Who Is Ryder Jones?

STAT LINE: 8 PAs, .375/.375/1.125, 2 HR, 3 RBIs

One of the top contenders with “briefest stint with the 2018 Giants” was Ryder Jones. Raise your hand if you remember seeing Jones this season?

I’ll wait.

Let me help jog your memory.

You saw him for one game in late July when Brandon Belt was on paternity leave, witnessing the birth of his second son, Augie. While his stint was what I’ll classify as “hella brief” , he sure made the most of it. Jones faced Edwin Jackson and on his second at-bat, he homered to give the Giants the lead.

What’s that? A home run? AND a lead? This guy is a keeper! Oh wait, no, that’s right, they sent him down the next day. Gosh darn it.

Jones did return for September call ups and to help the ailing Giants. Buster Posey had just decided on hip surgery and both Brandons knees were imploding so Ryder was a welcome addition.

In his four games in September, Jones only had four plate appearances - the third of which resulted in another home run, this time off Brewers’ Joakim Soria and accounted for his final two of three RBIs of the season.

The very next day, Jones dislocated his left patella. The injury resulted in surgery and the end of his season. NOW WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT BEFORE? (montage of every one who wore a Giants uniform this season set to Coldplay’s “Fix You” )

Ryder Jones, we hardly knew you

ROLE ON THE 2018 TEAM: Uhhhhhhh...

I don’t know. I mean, present?

In all seriousness, I found this season to be a little more confusing than anything else. In 2017, Jones saw 150 ABs in the big leagues with a pretty underwhelming two home runs, five RBIs and a slash line of .173/.244/.273. He obviously performed much better this season with a much more limited sample size, but he did seize the opportunity better, probably a sign of growth and experience.

In other words, I’m not really sure who Ryder Jones is as a player in the big leagues yet. And more over, I’m also not sure how he slots into the Giants plans ....

ROLE ON THE 2019 TEAM: If I was a betting woman, Ryder Jones starts in triple-A next season unless he comes into spring training in a Brandon Hicks-style fashion (jk jk). Once a second round pick, I believe the Giants still want to invest in developing Jones, especially since he’s one of the youngest guys on the team with big league experience - he’ll be 24 to start the 2019 season and is still a spring chicken, as far as the Giants roster is concerned.

GRADE: Totally and utterly incomplete

I can’t grade a guy with eight big-league at-bats this season. I just can’t do it.