Cronkite News offers an audio version of this story using an automated voice created by AI. Errors in pronunciation, pacing and intonation may occur. If you notice an error please contact cronkitenews@asu.edu.
SCOTTSDALE – San Francisco Giants catcher Daniel Susac is no stranger to Scottsdale Stadium, despite being in his first spring with the organization that calls the ballpark its home away from home.
As a sophomore catcher for the Arizona Wildcats in 2022, he took part in the first game of the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament, which was held at Scottsdale Stadium. That day against Oregon turned out to be one of the best of his collegiate career.
In the third inning, Susac, who was in the midst of an All-American campaign, dug into the right-handed batter’s box before launching a 3-1 fastball onto the grassy berm beyond the left field wall and bullpen.
In the ninth, he offered up a blast that looked like a replay of his first, this time scoring one of his teammates, shortstop Nik McClaughry, in addition to himself.
His two home run, three-RBI performance made the park look like a Little League field and helped lead the Wildcats to an 8-6 victory, writing their names in the Pac-12 history books forever.
“It’s always good to be back in Arizona,” Susac said. “Good memories in this stadium.”
Four years later, Susac is back in the same park, attempting to make the Giants’ Opening Day roster as a backup catcher after joining the team as a Rule 5 Draft pick during the offseason. Whether or not he makes the team is up to former Giants catcher and current president of baseball operations Buster Posey, who Susac’s older brother Andrew backed up during the 2014-15 seasons.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Susac said earlier this spring. “Biggest thing is just trying to capitalize on it, putting my best at-bats together, best games catching together and just trying to stack this.”
Following Susac’s 2022 collegiate season with the Wildcats, the Athletics selected him with the 19th overall pick in that summer’s MLB Draft. He rose all the way to Triple-A and was ranked as high as the No. 6 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline.
Despite that, the catching depth-heavy Athletics chose to leave Susac off their 40-man roster after the 2025 season, making him eligible for the Rule 5 Draft since he was older than 19 when he turned pro four seasons earlier. Rule 5 Draft provisions allow teams to select unprotected minor league players, preventing prospects from being buried in other organizations.
The Twins ended up making Susac the fourth selection of the draft, before trading him to the Giants for minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo and cash considerations.
“We had a general idea that there was a decent shot I was going to go,” Susac said. “Just watching on the TV, didn’t know beforehand, saw I went to the Twins, was just pumped up to get an opportunity to go anywhere. And then they called me, told me I was being traded to the Giants. I was like, ‘Awesome.’”
For Susac, being acquired by the Giants was something of a homecoming. He and his older brothers, Andrew and Matt, grew up in the greater Sacramento area as Giants fans.
The fandom only grew as Andrew made his MLB debut in 2014 with the team, earning a World Series ring as Posey and the Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in a back-and-forth seven-game series.
Andrew’s time in San Francisco didn’t last long beyond that triumph. He appeared in 52 games for the big league club in 2015, but spent 2016 in Triple-A before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline.
Still, the connections Andrew made, including with Posey, have lasted over the years and allowed him to enjoy the unique situation of his former teammate-turned-executive acquiring his younger brother.
“When I texted Buster, he said, ‘Finally got the right Susac,’” Andrew said. “Which was pretty funny, and that’s kind of his humor. I was fired up to say the least when he told me he’s going to go over there.”
As a Rule 5 Draft selection, Susac will have to make the Opening Day roster, or else he’ll be offered back to the Athletics, and all the talk of him and his brother putting on the same jersey would be for naught.
Luckily, there is an experienced adviser in Susac’s corner.
“We talk a lot,” Andrew said. “It’s just, ‘Be yourself out there and act like you belong, and good things happen.’ He’s a good player, he’s a lot better player than I ever was, so I always reiterate that to him.”
Giants first-year manager Tony Vitello also believed in Susac’s ability from the start, and gave him the opportunity to earn his spot throughout the spring.
“Repetition is the father of all learning, as Lil Wayne says,” Vitello said at the start of spring training. “The more he can get back behind there (the plate) and gain rapport with the coaches that coach him, with the pitcher he’s catching and use his leverage to his benefit, because it is a longer frame, then I think he’ll be at his best.”
Susac took advantage of his reps, posting an eye-watering .333/.385/.556 slash line with two home runs and two doubles, while throwing out 3-of-9 potential base stealers, across 15 games so far in Arizona. Due to those numbers, along with fellow backstops Diego Cartaya, Logan Porter and Jesús Rodríguez all being sent to minor league camp, he finds himself in a great position to make the Opening Day roster.
For now, his Pac-12 Tournament performance might be his favorite memory to take place in Scottsdale Stadium, but if anything can trump it, it would be getting called into Vitello’s office and having him confirm that he’s made the team.
“It’s been the goal since when they took me,” Susac said. “And it’s going to continue to be the goal until either it happens or doesn’t.”
