Steven Duggar Puts In The Work

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—Though he put together a solid first pro season in 2015, outfielder Steven Duggar realized he needed to improve.

“There were a few things that we had to clean up from the offensive side of the game: bat path, posture and being able to drive balls to all parts of the field,” said Duggar, a 2015 sixth-rounder from Clemson.

After working on those things with farm director Shane Turner, minor league hitting instructor Andy Skeels and then-high Class A San Jose manager Lipso Nava, Duggar enjoyed a much better second pro season.

The lefthanded batter boosted his slugging percentage from .367 at short-season Salem-Kezier in 2015 to .448 in 2016 when he played for both San Jose and Double-A Richmond. His home-run total increased from one to 10.

“I think he’s got a lot of tools,” general manager Bobby Evans said. “He’s got a plus bat, a plus arm and defense, and plus speed, so I think there’s a lot to offer.”

The Giants liked the 23-year-old Duggar’s defense enough to switch him from right field—where he played almost exclusively in college and early in his pro career—to center when he joined Richmond.

The Giants would be excited simply to have a homegrown player become an everyday outfielder. For as much success as the organization has had in recent years, its system has not produced a frontline major league outfielder.

“I think we’re recognizing that’s just an area where we’ve got to get better,” Evans said. “Maybe it’s bad luck. Maybe it’s our own impatience.”

The Giants’ top two picks in the draft last year were outfielders. They chose Vanderbilt’s Bryan Reynolds in the second round and Samford’s Heath Quinn in the third.

“At this point,” Evans said, “we’re really hoping that some of the young guys in the system can emerge.”

GIANTICS

• Giants first base coach Jose Alguacil had surgery on March 4 after getting hit in the face with a line drive. Alguacil, the manager at Triple-A Sacramento last season, was expected to miss about two weeks of on-field work.

• The Giants optioned hard-throwing righthanded reliever Ray Black to Sacramento early in spring training. He struck out 53 hitters in 31.1 innings at Double-A Richmond last season.

— Steve Kroner is a sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle