Matt Chapman hit 27 home runs in his first season with the San Francisco Giants and 21 in his second. He hit seven in 2026. For a club that finished 26th in the majors in runs, getting some of that power back at third base is one of the clearest ways to improve the lineup.

Chapman hit .235/.324/.368 in 84 games and finished with a career-low .692 OPS. He homered about once every 50 plate appearances, roughly half as often as he did in 2025. He played through an abdominal strain he suffered in April, went on the injured list July 1, and eventually needed season-ending core muscle surgery in August.

Chapman Hit the Ball Hard Less Often

Chapman hit .231/.340/.430 in 128 games in 2025. His batting average rose four points in 2026, while his slugging percentage fell 62 points. His strikeout rate stayed near 23% in both seasons. The bigger change came when he put the ball in play.

Chapman’s hard-hit rate fell from 47.6% to 35.8%, according to Baseball Savant. His barrel rate dropped from 9.9% to 6.6%, meaning a smaller share of his batted balls had the combination of speed and launch angle that tends to produce extra-base hits. Both rates were career lows.

Chapman told MLB.com in August that the injury made it difficult to sustain his production at the plate. He was rehabbing in Arizona as of the Giants’ September injury update, which projected a spring training return.

Why the Giants Need Chapman’s Power in 2027

The five-time Gold Glove winner was leading major league third basemen with 16 Defensive Runs Saved when MLB.com reported on his surgery. That defense gives San Francisco a reason to play him every day once he’s healthy. Chapman is under contract through 2030, and the Giants need him to produce in the middle of the order as he did in his first two seasons with the club.

The deadline deal that sent Heliot Ramos to the New York Yankees left San Francisco with one fewer established right-handed power hitters.

In Giants On SI’s early 2027 roster projection, left-handed hitters Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge get most of the starts at designated hitter and first base, respectively. A productive Chapman would give the Giants a right-handed bat to slot between them.

Once Chapman is starting regularly, a hard-hit rate closer to his 2025 mark would be an early sign that his power is returning. A return to the 20-homer range would give San Francisco a veteran to drive in runs as Eldridge vies for an everyday role.