A Quick Aside on:

The San Francisco Giants

By: Michael A. Chase Jr.

6/13/2021

         Any baseball fan would have never thought that the San Francisco Giants would be 40-24 and fighting for 1st place in the NL West into mid-June. Especially with two MLB powerhouses like the LA Dodgers and San Diego Padres in their division. Though a 2-game lead for first is where the Giants currently sit at this very moment. Which is why this short piece will look to quickly outline 3 major factors that have contributed to the Giants exceeding preseason expectations.

            Factor number one, and easily the biggest reason for the Giants early success is the shockingly elite starting pitching they are getting. As they sport the 3rd best ERA in the Majors thus far this season. They also have allowed the 4th fewest earned runs in the league at just 200 runs total through 64 games. The main standout of their staff is former Orioles Starter Kevin Gausman, who owns the third best ERA in the Majors at 1.43. Which is a massive improvement from his career 4.04 ERA. They also have seen quality performances from Anthony DeSclafani (3.09 ERA and 2 complete games) and Alex Wood (3.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP) in their rotation. Plus, having relievers Jake McGee and Taylor Rogers combining to shoulder the role of closer with 12 and 8 saves respectively has stabilized their bullpen. If they continue to get this type of pitching from these unlikely sources, they can remain right in the race for the division.

            Factor two is that they have a top 10 offense in all of baseball. Having scored 299 runs which ranks them 9th in the entire league, and 3rd in the NL behind only the Dodgers and Reds. What makes these numbers so intriguing is the fact they are doing this with a less than star studded assortment of pieces. They have hit the 3rd most home runs in the Majors with 91, while also owning the 3rd best on base percentage in the NL at .317. Obviously, the resurgence of franchise stall worth’s like Shortstop Brandon Crawford (14 homers and 41 RBI’s) and Catcher Buster Posey (11 homers and .338 BA) have been key. Though it is the unheralded performers who have been instrumental to this offensive resurgence. Players like Mike Yastrzemski, Darin Ruf, and Austin Slater are just 3 of 8 player that have at least 4 home runs, not named Crawford or Posey. Showing their power surge has gotten contributions from players across the roster. Plus, the versatility they can utilize to mix and match their lineups from game to game provides manager Gabe Kapler flexibility. All this shows while the Giants may not have the star ladened lineups many of their contemporaries have they have produced by committee to a similar level.

            Then to wrap it all up their defense as a team has been immaculate as they own the 3rd best fielding percentage in baseball at .989. This number trails only the Rays and Astros in that category. They have also made the 2nd fewest errors in baseball at 25, behind only Houston. Plus, the fact that they have so many players who can play several different positions on the diamond provides them defensive versatility. With players like Mauricio Dubon and Austin Staler able to play both the infield and outfield. Along with other pieces that can move around they have become a team that excels at not giving up extra outs. While getting defensive contributions from across the roster.

Overall, these factors have led to the San Francisco Giants accumulating the 2nd most wins in the MLB this season. Now the question stands, whether they can continue to play at this pace, with this roster? As it will be interesting to see if these Giants headlined by this unheralded group of players can continue to be challengers in the tough NL West and find their way into the Postseason.