Wade making most of chance with Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has developed a reputation for identifying players who have been undervalued by other organizations and giving them opportunities to carve out meaningful roles with the Giants.

Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Dickerson and Donovan Solano are among the players who have emerged as valuable contributors and helped fortify the overall depth of the organization over the last couple of years. Another position player now appears to be on a similar track this season: LaMonte Wade Jr.

Acquired from the Twins in exchange for right-hander Shaun Anderson in February, Wade entered Saturday batting .270 with an .844 OPS and a career-high four home runs over 24 games this year. Anderson, meanwhile, was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Friday after logging a 9.35 ERA over four appearances with Minnesota.

Wade, 27, hit only .211 with a .684 OPS and two home runs over 42 games in his first two Major League seasons with the Twins, but the Giants were intrigued by his plate discipline (he drew more walks than strikeouts in the Minors) and his potential to hit for more power.

Wade said he’s been working with hitting coaches Donnie Ecker and Justin Viele to make a few adjustments that have allowed him to hit the ball in the air more consistently and with more authority, as he’s increased his average launch angle (21.2) and exit velocity (90.5 mph) to career-high levels this year.

“I feel like starting in Spring Training with Eck and JV, we’ve been working on getting the ball more out in front and not letting the ball travel too deep on you,” Wade said. “I feel like I’ve still got a little ways to go to try to be more consistent with it, but I think we’re going in the right direction.”

Wade’s offensive profile has made him a nice fit in the leadoff spot against right-handed pitching as well, helping to fill a void left by the injury to Tommy La Stella, who landed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on May 4. Wade, who has averaged 4.12 pitches per plate appearance this season, has a .905 OPS over 15 games as the Giants’ leadoff hitter and batted first again against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola on Saturday.

“LaMonte continues to have high-quality at-bats and go after pitches that he can drive, so he’s especially aggressive on those,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “He’s also working deep counts and drawing walks along the way, which is kind of why we feel so comfortable with him in the leadoff spot.”

Wade’s defensive versatility has also allowed the Giants to find ways to get his bat in the lineup on a regular basis. The left-handed hitter was initially called up from Triple-A Sacramento to help fill in at first base for Brandon Belt, but he’s now beginning to draw regular time in the Giants’ outfield and flashed his impressive arm strength by making a perfect one-hop throw from left field to nab Bryce Harper at second base on Friday night.

“I feel like it definitely helps you get in a rhythm anytime you’re out there on a consistent basis and you can get in a groove,” Wade said. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be able to contribute. It’s a tough game, but anytime you can contribute and help the team win, it always makes you feel good and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”

Long to start on Sunday
Kapler announced that rookie left-hander Sammy Long will make his first Major League start against the Phillies on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park. Long, 25, has pitched behind an opener in his first two appearances for San Francisco, but Kapler said the club felt he had earned an opportunity to properly pitch out of the rotation.

“I think the lineup that the Phillies are putting out there today is probably representative of what we might see tomorrow,” Kapler said. “It doesn’t really matter if that’s a right-handed reliever or Long. Also, we feel that Long has really earned the opportunity to start for us. We’ll see what he can give us.”