A twenty-hit nail-biter

SF 12  MIL 9 

The Giants clobbered the ball today, rapping out a score of hits including five doubles and two homers. One of the homers was a grand slam by Eric Haase. Usually the Giants win when they hit a grand slam so I was feeling good. It was 6-3 Giants in the top of the 6th and when they scored six to make it 12-3 I was feeling even better. Three Giants relievers conspired to give up six runs over the last three frames, including three in the 9th, and I actually, physically, couldn't watch anymore. I've said a few times that this team is "unwatchable" and this was one of those times! Caleb Killian managed to get the save, thankfully.

Two in a row against a good club. Wow!

Oh, does anyone else think we should swap Bryce Eldrige and Rafael Devers in the lineup?

Day games (11:20 PT) tomorrow and Saturday at Wrigley. Looks like Ray & Roupp.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb's gem lifts Giants

SF 1  MIL 0

Logan Webb retired the first 15 batters he faced and took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. He finished with only one hit allowed in the seven frames. Rookie Victor Bericoto got his first major-league dinger in the 5th and that was just barely enough. Two relievers gave up two hits and a walk but they managed to close out the win.

The Giants don't give us much to write about in 2026 unless you like doom-and-gloom. This nice, tidy, well-played victory means they won't get swept in Milwaukee. That's something!

Maybe Webb can keep it rolling and get back to being the top pitcher he was before.

Today's game is 11:10 Pacific; tomorrow they go to Chicago for a weekend series with the Cubs.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Draft history, pt. 1

The Giants had the 19th pick in the 2017 draft and they selected 17-year old high-schooler Heliot Ramos. Only two players from that first-round group have 10+ career bWAR and they are Hunter Greene (#2) and Drew Rasmussen (#31). Both were college pitchers.

The Giants had the #2 pick in 2018 and they grabbed Joey Bart. Nico Hoerner (#24), Brice Turang (#21), Logan Gilbert (#14), Brady Singer (#18) and Shane McLanahan (#31) are the 10+ WAR leaders of the group. Hoerner was a SS at Stanford and Turang was a HS SS. The others were college pitchers.

In 2019 the Giants took ASU OF Hunter Bishop with the 10th pick. The 10+ WAR list from this group is Bobby Witt, Jr. (#2), Corbin Carroll (#16), Adley Rutschman (#1), CJ Abrams (#6), and Riley Greene (#5). All were HS picks except for Rutschman.

In 2020 the Giants took Patrick Bailey with the 13th pick. Garret Crochet (#11, college pitcher) and Peter-Crow Armstrong (#19, HS) are the only two to reach 10 WAR.

 

The only members of the 40-man roster drafted earlier than Ramos are Logan Webb (4th round, 2014) and Matt Gage (10th round, 2014). That's why I started with Heliot. Currently Kyle Haines (Farm Director) and Michael Holmes (Scouting Director) run the draft. John Barr, former Scouting Director (2008-2018), is still with the club as an advisor. He was there for Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner. Before him it was Matt Nerland (1999-2007). That's when they nabbed Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. Dick Tidrow was the Farm Director until 2005 and he was replaced by Bobby Evans (2006-2008) and then Fred Stanley (2009-2013). Haines came in 2014.

I'll look at the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 first-round drafts in another post.

--M.C.

The Giants have the #4 pick in the draft

When we talk about "the draft" we mean the First-year Amateur Player Draft or, in MLB jargon, the Rule 4 Draft. It is usually held in the middle of the season and we often call it the "June" draft. This year it is in July (11th to 13th). This stuff started in 1965. There used to be three drafts, for different types of amateurs, but those were all consolidated by 1986.

The Giants have never had the #1 pick. The best they've done is the #2 pick and they drafted Will Clark in 1985 and Joey Bart in 2018. They had the #3 pick in 1986 and took Matt Williams. They had a #4 pick in 1997 and that landed Jason Grilli. They had the #5 pick in 2008 and grabbed Buster Posey. Johnnie LeMaster was the #6 pick in 1973 as was Zack Wheeler in 2009.

Jesse Reid (1980), Calvin Murray (1992), and Matt White (1996) were all #7 picks. Ted Barnicle was the #8 pick in 1975. Alan Cockrell (1994) was their only #9 pick. The #10 spot has been good to San Francisco: Craig Landis (1977), Mark Grant (1981), Tim Lincecum (2006), Madison Bumgarner (2007), and Hunter Bishop (2019). (Two outta five ain't bad.)

I should note that Matt Cain was a first-rounder but not until pick #25. The Buster Era started with last year's draft and the Giants took Gavin Kilen with the #13 pick.

Anytime you have a top ten pick you have a chance to get an impact player. Usually there are a half dozen so-called "can't miss" prospects in the first round. The #4 pick is a great opportunity for Buster & Co. to grab one. Obviously there are no sure things but this is about as close as you can get in MLB.

At this point the draft is the most exciting thing about this season.

--M.C.

Adiós, amigo

One day at Candlestick Park some forty-plus years ago I introduced myself to a fellow fan. We became fast friends and shared many events and adventures together over the ensuing decades.

Last week I lost my friend. Ron Blaj died unexpectedly at age 68. An engineer by training, Ron kept the most meticulous scorecards you have ever seen (he scored most games he attended). They were marvels of economy and precision. Ron was an early contributor to this blog but he was not suited to on-line forums. You had to know the flesh-and-blood man to appreciate his humor, warmth, and generous spirit. Not to mention his deeply weird goofiness.

