KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When Matt Duffy displaced Casey McGehee as the San Francisco Giants' third baseman early in the spring, he spoke deferentially about how he was just a placeholder, in so many words, and that San Francisco's best lineup would include McGehee once the veteran started swinging well again.

Duffy has endeared himself to teammates by saying all the right things, but mostly by doing all the right things. The third-base job belongs to him for the foreseeable future, and it may be that after opening this season as a bench player for the Giants, Duffy could be the leader in the most closely contested race of the major awards, the National League Rookie of the Year.