SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It’s considered bad form to ask a major-league manager or baseball executive to project their Opening Day roster in the first week of March. They are still evaluating players in camp. They haven’t made more than the first wave of cuts. They have three more weeks to give slow starters a chance to find their footing or injured guys an opportunity to get on the field.

But mostly there’s this: They are as superstitious as their players. Even when teams reach the bubble-wrap portion of the spring, when they just want to hustle every healthy player out of Florida or Arizona and get the season underway, they are loathe to make any public pronouncements about the roster. The truth, however, is that they usually have the blueprint figured out by then. They arrive at a lot of their roster decisions way earlier than you might imagine.

So earlier this week, when Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters to take a good look at Thursday’s exhibition lineup once it was released, he didn’t give a reason. He didn’t say that the lineup — 1B LaMonte Wade Jr., SS Willy Adames, CF Jung Hoo Lee, 3B Matt Chapman, LF Heliot Ramos, C Patrick Bailey, DH Wilmer Flores, RF Mike Yastrzemski, 2B Tyler Fitzgerald — would be his projected batting order that will start behind Logan Webb in the March 27 season opener in Cincinnati. Melvin didn’t have to say anything more. His general giddiness gave the rest away. And he wasn’t the only one eager to see the lineup in action.

“I know analytics don’t really value this, but it’s nice for guys to get out there all together,” said right-hander Justin Verlander, who drew Thursday’s start against the Chicago White Sox and pitched four strong innings. “It’s nice for guys to be in their spot in the lineup and watch the guy before them and just kind of get a pace for the game. So I thought it was great.”

So was the result. Chapman homered twice. Lee went deep. So did Yastrzemski. The Giants continued to receive a steady stream of strikes from a pitching staff that has impressed from Webb to the group of non-roster invitees that Giants officials like Zack Minasian, Paul Bien and Jeremy Shelley were already well on their way to compiling before ownership changed regimes in October and replaced Farhan Zaidi with Buster Posey.

Projecting the Opening Day roster during the Zaidi years? That was a complete folly of an exercise. You never knew who would show up at the last minute. One year in San Diego, the Giants started two outfielders (Connor Joe and Michael Reed) who had been acquired just days earlier. Another time, with the roster assumed to be set, Matt Beaty strolled into the Yankee Stadium visiting clubhouse room fresh off a waiver claim. Players like Brett Wisely and Sean Hjelle woke up on Opening Day still unsure whether they’d made the team.

That situation is not likely to repeat this spring. Under Posey, roster upheaval is expected to be kept to a minimum. There probably won’t be as many last-minute surprises. But the coming waves of roster cuts will include some tough calls and difficult conversations. That’s what happens when so many players in camp are playing well.

“I genuinely think that this team could sneak up on some people,” Verlander said. “The expectations … I don’t think they’re as high right now. And if you take a real objective look at things, from some guys we brought in, the maturity of some guys, the new health of some guys, they’re all big pieces. I think there’s a chance that we do something special.”

Starting Pitchers (5)

Pitcher attrition and injuries are a part of every spring, especially for a group that has some mileage. And the Giants aren’t at the bubble-wrap stage in camp quite yet. But it’s been smooth sailing thus far with their forecasted top four starters.

Webb is getting the results that eluded him last year in spring training. Ray struck out six of 10 batters he faced in his last appearance while incorporating a borrowed changeup from Tarik Skubal that has already developed into a confident part of his pitch mix. Verlander, 42, aired it out at 96 mph on Thursday and the three-time Cy Young Award winner is wowing his new coaches and teammates with his relentless search to make further refinements. Hicks, a former reliever, touched 100 mph as he begins his second season in the rotation and said he plans to pitch with that velocity now that he’s less concerned about pacing himself.

The only twist this spring among the rotation candidates is a positive one: Landen Roupp has allowed one hit and one walk while striking out 11 in 8 1/3 innings over three appearances. There’s little doubt that Roupp is earning a place on the Opening Day roster. The question is whether it’ll be as the fifth starter or as a long reliever.

As it stands right now, Roupp is winning the competition with left-hander Kyle Harrison, who is still searching for the mid-90s velocity he had as a young prospect, and Hayden Birdsong, who has no issues throwing an easy 98 mph but doesn’t have a long track record for filling up the zone or putting hitters away. Here’s another wrinkle: If Roupp is in the rotation, then the Giants would have one more bullpen spot to award to a pretty thick group of worthy candidates both on the roster and in camp as non-roster invitees.

