May onward, but Posey said a new coach should not simply try to remake a player. He hopes Rowson can offer adjustments that players choose to use.

The Giants also need to get on base more often. They drew 449 walks, the fewest in the majors, and their .306 on-base percentage ranked 29th. Adames posted a .287 mark, while Casey Schmitt walked 11 times in 409 plate appearances. The team’s numbers also pointed to inconsistent pitch selection: hitters chased pitches at a high rate while frequently passing up hittable ones.

Scoring was similarly uneven. San Francisco ranked 26th in runs, had 13 shutouts and scored two runs or fewer in 57 games. Big totals in a handful of lopsided wins did little to offset those quiet outings. The Giants also finished in the bottom third in wRC+, a measure of offensive production adjusted for ballparks.

Rowson replaces Hunter Mense, who left for a job with Kansas City. He will have limited time to contact Giants players before the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. Posey has said his offseason emphasis is adding pitchers and that he believes the offense has the ability to be strong; the challenge is getting more consistent production from the existing group.