Matt Chapman of the San Francisco Giants is struggling significantly in the 2026 season, with poor batting metrics and a noticeable drop in performance. His recent road trip saw him record only two hits in 24 at-bats, raising concerns about his impact on the team's lineup.
Key points
Matt Chapman is struggling in the 2026 MLB season.
He has a .271 batting average and a .093 ISO, the lowest of his career.
Chapman's performance has created a gap in the Giants' lineup.
His hitting metrics, including barrel rate and launch angle, have significantly declined.
Chapman recorded only two hits in 24 at-bats during a recent road trip.
Matt ChapmanSan Francisco GiantsPhiladelphia Phillies
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 28: San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman #26 reacts to being struck out during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants on April 28th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 28: San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman #26 reacts to being struck out during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants on April 28th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
On the Mount Rushmore of problems for the 2026 San Francisco Giants, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames are George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Thereās T.J. peeking over Georgeās shoulder as they both look towards different points in the distance. Abraham Lincoln, engraved on the far right, is perhaps the back-end of the rotation, Tyler Mahle and/or just Adrian Houser, or maybe even Tony Vitello. Take your pick. But sandwiched between those massive granite domes, tucked in the back pitch of the rock face, is Teddy Roosevelt ā or for our purposes: Matt Chapman.
Chapman is no longer a fresh face. His contract has been exceeded now on two different occasions since its extension in September 2024. He doesnāt have , nor are his shoulders burdened with fresh expectation like Deversā and Adamesā are. His elite defense, even in a somewhat subdued form, still sparkles, and helpsĀ maintain his value.
But what has always elevated his game, separating him from other elite defenders, is his batting metrics. A straightforward and disciplined approach in the box, coupled with a fast swing, has produced year-after-year hard contact. His average exit velocity has been in the top-10% in seven of his last nine seasons. Heās posted a top-10% Hard-Hit rate in five of those years, including a league-leading 56.4% in 2023.Ā Ā Like many in the league, Chapman doesnāt hit for average, but since he hits the ball hard, when his hits fall they mean more. He had a (Baseball Refās version of wOBA) going into the 2026 season.
These arenāt elite numbers, but theyāre more than solid, and a big reason why the Giants went after him in 2024 and extended him for six years a couple months later is how solid and consistent heās been on both sides of the baseball.
But not in 2026.
This hard-hitting but disciplined-approach type of production is completely absent from the Giants offensive profile as a team. Thereās a Matt Chapman shaped hole in the middle of the Giants line-up, and Matt Chapman isnāt filling it.
Over the six game road trip, Chapman recorded just two hits in 24 at-bats while striking out 12 times, including wearing a Golden Sombrero in game 1 of the Philly series. He looked just as hapless in Tampa. In the 4th inning on Saturday, he jumped after an elevated 3-2 fastball that led to a strikeout-caught stealing double play when a more disciplined take wouldāve put two runners on with one out. With a runner on second in the 6th, he half-heartedly hacked at an inside sinker to end a scoring threat, and in the 9th on Friday, he waved a white flag at a change-up right down the middle.
Before his average plummeted this past week, hits were finding their way onto the outfield grass, but by way of holes in the infield not gaps in the outfield. He had a .271 average (118 AB) with just a .364 slugging through April. Over three hitless games so far in May, his OPS has fallen from .717 to .655.Ā He still has just one homer to his name ā heās never hit less than 4 in March/April. His .093 ISO was the lowest of his career over the first month of the season.
This isnāt tough luck either. Chapman isnāt hitting for power because everything about *how* he is hitting a baseball is off. Barrel rate, Hard-Hit rate, Launch Angle-Sweet Spot ā itās all *waaaaaay down*. His 7.1 launch angle is 10 degrees lower than his career figure, which explains his elevated groundball rate (53%, career 38%) and subdued flyball numbers (29%, career 46%).
So far, when has been at his best, Chapmanās quality of contact has looked more like or than anybody else. Thatās a problem because the Giants donāt need more of those types of hitters. An effective and dangerous line-up is balanced. It works like a seesaw. Overload one side with too many of one type of batter, and the seesaw becomes a very uncomfortable and impractical bench. An offense should slap and sting. Chapman has always been a stingerā¦but where art thou sting *now?*
Iām sure thereās more factors to help explain this devolution, but it doesnāt take too much digging to find one major problem: Chapmanās performance against fastballs.
Hereās his average, slugging, expected slugging, and launch angle off of fastballs in the previous :
**2023:** .255/ .474/ .508/ 21 degrees
**2024:** .258/ .464/ .483/ 16 degrees
**2025:** .246/ .424/ .437/ 17 degrees
And here it is 34 games into **2026**: .275/ .333/ .283/ 4 degrees
So not only is Chapman putting up career worst numbers against the fastball, heās also been a little *lucky.*
The precipitous launch angle drop speaks volumes. Heās out of sync, not meeting the ball where he wants to, and driving the ball into the ground, which is not where you want the baseball to go if you want to hit a home run. As a hitter in general, if you are getting beat by the fastball, you start to question your whole plate approach. In recent at-bats, you can tell Chapman is nothing but a vessel of doubt at the plate. He looks tentative and unconvinced. He doesnāt trust himself against the heater, so heās trying to cheat on it. Heās guessing. Heās sweatinā and stressinā the fastball, and because heās sweatinā and stressinā the fastball, heās become the easiest batter to throw a slider to.
Q&A
What are Matt Chapman's current batting statistics for the 2026 season?
As of early May 2026, Matt Chapman has a .271 batting average with a .093 ISO, which is the lowest of his career.
How has Matt Chapman's performance affected the San Francisco Giants' lineup?
Chapman's struggles have created a significant gap in the Giants' lineup, as his absence of hard-hitting production is impacting the team's offensive profile.
What changes have been observed in Matt Chapman's hitting mechanics this season?
Chapman's barrel rate, Hard-Hit rate, and launch angle have all decreased significantly, contributing to a higher groundball rate and fewer flyballs.
What was Matt Chapman's performance during the Giants' recent road trip?
During the six-game road trip, Chapman recorded only two hits in 24 at-bats and struck out 12 times, including a Golden Sombrero in the first game against the Phillies.
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