The Giants might be tempted to use Birdsong as a multi-inning reliever, but his ability to hold his velocity makes him a special starting pitching prospect and he still has a lot he can learn at Triple A, where he’s made just two career starts. There’s still time for Harrison to reassert his place in the spring competition, but if not, he’s still too young (23) and his potential is too great to punt him to a relief role.

The Giants reassigned left-hander Carson Whisenhunt and optioned right-hander Trevor McDonald on Thursday and right-hander Mason Black on Wednesday. They still have Carson Seymour and Carson Ragsdale in camp. We’ll see how much they’re able to stretch out right-hander Keaton Winn, too. Among that group, Seymour has been the standout thus far. But Whisenhunt’s changeup is going to get him to the big leagues at some point this season.

It’s possible that the Sacramento rotation will be better top to bottom than a handful of major-league staffs. And it’s likely that everyone in that group will contribute at the major league-level at some point.

Bullpen (8)

Walker is set to begin the season in the closer role and Rogers, who is entering his final year before free agency, is a good bet to lead the league in appearances again. Doval has issued one walk in four innings. He’s impressed coaches with his demeanor and dedication this spring as he seeks to reclaim a high-leverage role. Hjelle and Rodríguez were durable and available options last season, and although both have minor-league options, it’d be a surprise if either were left out of the Opening Day group. The expectations are especially high for Rodríguez to turn the corner and become one of the league’s better relievers this season.

Miller is the only lefty reliever on the 40-man roster and he hasn’t pitched in an exhibition game because of a minor finger issue followed by a bout with the flu. He’s scheduled to debut on Friday. The Giants almost certainly will keep one of the non-roster left-handers in camp and Romero, a 35-year-old seasoned pro who can throw multiple innings and was pitcher of the year in the Dominican League, might have the edge over Antonio Jimenez and Helcris Olivarez.

When you watch right-hander Joel Peguero fill up the zone with 102 mph fastballs in exhibition games, you have to wonder how he has bounced through four organizations (Rays, Rockies, Nationals, Tigers) without reaching the major leagues. But Trivino is the only non-roster pitcher who has a March opt-out and he’s a favorite of Melvin from their time together in Oakland.

If the Giants keep two non-roster pitchers, it’ll be hard to find a spot for right-hander Tristan Beck or any of the starting pitching candidates like Winn who could contribute in a long relief role. Right-hander Spencer Bivens has pitched reliably well this spring (five innings, one run, five strikeouts, no walks) and doesn’t deserve to get squeezed out of the picture, either. But the Giants have so many pitchers with minor-league options who contributed last year. So tough cuts will have to be made. Non-roster invitee Joey Lucchesi hadn’t really stood out yet in camp. His contract doesn’t include an opt-out, so the Giants can send him to Triple A to start the year and keep him in the organization.

Catchers (2)

The only reason that Tom Murphy entered the camp with incumbent status is because the Giants would have to pay him $4.125 million to go away. Murphy made it as far out the door as the trainer’s room. He came down with a lower back issue on the first day of batting practice after camp opened, received an epidural for a disc issue and now seems headed to the 60-day injured list.

So it’s a good thing that the Giants claimed Sam Huff on waivers from the Texas Rangers in January. A one-time power-hitting prospect, the 27-year-old is having a nice camp and he smoked a 114-mph drive Wednesday at Salt River Fields. He’s also formed a nice rapport in two starts when paired with Ray. Huff is out of minor-league options, too, which would give him the edge even if he hadn’t stood out this spring.

Non-roster invitee Max Stassi has played in parts of 10 big-league seasons and is considered the best defender among the group, but the Giants have been starting Huff in exhibition games and having Stassi appear in the back half. Stassi can opt out of his minor-league contract, but unless he receives another big-league opportunity, it’s hard to imagine a better spot for the Yuba City native and his young family than Triple-A Sacramento. Stassi and Logan Porter would give the Giants more competent Triple-A catching depth than they’ve had in recent years.

Infielders (6)

*1B LaMonte Wade Jr.

The starting infield was set the moment the Giants reported to camp. There wasn’t a ton of intrigue with the reserve spots, either. The biggest question was whether Flores could reclaim some life in his bat after a knee injury reduced him to a shell of his former self last season. It didn’t take long for Flores to convince the person whose evaluation matters most.