As a fan he loved the unsung guys. Stars and big names did not appeal to him. He rooted for the backups. The subs and the scrubs. The guys just barely hanging on to a roster spot. He loved to say some youngster, after a good showing, was "serving notice" that he should be a starter. He'd burst out with Yiddish in the middle of a tense moment, exclaiming "I've got shpilkes" to the bewildered folks around him. I learned it meant 'pins-and-needles' or 'ants-in-your-pants' which suited him as he was always full of energy and enthusiasm.

Ron discovered yoga some years back and was so taken with it he became an instructor. He was a dedicated birdwatcher. He played and coached softball. He was really smart and had a prodigious memory. He could explain all the world's major sports to you as well as some of the obscure ones, like rowing. He spoke three languages. He'd lived in or been to more places than most people could name. He loved David Letterman, the Grateful Dead, Scrabble, smoothies, and pistachios.

He was a construction manager for UCSF and his coworkers gave him the perfect farewell:

 

Ron was a son, a brother, a husband, and a father. He was a friend to many. I was lucky to be one of those friends.

I'm sure as hell going to miss him.

Go Giants!

--M.C. 

The Giants are The Worst Baserunning Team on The Planet

AZ 3  SF 2 

Prove me wrong.

--M.C.

3rd inning: 8-10

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 8-10

It doesn't take much to be a good team. If you go 10-8 over 18 games instead of 8-10 you will be a good team. Alas, the Giants are not a good team. They showed that with tonight's 6-2 loss. At 22-32 they are not in last place (that's Colorado's domain) but they are hardly making any noise at all with a .407 win clip. That's 4th-worst in MLB.

It is one-third of the way through the season. This first game of this home Arizona series (Giants are 0-4 vs. Snakes so far) is Game 54 and that's three seasonal innings. 54 games is 1/3 of 162. If you figure the baseball season is six months long then we've burned through two already.

I've decided that the most exciting thing about 2026 is the upcoming draft (July 11-13). The Giants have the #4 pick, which is a big deal. They also have a supplemental pick, #29. That's not a big deal, but it's not nothin'. They have a chance to get another top talent.

I have a few thoughts on the draft and will post about it in the next few days.

--M.C.

 

p.s. FanGraphs now projects the Giants to finish 76-86, which would mean playing .500 the rest of the way. Hmmm, whaddya think?

Slammin' Giants take series

SF 8  CHW 5

The Giants got another grand slam, this one from Rafael Devers, and they held on to beat the White Sox. Robbie Ray walked seven of the 21 guys he faced. That's not going to work! Fortunately the home squad got the bats going and scored two in the 1st, two in the 3rd, and four in the 5th. Casey Schmitt hit his 11th homer. The team had 11 hits overall.

Keaton Winn was stalwart in relief of Ray with two scoreless frames. Matt Gage gave up a run in his inning but both Erik Miller and Caleb Killian shut 'em down 1-2-3. Killian whiffed all three guys for his third save.

Arizona comes to town for a Memorial Day late afternoon (2:05 Pacific) contest. Landen Roupp should be next to start. The D-backs stay for two more, Tuesday night (6:45) and the getaway game Wednesday (12:45). Off-day Thursday, road trip to Colorado Friday.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bader Bops Big One, pt. 2

SF 10  CHW 3

The Giants broke their losing streak with a big burst of offense. Harrison Bader hit a grand slam last Sunday in Sacramento and he hit a grand slam today in San Francisco. We'll just forget about the games in between, okay?

Adrian Houser could not get out of the 5th but the bullpen (Matt Gage, Sam Hentges, Joel Peguero) got the job done. Luis Arraez had two more hits and Casey Schmitt got his tenth homer. Bryce Eldridge chipped in two hits and a walk and Matt Chapman had two hits and two runs scored. It was a feel-good day for the 40,000+ at the yard.

Robbie Ray tomorrow afternoon (1:05 PT)

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bader Bops Big One

SF 10  ATH 1 

Can Harrison Bader be a better batter? And if Bader can be a better batter, how much better of a batter can Bader be? Overall Bader bats .245/.309/.399 for his career but so far Bader has only batted .153/.184/.531 and bow-howdy ya gotta love that SLG%. But Bader's bat oughtta get better going forward.

The Giants got a solid start (6 IP, 1 R) for the second day in a row, this time it was Adrian Houser. He worked around five walks and the bats backed him up with a couple of early runs. The eight-run 8th, fueled by Bader's grand slam, sealed the deal.

Luis Arraez had three more hits and is now rolling out a nice .328 batting average, fifth-best in MLB. He hit his first homer Friday and his second today. With 13 walks, nine doubles, and two triples, his OBP (.370) and SLG (.437) are trending upward. Add his solid glove and "La Regadera" is the team WAR leader.

The team travels to Arizona for three against the Diamondbacks. Tomorrow night is at 6:40 PT and will feature Robbie Ray and Zac Gallen.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. It means "The Sprinkler" (he sprays his hits all over the field).

Silver lining

SF 6  ATH 4

The Giants snap their three-game skid behind a great performances from Trevor McDonald (6 IP, 1 R) and Casey Schmitt (4-for-5, 2 HR). This lousy season needs a silver lining and perhaps the "youth brigade" will supply it.

The 25-year old McDonald was an 11th-round high school pick in 2019. He made his debut in 2024 with three scoreless innings and then had three appearances (two starts) in 2025 including a win over the Dodgers.

The 27-year old Schmitt was a 2nd-round pick in 2020 from San Diego State. He debuted in 2023 and has been a league average hitter over that time. This season (mostly as DH) he's slashing .293/.342/.536  which is good for a team-leading 130 OPS+ (and 147 wRC+).

