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The Yankees spoiled Tony Vitello’s debut as San Francisco Giants manager.<\/p>\n
The San Francisco Giants<\/a> needed something to feel good about early in the 2026 season. On Thursday night at Oracle Park, Daniel Susac<\/a> delivered it in style.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old catcher made his first career MLB start against the New York Mets<\/a> and made sure nobody forgot it. Three hits, a walk, and a performance that had the whole ballpark buzzing in a 7-2 Giants<\/a> win.<\/p>\n What Susac Did on Debut for the Giants GettyDaniel Susac of the San Francisco Giants<\/a>.<\/p>\n Susac singled on the very first pitch he saw in the big leagues. Then he did it again on the second pitch he saw in his next at-bat. By the time the night was over, he had become the first Giant to reach base four times in his first career start since Kevin Frandsen in 2006<\/a>.<\/p>\n He had a plan heading into the game. Facing lefty David Peterson<\/a>, Susac told himself he was going to be aggressive if he saw a first-pitch fastball.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to hammer it,\u201d he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n Peterson threw a curve instead. Susac roped it into right-center anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw it mid-air and was like, \u2018uh-oh,’\u201d Susac said<\/a>. \u201cBut I put a good swing on it.\u201d<\/p>\n The night went beyond the bat. In the sixth inning, Susac challenged a close 3-2 pitch that flipped a Ryan Walker<\/a> walk into a strikeout. Walker pointed back to his catcher emphatically after the replay confirmed it on the scoreboard. Susac admitted afterward he was not even sure he had won the challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018Eh, it\u2019s close, I don\u2019t really want this runner on base right now so let\u2019s see,’\u201d Susac said<\/a>. \u201cAnd then I won it and I was excited. That was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n In his first @MLB<\/a> start, Daniel Susac came to the plate four times and reached base all four times \ud83d\udc4f <\/p>\n What Vitello Said About Susac\u2019s Impact on the Giants GettyManager Tony Vitello of the San Francisco Giants<\/a>.<\/p>\n Manager Tony Vitello<\/a> made clear afterward that Thursday was not just a one-night moment. He had seen enough in spring training to believe Susac is capable of more.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like saying stuff just to say it, that guy can be a weapon for us,\u201d Vitello said<\/a>. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say that if I didn\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like saying stuff just to say it, that guy can be a weapon for us\u2026 I wouldn\u2019t say that if I didn\u2019t believe it.\u201d <\/p>\n Tony Vitello believes this is just the beginning for Daniel Susac. <\/p>\n The Family Moment Behind It All<\/p>\n The debut carried extra weight because of who was watching.<\/p>\n Susac is the youngest of three brothers. The oldest, Andrew, backed up Buster Posey<\/a> for the Giants in 2015 during their third World Series title run. Daniel grew up in the tunnels at Oracle Park, watching his brother play for the team he would one day represent himself.<\/p>\n Andrew was outside the clubhouse after Thursday\u2019s game, still taking it all in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s elation. It\u2019s unreal,\u201d Andrew said<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s 11 years younger than me so I just remember me and our brother Matt beating up on him and playing wiffle ball and it\u2019s just a full circle moment for us. All the hard work has paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the large Susac family contingent was in attendance, soaking up every moment.<\/p>\n Daniel Susac gets his first big league hit on the first pitch. The very happy guy in the white hat is his older brother Andrew, who played two seasons for the Giants: <\/p>\n What Comes Next for Susac<\/p>\n Susac was the 19th overall pick in the draft and a well-regarded prospect before the Oakland Athletics<\/a> decided not to protect him in the Rule 5 Draft. The Minnesota Twins<\/a> selected him fourth overall and immediately dealt him to San Francisco.<\/p>\n Thursday was one night. The Giants will need more of them. But the early signs are encouraging for a player who has had this moment mapped out in his head for a long time.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely always envisioned it as a little kid,\u201d Susac said<\/a>. \u201cTo actually live it out is pretty awesome. I probably went through this exact scenario so many times in the backyard with my brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n Final Word for the Giants<\/p>\n Three hits. A walk. And a family in the stands that has been waiting years for this night.<\/p>\n Daniel Susac made his first career start look easy. The Giants are hoping Thursday was just the beginning.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tKeith Watkins<\/a> Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on SF Giants\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269592377.jpg\")
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