Catcher Daniel Susac’s hot start
Rookie Daniel Susac extended an impressive early run with a 6‑for‑7 career start that included a two‑run triple, the kind of small‑sample streak that gets teams excited about depth. (x.com)
Daniel Susac waited until April 2 for his first Major League Baseball start, then went 3-for-3 with a walk against the New York Mets. Five days later, on April 7, he added three more hits against the Philadelphia Phillies, including a two-run triple, and opened his career 6-for-7. (mlb.com) (espn.com) That kind of start is rare enough that it landed him in Giants history almost immediately. NBC Sports Bay Area reported that Susac became the first Giants player in franchise history to open a career with five straight hits, and one report noted no Major League player had started 5-for-5 since 1961. (nbcsportsbayarea.com) (larrybrownsports.com) Susac is not a surprise name inside baseball circles. The catcher was the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of the University of Arizona, where he built first-round value as a right-handed bat with power at a position where offense is hard to find. (mlb.com) (baseball-reference.com) His path to San Francisco was unusual. The Athletics left him unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft in December 2025, the Minnesota Twins selected him fourth, and the Giants immediately traded for him, sending 17-year-old catching prospect Miguel Caraballo and cash to Minnesota. (mlb.com) (nbcsportsbayarea.com) That Rule 5 detail matters because Rule 5 players usually have to stick on the Major League roster or be offered back to their old club. Susac then made San Francisco’s Opening Day roster on March 25 after batting.350 with two home runs in Cactus League spring games. (milb.com) (cronkitenews.azpbs.org) He also arrived with a real upper-minors track record, not just prospect shine. MLB.com reported that Susac hit.275 with an.832 on-base plus slugging percentage and 18 home runs in 97 games at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2025. (mlb.com) The Giants already have Patrick Bailey as their starting catcher, and Bailey’s value comes heavily from defense behind the plate. Susac’s hot first week does not change that depth chart overnight, but it gives San Francisco something every team wants: a backup catcher who might hit enough to force extra at-bats. (mlb.com) (sports.yahoo.com) That is why a 6-for-7 start gets attention even when everyone knows seven at-bats prove almost nothing. A catcher who was available in the Rule 5 Draft, made the roster 16 days ago, and now owns a.857 average and 2.018 on-base plus slugging percentage has already turned a depth move into a real April storyline in San Francisco. (milb.com) (espn.com)