Heliot Ramos goes on the IL and Will Brennan takes his spot. Today's game is at 1:05 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

OMG

SF 6  LA 2

So it's cliché to say "who are these guys" don't you think? We've covered that ground. Perhaps it is time to say "they are finally playing like we hoped they would." That feels good. I want to believe that. At this point, it matters not. What I believe, that is. It matters that the Giants pulled their heads out of their giant collective ass and played some serious baseball in LA for the second night in a row.

That matters. What I believe, as I said, matters not. I'm taking a vow of agnosticism. I have no idea what to believe. I'll believe whatever works.

Tonight worked. Adrian Houser had some early wobbles but he kept it together and pulled off a very McDonaldian start. The Dodgers have a ridiculous lineup but Giants starters have kept it in check on back-to-back nights. LA hitters still have pop of course, and still string together rallies. And they always seem to turn the lineup over and force you to face the best at the end. But Giants pitchers have risen to the occasion and gotten it done. Tonight Caleb Killian went into full beast mode to get a four-out save.

Eric Haase was the hitting hero with two homers off Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Harrison Bader also popped one off the Dodgers starter. Those guys hit in the eighth and ninth spots! The game-breaking 7th inning rally featured an RBI bunt from Drew Gilbert and a clutch two-run double from Jung Hoo Lee.

It was a great team effort and a really fun game.

Life is better when the Giants win. Life is mo' better when those wins come in LA.

Robbie Ray and Shohei Ohtani tomorrow night at 7:10 PT.

GO GIANTS!!

--M.C.

Umm, yeah, okay, I like it

SF 9  LA 3

I don't know who those guys were wearing Giants road grays tonight in Los Angeles but I think we oughtta keep 'em around. Yikes! TWELVE hits? SIX walks? NINE runs? NO errors? SCORELESS relief? Against the defending (2x) World Series winners?

Wow. This trip is a trip, man.

Nice to see Rafael Devers getting some big hits and being a "middle of the order presence." And this Trevor McDonald guy really nutted up. Let's see some more of that!

This team plays some of the stupidest baseball I've ever seen for almost one-fourth of the season and then they go down to SoCal and whip the Dodgers.

I'm really confused, but it's all good. That was a hell of a win!

Three more to go. Adrian Houser tomorrow night at 7:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Don't take the brown acid

SF 7  PIT 6 (12)

It's great to see the team get a big win and take a series, but I'm convinced that 2026 is bad trip. One of those benders where whatever you've gobbled was too much and there is no going back. All you can do is hang on, stayed clothed, and try not to vom.

In the end, it will likely be OK. You might have to do the ol' "I apologize for my behavior" routine to a few friends and possibly former friends, but that's life. In fact, it might turn out better than OK. Just 'cause you missed a portion due to personal excess shouldn't get you down. I mean, how many people at Woodstock actually remember having a good time? (I was nine at the time. Woodstock was that bird in Peanuts, right?)

Anyway, it was about as nutty a ballgame that you can conjure up. It was a bizarre, impossible game. Somehow the Giants won. I'm not really sure how. It seemed Heliot Ramos was intent on running the wrong way more than once. There was other weird shit, too. But we'll forget that for now. The Giants need wins, and today was a win.

Up next is four night games (all at 7:10 PT) in LA against the you-know-whos. Should be Trevor McDonald (in Logan Webb's spot) tomorrow.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Another win!

SF 5  PIT 2

The Giants banged out a dozen hits but ten of them were singles. A homer by Rafael Devers and a double by Heliot Ramos were the only ones that went for extra bases. It was a bit agonizing to watch them put guys on and not drive them in but finally in the 7th they broke through and put up a three-spot to take charge of the game. Luis Arraez had the big hit. Robbie Ray did his usual pitching ugly but it was effective (6 IP, 7K) and he allowed just one run. Excellent relief from Keaton Winn and Matt Gage kept the lid on until the 9th. Caleb Killian struggled but after allowing a run and stranding two guys he finally nailed it down.

Looks like Landen Roupp this evening (6:06 PT). Day game (1:05 ) tomorrow.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

2nd inning: 8-10

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 8-10

It's an improvement, but not by much. And then they went out and lost yesterday. The Giants are tied with the Rockies (14-23, .378) for last place and for the worst record. Their -42 run difference is the worst in baseball.

Not much more to say about that, is there?

--M.C. 

Giants win!!

SF 3  SD 2

Trevor McDonald took advantage of his call-up and pitched a gem. Seven innings with only two hits and one run allowed with no walks and eight whiffs is pretty damn good. TEN groundouts! The Giants backed him up--just enough--and got some relief--just enough--for their 14th win. McDonald was drafted right out of high school in the 11th round in 2019. He made his debut in 2024 and pitched in three games last season.

Neither of the other call-ups did anything although Jesús Rodriguez did start behind the plate and catch McDonald's effort before being replaced by Patrick Bailey. Bryce Eldridge got a walk as DH.

As Zo pointed out Will Brennan was optioned, Erik Miller sent to the IL and Jerar Encarnacion was DFAd. So the Giants added to the roster without a painful subtraction. Let's hope the FNGs can add a little winning spark.

Should be Logan Webb tonight (6:45 Pacific). Go Giants!

--M.C.

0-6 trip prompts moves

The Giants are calling up Bryce Eldridge and Jesús Rodriguez, their 24-year old C/3B prospect. He came to us from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade. Both are on the 40-man roster already. That means two guys on the current 26-man will get optioned or cut loose.

Hmm, who will that be? Patrick Bailey has all three of his options. So do Christian Koss and Drew Gilbert. Willl Brennan has two left. Casey Schmitt has one option remaining. He's hitting so he stays. Koss gets the least work of everyone, so he probably gets sent down. (Jung Hoo Lee has all his options left but I think his spot is secure.)

Eric Haase and Daniel Susac (on the IL) are out of options. I think Susac will keep his job when he gets healthy. Haase will likely be DFAd.

 Go Giants!

--M.C. 

 

"In war, it is often better to do something, even if it is the wrong thing, than to do nothing at all."

--U.S. Grant

Best win of the season

SF 6  MIA 3

Giants fans got their money's worth this afternoon. Jung Hoo Lee had a terrific four-hit day, Landen Roupp pitched a great game, and Casey Schmitt had a big late-inning homer. And it was a come-from-behind victory to boot!

This team needs a whole heapin' pile o'wins just like this one. Roupp had one rough patch and he got burned on one gopher ball (the guy put a good swing on a low pitch). Otherwise he was dominant, retiring 18 in a row at one point. He gave the team a chance after the early deficit and they clawed back to tie it in the 6th and go ahead in the 7th.

The Giants took 2 of 3 in DC from the Nats, took 2 of 3 from LA at home, and just pulled off 2 of 3 from the Marlins. Now they take their act on the road, starting Tuesday, to Philadelphia for three and then another three in Miami. They'll be home against the Padres on Monday, May 4th.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb dominates Ohtani, still loses

LA 3  SF 0 

That's because of Max Muncy, mostly. Kyle Tucker and the bottom of the Dodgers lineup chipped in, too.

Was it folly to hope for a sweep? Perhaps. Tyler Glasnow cut down the Giants like my self-propelled electric mower cuts the grass: smoothly, quickly, quietly.

Logan vs. Shohei: groundout, strikeout, strikeout, GIDP. (Blade Tidwell got him on a flyout in the 9th to make it an Oh-for-five.) At least there's that.

Otherwise Webb is still getting dinged. I think his command is a wee bit off. He's walking more guys. In general it just seems like he's not locating as well. His game depends on ground balls and that requires fine-tuned placement. And it also seems like his top-of-the-zone four-seamer isn't working. He got a lot of strikes and strikeouts with that pitch last season. He needs something like that to balance his arsenal of bottom-of-the-zone sinkers, sliders, and change-ups.

The Giants missed an opportunity. But, there's a new team coming in and that's the Miami Marlins. Adrian Houser is lined up for tomorrow night (7:15 Pacific). It's day games for Saturday and Sunday, both at 1:05, and we'll see Robbie Ray and the Landen Roupp.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants flip script AGAIN

SF 3  LA 0

The Giants got a great start (7 IP, 3 H, 5 K) from Tyler Mahle and an unlikely homer from Patrick Bailey and beat the Dodgers for the second straight night.

The LA offense has been pounding the ball at a ridiculous (.280/.357/.480) rate and their MLB-best 42 HR underscore how good they are. So it's quite an accomplishment to shut them down for two games.

Tomorrow's getaway game is at 12:45 and will feature Logan Webb and Tyler Glasnow. I'd sure like to see a sweep.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants flip script

SF 3  LA 1

The Dodgers came to San Francisco with the best record in baseball and the biggest run difference as well (134 RS, 79 RA, +55). This series is a mis-match on paper!

Landen Roupp and five relievers had a different plan. The Giants jumped on Yoshinobu Yamamoto for three in the 1st and held on for their tenth win of the season.

Tyler Mahle goes tonight (6:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. The bad news is that Daniel Susac goes on the 10-day IL. 

Back-to-back

A fine outing from Landen Roupp led to a 3-0 Giants win on Thursday in the finale against the Reds. Roupp's the team ace so far this season. It's exciting to have a young pitcher in the system mature into a legit major-leaguer. Roupp was a 12th-round pick in 2021.

Logan Webb picked up a win today after the Giants battered the Nationals 10-5 in the series opener in D.C. Webb has not been himself but he's still a workhorse and trails only Max Fried and Sandy Alcantara in innings pitched. Webb's walked more than his usual share of guys this year and the hits seem to come in bunches so far. But it's early and I expect he will come into form soon.

The lineup had a fine time today, banging out 15 hits including three homers. Drew Gilbert hit one of them, that was his first MLB hit. Heliot Ramos had a three-run variety to open the scoring. Like Rafael Devers he really needs to get his bat going! The Nats don't have a great pitching staff so maybe the Giants can get hot and beat up on them.

Tomorrow's game is at 1:05 Pacific. Adrian Houser gets the start. Sunday's game is early, 10:35, and it looks like Robbie Ray is lined up for that one.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

1st inning: 6-12

After another poor outing the Giants find themselves with the worst record in baseball. Well, I guess there's still the White Sox and the Rockies to compete with.

It's been one seasonal inning (18 games) or 1/9 of the way. It's not been a good debut for TonyV although it's hard to say that he's doing anything wrong. The team is playing poorly. The players aren't getting it done. It seems like it's on them, but in MLB the manager gets the blame/credit.

I wonder how patient Giants fans will be with PoBO Posey. He's Buster Posey after all, as close as you can get to an SFG deity. But fans like winning clubs and this club doesn't look like a winner.

One more game in Cincy and then it's on to D.C. for three with the Nats over the weekend.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Woeful weekend

After a promising start with Friday's crisp 6-3 win, whatever momentum the Giants had (three wins in a row!) quickly evaporated. They got whupped on the weekend, 6-2 on Saturday and 6-2 again today. Landen Roupp did great to open things but Logan Webb was not himself (3 walks, homer) the next day. Still, four runs allowed in six frames kept the Giants within striking distance. Unfortunately this team has no pop. They can't get a big extra-base hit with men on base and so they couldn't really threaten a comeback. Today Adrian Houser couldn't finish the 5th and the 'pen gave up two more runs after that. At least Casey Schmitt is swinging a hot bat.

A 6-10 record is a .375 win percentage (a .625 loss percentage!). Two more games and we'll be 1/9 of the way through the season, the first "inning" of baseball. I can say with near-certainty that the Giants will have a stretch of baseball where they will go 10-6 or better. It will happen. It could happen next week. Or next month. Or in September when they are already eliminated. But that will only get them back to a .500 record. That's what we've been getting for the last few years. I was hoping for something better.

I think there's a good chance that this is just a bad team. They have some good players, but it's a bad team. I'm not sure why. Tell me I'm wrong.

Off-day tomorrow before a trip to Cincinnati. 

--M.C.

Devers delivers

SF 5  PHI 0

FNG Tyler Mahle matched zeros with Phillies stalwart Aaron Nola into the 6th. Matt Gage came in to get the lefty Brandon Marsh for the final out in the frame, but Mahle's line (5-2/3 IP, 3 H, 6K) was his best so far in orange-and-black. It's the kind of pitching effort that sets a team up to win, especially at home.

Sure enough the Giants got the big hit in the bottom of the frame. Rafael Devers, who had hit into a double play in the 4th, got a second chance and he didn't miss. His homer was a towering fly to center on the first pitch. The team and its big slugger really, really needed a hit like that!!

The bullpen was great the rest of the way. Gage got an out in the 7th, Caleb Killian got the next two, Blade Tidwell took the 8th, and Erik Miller (2 K) the 9th.

It was an outstanding team effort to get a second shutout against a tough opponent. The top of the lineup is finally starting to hit and some arms just might be emerging in the 'pen.

They're off tomorrow and then play three in Baltimore to start a nine-day trip. Game time Friday 4:15 PT. 

Go Giants!

--M.C.

More of these, please

SFG 6  PHI 0

The Giants get their first team shutout. Robbie Ray's excellent start (6-2/3 IP, 3 H, 7 K) was supported by Ryan Walker (1-2/3 IP) and Keaton Winn (1 IP). The lineup banged out 12 hits and the team upped their win total to four. Matt Chapman had three hits. Daniel Susac had three hits including a late double that gave the Giants a cushion. He's hitting .857! I said we needed a shot of youthful energy and he seems to be supplying it.

Day game today, 12:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bad Look

NYM 5  SF 2 

The 2026 Giants put on a poor show today. They had a poor showing yesterday, and the day before. They've got three wins in their first ten games--that's a bad look to start the season. It's hard to say "win percentage" when it's a number like .300, which is as bad as it gets. (In this case, "it could be worse" isn't quite true.) Let's frame it as "loss percentage." That of course is .700 or 70%. Yikes, that's ugly.

Sure, there are 152 games left to play. A bad start can be overcome. It's just harder, that's all. The team has given its competitors a head start. And their competitors are the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Rockies. The Dodgers are only competing with the likes of the Mets and the Yankees. And the 2026 Giants have not measured up against either New York club.

Logan Webb pitched brilliantly today and his fielders did him no favors. The lineup eked out a lead but the bullpen faltered and gave the game away. At least we know that Webb is going to be Webb. The rest of the cast has yet to deliver. The fielding has been comically bad. Or tragically, depending on your viewpoint. The baserunning--well, you have to have baserunners. The lineup has not hit the ball worth a shit. And we won't discuss the number of runs the team has allowed.

It's been a disappointing opening, that's for damn sure. It's the Trifecta of Doom for our Beloved PoBO, Buster Posey. His three biggest moves haven't panned out: (1) Willy Adames and (2) Rafael Devers aren't even hitting their weight; and (3) new manager Tony Vitello is 3-7 with a team that can't hit, pitch, or field. (Isn't the manager supposed to get the team ready?)

Anyway, let's hope it gets better soon. We don't want to spend the whole season watching the team making up ground. That's what they did last year. And the year before. And the year before . . .

The Phillies are in town for three. Tomorrow night's game is at 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Much better

SFG 7  NYM 2

The Mets spent a lot of money in the off-season and beefed up their roster. Their payroll is north of $350M and since Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020 their only competitors in spending have been the Yankees and the Dodgers. The Giants will spend about $220M. That's around 12th place. They are above the middle but not in the top third.

I only bring that up because in the early going the highly-touted Mets are 3-4 and have scored 25 runs. The Giants have scored 21 runs and are also 3-4 (both teams have allowed 27 runs). It was nice to see that the home squad could put a whuppin' on a fancy-pants outfit from the Big Apple. I know it's only one game but I like the way it went. 

Robbie Ray, who I think always looks shaky, looked shaky in the first two frames. He settled in after giving up two runs and put up zeros into the 6th. Meanwhile the Giants tagged Mets pitchers for 13 hits including a double by Matt Chapman, a triple by Luis Arráez, and a homer (his first) by Rafael Devers. Rookie Daniel Susac, making his ML debut behind the plate, had three hits and a walk. Casey Schmitt, batting ninth, also had three hits.

That's all good stuff but I'm giving the game ball to The Tennessee Kid, Blade Tidwell, who pitched three scoreless in relief to log a save. Tidwell came to SF in the Tyler Rogers trade. He did not break camp with the team but was recalled to take José Buttó's spot. Buttó was also acquired in the Rogers trade. He went on the 15-day IL after his rough outing in San Diego.

Looks like FNG veteran Tyler Mahle is lined up for tomorrow night (7:15 PT) and will face young Nolan McLean, the phenom who pitched for Team USA. McLean will be making only his tenth career start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

That was ugly

SD 7  SF 1

Adrian Houser deserved better. And I can't explain four hits and fourteen strikeouts!! The lineup was overwhelmed once again. That's four losses with two runs scored. Return of the Son of Bleah.

Good thing there are 156 games left.

It's the Mets at home tomorrow night (6:45 Pacific) and Robbie Ray gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants get a big win

SF 9  SD 3

It was a weird and ugly start for Logan Webb who walked FOUR guys! Webb walked 46 guys last year and 50 the year before. He averages fewer than two bases on balls per start. He also got trashed for three runs in the 3rd but hung on to finish six and get yet another quality start (103rd of his career). He retired the final ten batters in a row. JT Brubaker and José Buttó continued the excellent work from the 'pen and put up zeroes the rest of the way.

But the big star was Willy Adames who led off the game with a homer and added three more hits, scoring twice and driving in two. The whole lineup joined the fun with 16 hits, at least one for every player. Jung Hoo Lee had a big night as well with two doubles and three RBI. Jared Oliva stole a base (pinch-running) and wound up scoring later. It was 8-3 in the 9th and that would have raised hackles in the opposing dugout "back in the day." It seems like no one cares about that stuff anymore and that's good. The point of the game is to compete and score runs.

This afternoon (1:10 PT) will give Adrian Houser his first start. Let's go for a sweep!

--M.C.

Giant get first win

SF 3  SD 2

An excellent start from Landen Roupp got things going last night in San Diego. Roupp allowed only two hits and two walks in six frames (88 pitches) and whiffed seven. Strong relief from Matt Gage and a dominant Keaton Winn (three strikeouts) kept the shutout alive until the 9th. Meanwhile FNG Harrison Bader hit a solo homer in the 3rd and two clutch, two-out RBI hits from Patrick Bailey and Casey Schmitt in the 4th gave the Giants a three-run lead. Closer Ryan Walker was wild in the 9th and gave up a two-run homer before getting the final out.

It was a squeaker but the Giants prevailed and finally notched a win for 2026. So far the best thing about the team has been relief pitching. Let's hope the bats wake up soon. I'm guessing they'll use Logan Webb for the start tonight (6:40 PDT) and debut FNG Adrian Houser for tomorrow's game.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Son of Bleah

NYY 3  SF 1

After getting shut out 3-0 on Friday (on one hit) the Giants made it a little more competitive today. The result was the same, however. The Yankees complete the sweep and make it an 0-3 start for TonyV's boys. Heliot Ramos, I'd like to point out, has looked really sharp. He's had good at-bats (his was the lone hit on Friday) and has done his job in the field. Otherwise it is pretty damn bleak (.143/.212/.176).

This team should be better! It's time to start hitting. At least the bullpen has looked good.

In a weird schedule twist, the Giants are off tomorrow. (Maybe they should take some BP.) The next game is Monday night in San Diego at 6:40 Pacific.

--M.C.

Bleah

NYY 7  SF 0

It was a shitty debut for the 2026 Giants. The Yankees were all over Logan Webb. And the lineup was feeble (2 hits) against Max Fried. But the bullpen (Keaton Winn, JT Brubaker, and Caleb Kilian) was excellent. And FNG Luis Arráez had a good night with a leadoff walk, a late base hit, and some nice glove work. Aaron Judge (0-for-5) struck out four times, all three against Webb* and one against Winn. Camilo Doval finished the game.

Tomorrow is an off-day. Robbie Ray will get the start on Friday afternoon at 1:35 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

*1,000 career strikeouts for Webb 

26 for 2026

No surprises on the infield (4): Rafael Devers at 1B, Luis Arraez at 2B, Willy Adames at SS, and Matt Chapman at 3B. This is the heart of the team. They have to be healthy and perform for this club to succeed.

Patrick Bailey is the catcher (2) and his backup is Daniel Susac.

The outfield (3) will be Jung Hoo Lee, Harrison Bader, and Heliot Ramos.  

On the bench (4) are Casey Schmitt, Jerar Encarnación, Christian Koss, and (surprise!) Jared Oliva.

The starting rotation (5) is set: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle, and Landen Roupp.

The bullpen (8) will be Ryan Walker, Erik Miller, José Buttó, Caleb Killian, Matt Gage, Keaton Winn, Ryan Borucki, and JT Brubaker.

4 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 8 = 26

The Giants open the season for all of MLB tonight (5:05 Pacific) in San Francisco against the Yankees. Logan Webb gets the ball.

Go, team!

--M.C.

 

p.s. There is a lot of talent at AAA: Bryce Eldridge, Carson Seymour, Carson Whisenhunt, Blade Tidwell, Tyler Fitzgerald, Grant McCray, Will Brennan, Drew Gilbert, Tristan Beck, Trevor McDonald, Spencer Bivens, Will Bednar, Caleb Killian, etc. We'll be seeing some of these guys when the inevitable injuries occur. 

The State of the Ballclub

Top prospect Bryce Eldridge will start the season in AAA. There's no shortage at DH otherwise. I'm assuming Jerar Encarnación will make the team. FNG Luis Arráez also plays first base (he did so for Team Venzuela). Rafael Devers says he likes to play the field and he did fine at first base but he'll be slotted in often at DH. And of course the roster spot that Eldridge filled will have to be re-filled. Roster Resource is suggesting FNG lefty-swinging Will Brennan.

FanGraphs does a thing every year called Positional Power Rankings. They rank all 30 teams at each position. Here's how the Giants rank:

Catcher: #3

Third base: #4

Shortstop: #10

Second base: #18

First base: #10

Left field: #17

Center field: #16

Right field: #14

We can quibble with some of the rankings. And a half-dozen players are usually clustered together and a ranking like #12 could be #6 with a +/- 0.5 WAR variation. The very top players (Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, etc.) are 3-5 WAR above their second-ranked peers. I think the 1B rank is too low, and 2B as well. The Giants have a strong infield. This is the heart of the club. That group has to stay healthy all season long and produce near their career norms for the team to be competitive.

The outfield is pretty average, but we knew that.

The pitching is the big question mark. If Logan Webb is healthy we know what he'll do. Can Robbie Ray stay healthy and do what he did last season? Same for Landen Roupp. FNGs Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser don't impress the projection systems, coming in at about 1.5 WAR each, or perhaps better to say a 1.0 to 2.0 range. Let's hope they beat those numbers.

I don't really have any thoughts on the bullpen. We'll just have to see how it shakes out.

FanGraphs says the Giants will finish 81-81 in second place behind the 93-69 Dodgers. 

But they have a 38.6% chance to make the playoffs!

Anyway, baseball is played by real people, not computers. We'll see what Our Fearless Leader Buster has cooking up there in the Owner/PoBO box and what FNG TonyV has cooking down there in the dugout real soon. I keep wanting to call him "Coach" but that's not going to fly up here in big-boy baseball.

I note I said "we'll see" too many times.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. They gotta be better than last year, doncha' think? 

Injury update

Hayden Birdsong will be getting Tommy John surgery next week. Obviously he won't figure in the Giants plans for 2026. Best case? He's pitching again in mid-2027.

Injuries happen, especially to pitchers. This one really stinks. Not so much that I was expecting a lot from Birdsong, just that he is so young and has a lot of upside.

 --M.C.

¡Beísbol!

Team Venezuela claimed the WBC crown with a gripping 3-2 win over pre-tourney favorites Team USA. I must point out that the San Francisco Giants were all over this. Luis Arráez, the Giants new second baseman, started the winning rally in the 9th with a walk. That's right, a walk. This is from the man who walks 5% of the time! Giants reliever José Buttó contributed a scoreless inning. Team Venezuela had a seriously great bullpen. Arraez was 8-for-26 (4 2B, 2 HR, 6 R, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SO) in seven games and Buttó was unscored upon in 5-1/3 IP over five games (1 H, 1 K).

Team USA had Logan Webb, of course, and he was a stud, but not available for the final. Former Giants pitcher and one of my all-time favorite players, Tyler Rogers, also pitched for Team USA. He got a big double play against Team Dominican Republic the night before last, and he got two big outs in the 9th tonight. The USA-Dominican Republic game was also a gripping contest. It was too bad that an obvious ball four was called strike three to end the D.R.'s chance at a comeback, you hate to see games end like that, but it was otherwise an exciting match.

I think the WBC has been very entertaining and it's clear that baseball is a truly international game. I really enjoyed seeing all the different players from all the different places. It seems to work fitting it in during Spring Training. Thankfully lots of games were on free, off-the-air TV (Fox) and the rest could be followed via Gameday.

Giants play the Dodgers tomorrow.

--M.C. 

Webb and WBC, pt. 2

The funniest part of the tournament so far has to be Mark De Rosa. He told everyone that Team USA had "punched their ticket" to the quarterfinals before their shock loss to Team Italy! Team USA actually had to wait for the results of the Italy-Mexico clash in order to be sure they'd make it out of pool play. Team Mexico got whipped by the surprising Italy squad and that guaranteed a US appearance in the knockout round.

Logan Webb started for Team USA last night and was exactly Logan Webb. Mark De Rosa inexplicably yanked him after 4-2/3 scoreless. I thought it was very rude not to let Webb finish the frame. As it stands Logan's line for the tourney is 8-2/3 and only one run allowed (a solo homer to his first batter) along with 11 strikeouts and one walk. Anyway, I'm glad Mark De Rosa was not on the Giants managerial search radar. He should go back to babbling on TV. Team USA advanced to the semifinals by beating Team Canada and will face Team Dominican Republic tomorrow night. The Dominican club crushed Team Korea in a 10-0, 7-inning mercy rule win. They have the most formidable lineup and will be real test for Paul Skenes and the rest of the staff.

There should be a great game tonight at 6:00 p.m. PDT as Team Japan and Team Venezuela face each other in the quarterfinals. Japan is favored to make the finals and probably has the pitching edge. The Venezuelan squad is loaded however, and it should be a good match. (Italy v. Puerto Rico is the other game today.)

On the Giants side of things there seems to be a lot of pitching injuries at Spring Training. At the same time the pitching staff looks strong overall and there have been good results (15-4 record). Let's just hope everyone is healthy for the start of the season.

--M.C. 

Webb, WBC

I want to like the World Baseball Classic. The game, unfortunately, isn't really built for tournament play. Rather, it's a long-haul attritional battle. But the "one-and-done" nature of knockout contests certainly adds excitement. I don't have a dog in the fight. I don't really care about Team USA one way or the other. (The jingoistic coverage and "team of destiny" nonsense doesn't help.) I really like the international flavor of the event and like to see baseball from (weird?) places like Czechia and Israel.

