San Francisco Giants end troublesome streak of 19 straight Opening Days with different left fielder

By Carlos E. Castañeda

Wednesday’s baseball Opening Night marks the end of a somewhat embarrassing streak by the San Francisco Giants.

For the first time since Barry Bonds retired after the 2007 season, the Giants are opening the season with the same left fielder who started the opener the previous season, Heliot Ramos.

Wednesday’s opener against the New York Yankees at Oracle Park in San Francisco ends the Giants’ 19-year revolving door to replace Bonds in left field. Until Wednesday, the Giants had a different player start in left field on Opening Day every season since 2008, with no repeats, tying a Major League Record.

Giants Opening Day left fielders since 2007:

2007 – Barry Bonds
2008 – Dave Roberts
2009 – Fred Lewis
2010 – Mark DeRosa
2011 – Pat Burrell
2012 – Aubrey Huff
2013 – Andres Torres
2014 – Mike Morse
2015 – Nori Aoki
2016 – Angel Pagan
2017 – Jarrett Parker
2018 – Hunter Pence
2019 – Connor Joe
2020 – Alex Dickerson
2021 – Austin Slater
2022 – Joc Pederson
2023 – Blake Sabol
2024 – Michael Conforto
2025 – Heliot Ramos
2026 – Heliot Ramos

The Giants’ infamous streak matches a 1937 to 1955 run by the St. Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles, also involving a different left fielder to start each season. The next team on the list, the San Diego Padres, had a 17-year run of Opening Days starting a different player at a position, coincidentally, also left field.

Before the 2025 Giants opener, the 26-year-old Ramos vowed he would be the player to end the streak. After being named the Opening Night starter in left field again this season, he told reporters he deserved to end the inconsistency at the position.

“I feel like I worked for it. It’s something I’ve earned just because of how hard I work and how mentally focused and prepared I am,” said Ramos. “I know my bat is going to be there. It’s locked in for any situation. Right now, I feel like I have no holes in my game.”

Bonds started Opening Day in left field for the Giants over 14 seasons, with a 12-year consecutive run between 1996 and 2007. His longevity at his position was matched by Brandon Crawford, who started 12 consecutive Opening Days at shortstop for the Giants from 2012 to 2023.

Bonds and Crawford are among the four Giants players to start at least 10 consecutive Opening Days at their position.

Giants with most consecutive Opening Day starts at position

• Willie Mays – 20 consecutive at center field 1954-1973 (4 with NY Giants, 15 with SF Giants, 1 with NY Mets)
• Barry Bonds – 12 consecutive at left field 1996-2007
• Brandon Crawford – 12 consecutive at shortstop 2012-2023
• Robbie Thompson – 10 consecutive at second base 1986-1995