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Daniel Susac is on his way to becoming the second Giants catcher in his family
Ethan Ignatovsky, Cronkite News
March 20, 2026
Cronkite News offers an audio version of this story using an automated voice created by AI. Errors in pronunciation, pacing and intonation may occur. If you notice an error please contact cronkitenews@asu.edu.SCOTTSDALE – San Francisco Giants catcher Daniel Susac is no stranger to Scottsdale Stadium, despite being in his first spring with the organization that calls the ballpark its home away from home.
As a sophomore catcher for the Arizona Wildcats in 2022, he took part in the first game of the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament, which was held at Scottsdale Stadium. That day against Oregon turned out to be one of the best of his collegiate career.
In the third inning, Susac, who was in the midst of an All-American campaign, dug into the right-handed batter’s box before launching a 3-1 fastball onto the grassy berm beyond the left field wall and bullpen.
In the ninth, he offered up a blast that looked like a replay of his first, this time scoring one of his teammates, shortstop Nik McClaughry, in addition to himself.
His two home run, three-RBI performance made the park look like a Little League field and helped lead the Wildcats to an 8-6 victory, writing their names in the Pac-12 history books forever.
“It’s always good to be back in Arizona,” Susac said. “Good memories in this stadium.”
Four years later, Susac is back in the same park, attempting to make the Giants’ Opening Day roster as a backup catcher after joining the team as a Rule 5 Draft pick during the offseason. Whether or not he makes the team is up to former Giants catcher and current president of baseball operations Buster Posey, who Susac’s older brother Andrew backed up during the 2014-15 seasons.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Susac said earlier this spring. “Biggest thing is just trying to capitalize on it, putting my best at-bats together, best games catching together and just trying to stack this.”
Following Susac’s 2022 collegiate season with the Wildcats, the Athletics selected him with the 19th overall pick in that summer’s MLB Draft. He rose all the way to Triple-A and was ranked as high as the No. 6 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline.
Despite that, the catching depth-heavy Athletics chose to leave Susac off their 40-man roster after the 2025 season, making him eligible for the Rule 5 Draft since he was older than 19 when he turned pro four seasons earlier. Rule 5 Draft provisions allow teams to select unprotected minor league players, preventing prospects from being buried in other organizations.
The Twins ended up making Susac the fourth selection of the draft, before trading him to the Giants for minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo and cash considerations.
“We had a general idea that there was a decent shot I was going to go,” Susac said. “Just watching on the TV, didn’t know beforehand, saw I went to the Twins, was just pumped up to get an opportunity to go anywhere. And then they called me, told me I was being traded to the Giants. I was like, ‘Awesome.’”
For Susac, being acquired by the Giants was something of a homecoming. He and his older brothers, Andrew and Matt, grew up in the greater Sacramento area as Giants fans.
The fandom only grew as Andrew made his MLB debut in 2014 with the team, earning a World Series ring as Posey and the Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in a back-and-forth seven-game series.
Andrew’s time in San Francisco didn’t last long beyond that triumph. He appeared in 52 games for the big league club in 2015, but spent 2016 in Triple-A before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline.
Still, the connections Andrew made, including with Posey, have lasted over the years and allowed him to enjoy the unique situation of his former teammate-turned-executive acquiring his younger brother.
“When I texted Buster, he said, ‘Finally got the right Susac,’” Andrew said. “Which was pretty funny, and that’s kind of his humor. I was fired up to say the least when he told me he’s going to go over there.”
As a Rule 5 Draft selection, Susac will have to make the Opening Day roster, or else he’ll be offered back to the Athletics, and all the talk of him and his brother putting on the same jersey would be for naught.
Luckily, there is an experienced adviser in Susac’s corner.
“We talk a lot,” Andrew said. “It’s just, ‘Be yourself out there and act like you belong, and good things happen.’ He’s a good player, he’s a lot better player than I ever was, so I always reiterate that to him.”
Giants first-year manager Tony Vitello also believed in Susac’s ability from the start, and gave him the opportunity to earn his spot throughout the spring.
“Repetition is the father of all learning, as Lil Wayne says,” Vitello said at the start of spring training. “The more he can get back behind there (the plate) and gain rapport with the coaches that coach him, with the pitcher he’s catching and use his leverage to his benefit, because it is a longer frame, then I think he’ll be at his best.”
Susac took advantage of his reps, posting an eye-watering .333/.385/.556 slash line with two home runs and two doubles, while throwing out 3-of-9 potential base stealers, across 15 games so far in Arizona. Due to those numbers, along with fellow backstops Diego Cartaya, Logan Porter and Jesús Rodríguez all being sent to minor league camp, he finds himself in a great position to make the Opening Day roster.
For now, his Pac-12 Tournament performance might be his favorite memory to take place in Scottsdale Stadium, but if anything can trump it, it would be getting called into Vitello’s office and having him confirm that he’s made the team.
“It’s been the goal since when they took me,” Susac said. “And it’s going to continue to be the goal until either it happens or doesn’t.”
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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