San Francisco Giants: Brandon Belt proving worthy of the C

While major league teams may have captains, they typically do not go around announcing that role on their jersey. Unlike the NHL, the Captain’s C is not a part of the role. There have been obvious exceptions, such as Jason Varitek in Boston, but those are usually few and far between. However, San Francisco Giants‘ first baseman Brandon Belt has also decided to add that C to his uniform.

Belt’s new addition to his uniform debuted on September 10. He had an excellent day at the plate, going 2-3 with a double and a homer, driving in two runs while drawing two walks and scoring twice. With that type of performance, the C was staying on his jersey.

Brandon Belt on fire since adding Captain’s C to San Francisco Giants’ jersey

He has been on fire ever since. Belt has produced an impressive .370/.477/.870 batting line in his 65 plate appearances since the 10th, hitting eight homers and three doubles. He is now one home run away from being the first member of the Giants to hit 30 or more homers in a season since Barry Bonds back in 2004.

If Belt does manage to hit that final home run, reaching that milestone will be all the more impressive this season. He missed a large portion of time due to injury, appearing in just 96 games heading into Sunday. However, he has been excellent when he has been on the diamond, posting a 157 OPS+ and reaching the 20 homer plateau for the first time in his career.

Belt is a somewhat interesting choice for the captain role. Buster Posey is the longest tenured player on the roster, and as the Giants’ catcher and one of their biggest stars, would seemingly have been the pick. While Belt has been a solid player throughout his career, he is not someone that the casual fan would have expected.

But it is about more than numbers. Belt has been a consistent player, someone who works hard and plays the right way. He has demonstrated his leadership over the years as one of the longest tenured veterans, someone who has helped players learn what it is like to be a major leaguer. He has certainly deserved his role with both his play and leadership.

Brandon Belt has been on fire since adding the Captain’s C to his San Francisco Giants jersey. At this rate, it may never come off again.