“His at-bats are way different right now,” Melvin said. “He’s driving balls to left field. He’s hitting some fastballs. (On Wednesday), he shoots a ball between first and second. Just kind of doing Wilmer stuff. Guy on third less than two out, (he hits a) fly ball to right-center field, gets a run in. So last year he was affected by the leg and it looks like different at-bats already. He’s what, one year removed from 20-something home runs? So a healthy Wilmer, we were expecting the at-bats to be a lot better.”

Among their middle infield candidates, Wisely fits the roster best because of his left-handedness. Wisely also was a sneaky good situational hitter last year, and although the overall numbers with the Giants weren’t impressive, he posted an .878 OPS while walking (23) nearly as often as he struck out (28) in 41 games at Sacramento. Wisely, despite a nasty bout with norovirus in which he lost 10 pounds on the eve of camp, and then a bout with the flu, hasn’t done anything this spring to play his way out of the picture. Maybe advise him to wear a mask on the team flights, though.

With Chapman and Adames expected to make 300 starts between them, there won’t be much opportunity for others on the left side of the infield. So Casey Schmitt’s defensive skills at third base will have minimal chance to shine. Schmitt made nice strides at the plate last September and he’s made some authoritative contact this spring. He’s Plan B at second base if Fitzgerald gets hurt or falls into a protracted slump. Christian Koss has brought a ton of two-way energy this spring, and although there doesn’t appear to be room for him to break with the team, he’s made the proper impression on the coaching staff. The Giants wouldn’t hesitate to purchase the contract of the 27-year-old former Red Sox and Rockies farmhand when the need arises.

David Villar is out of options and likely auditioning for a major-league job someplace else. If the Giants add two non-roster pitchers, then they could find their 40-man roster vacancies by subtracting Villar and Murphy (60-day IL candidate).

Outfielders (5)

The Giants didn’t invite a single non-roster outfielder to camp, nor did they seek to make a meaningful addition to the group in the offseason. They were confident that Lee would be fully recovered from last year’s shoulder surgery and he certainly has looked unrestricted thus far while making crisp contact (8-for-20, two home runs) in a ramp-up to the No. 3 spot in the lineup. Ramos was slowed for close to two weeks with a mild oblique issue, but he’s back on the field and is showing no hesitation while swinging the bat.

The Giants will need one of their backups to be a right-handed complement to Yastrzemski and that figures to be Matos, who is coming off a banner campaign in winter ball in Venezuela and is hitting .308 this spring with a home run, two doubles and just one strikeout in 26 at-bats. Matos easily looked ahead of newly converted outfielder Marco Luciano, who made more of an impression with his credible defense than his bat before he was optioned in the first round of cuts.

Encarnacion, who is out of options, is a virtual lock to break with the team. He hit the ball harder on average last season than every major-league hitter except Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Oneil Cruz while also taking a well-rounded approach with power that plays to all fields. If Thursday’s Cactus League dress rehearsal is any indication, Flores will be the DH on Opening Day. But it’s not hard to envision Encarcación (9-for-25, four doubles, one home run) leading the team in DH plate appearances by the end of the year.

The Giants appear to lack a left-handed reserve who could DH and/or shield Ramos against rougher right-on-right matchups. (The breakthrough All-Star had a 1.189 OPS against lefties but just a .673 OPS against right-handers.) If there comes a point this season when 20-year-old first baseman Bryce Eldridge looks ready to supply some of that left-handed power, then the Giants could shift Wade to the outfield. But that’s not a near-term hope.

The Giants do have a contact-oriented lefty hitter, Wade Meckler, who fits the “put it in play and make something happen” identity that they are trying to create. And Grant McCray, who stole consecutive bases on Thursday, is a dynamic defender in center field with sneaky power who could have a lengthy big-league career if he can improve his strikeout rate. Both Meckler and McCray have minor-league options and are likely to work on aspects of their game in Sacramento.

“He’s a very interesting player,” Melvin said of Meckler. “He’s got some speed, got bat-to-ball skills. I don’t say similar to Jung Hoo, but it’s the aggressive style of play that we’re trying to implement here. Last year was a tough year for him as far as injuries go, but he can hit, and he’s a tenacious player.”