But Team USA features Logan Webb. And Logan Webb is awesome so it was fun to watch the game last night. Brazil, despite being a large country, is a baseball minnow. The result was a sloppy 15-5 win for Team USA. Brazil pitchers walked 17 batters and hit two more! Team USA didn't have to do much as Team Brazil had a hard time throwing strikes and turned mini-rallies into routs.

The interesting thing about Team Brazil is its MLB connections. Their first batter was RF Lucas Ramirez, the son of Manny Ramirez. He hit a homer off Webb! That was quite a moment. Webb retired the next 12 batters on four grounders, six strikeouts, and two fly outs. Dante Bichette, Jr., son of Dante and brother to Bo, is Team Brazil's DH. And Jose Contreras' son Joseph, all of 17 and still in HS, is a pitcher. He got Aaron Judge (who homered in the 1st) to ground into a bases-loaded double play! Imagine being 17 and pitching in a game like that. I should mention that young Ramirez hit another homer in the game, that one off Gabe Speier (nephew of Chris).

So even though it was a mismatch and got rather ugly at the end it's clear there is a future for baseball in Brazil. The above-mentioned ballplayers have Brazilian wives, that's how their kids wound up on the team. Team Brazil also featured a Japanese manager and players of Japanese ancestry so it seems there is more than one big-time baseball nation involved in the program.

I hope the WBC continues to evolve and we see better baseball all over the world because of it. Unfortunately it seemed like a desultory crowd at the ballpark in Houston and there were plenty of empty seats, especially behind home plate. I'm sure Fox will fill them with the appropriate celebrities for the next match.

Finally, do we fully appreciate Logan Webb? He emerged in 2021 as a stud starter and made a name for himself that October with two superb games against the Dodgers in the playoffs. Since then he's made 132 starts and gone 54-43 for a .500 club, posting ERAs under 3.50 and FIPs under 3.20, all while leading MLB in innings pitched. The guy gets a lot of credit for being a "workhorse" which is true, but it obscures the fact that he's an "ace" as well! Logan Webb is about as close to a plug-and-play pitcher as there is in baseball. Mr. Automatic. The Giants have him signed for two more seasons after this one. He's at his peak—let's build a winner behind him.

Webb is supposed to pitch one more time. I imagine that would be the first game of the knockout round (assuming Team USA wins their group). That's Friday the 13th in Houston. It's on Fox and the only nice thing about Fox is we can get it off-the-air for free. (That's how we watch most of our baseball. I hate paying for TV.)

Anyway, it's still Spring Training. Go Giants!

--M.C.

26 for '26

There aren't any notable position battles for the 2026 San Francisco Giants Opening Day 26-man roster. The infield is set. Rafael Devers will man first base and Luis Arráez will handle second base. Willy Adames will be the shortstop and Matt Chapman gets the hot corner.

The outfield looks like Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader, and Jung Hoo Lee going left-to-right.

 Patrick Bailey will be the catcher. Bryce Eldridge has the inside track on DH.

On the pitching side Logan Webb is the number one and Robbie Ray is the number two. The rest of the starting rotation will be Landen Roupp, Tyler Mahle, and Adrian Houser.

The bullpen has some possible openings. Two guys are signed: JT Brubaker and Sam Hentges. Ryan Walker and Erik Miller will be returning. Then there's José Buttó and Matt Gage who are out of options. Add in Joel Peguero and Spencer Bivens and that's eight guys. So right now Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, Carson Seymour, Blade Tidwell, Keaton Winn, Tristan Beck, Trevor McDonald, etc., etc. are all on the outside looking in. We won't know the final configuration for a few weeks, of course. I see that Birdsong is getting the first start of the Spring tomorrow.

There are some spots on the bench. Daniel Susac (brother of Andrew) seems to be the favorite for backup backstop. The fourth outfielder could be Drew Gilbert or Luis Matos or Will Brennan or Grant McCray, or  . . . ? Casey Schmitt could be the utility infielder and adding Jerar Encarnación to the list makes 26. Maybe we have a different catcher or it's Tyler Fitzgerald and/or Christian Koss somewhere.

Like I said there aren't really any interesting position battles. The bullpen is the most unsettled but there seems to be sufficient depth. They will leave some good arms in AAA and that should help when guys get hurt.

The 2026 Giants are largely set.

Whaddya think? Is it enough?

--M.C. 

WTF

The Giants are supposedly bringing in Luis Arráez to play second base. I used to say I would "take anyone on a one or two year deal" but this is a real head-scratcher.

Arráez never strikes out and sprays the ball all over the field. The lefty has won the batting title three times and has a career .317 batting average, best in the sport. He led the NL in hits last season. He's 28 and has over a thousand career hits.

But he's a terrible fielder and doesn't hit for power. What do you do with a guy like that?

I don't want to knock Arráez who really is quite incredible at what he does. It's just that the Giants needed CJ Abrams or Nico Hoerner or Brendan Donovan and we settled for Arráez. It could work, of course. He could get on base at a nice clip and complement the rest of the slugging infield. And maybe Schmitt will thrive in a utility role and we can keep the guys fresh.

Ah well, it's BusterTime™ and in Buster we Truster! 

--M.C.

OF bump

The Giants have agreed to a two-year deal ($21M) with 32-year old free agent centerfielder Harrison Bader. That's going to bump Jung Hoo Lee over to right, I expect. Giants outfield defense, with the exception of the always-smooth Mike Yastrzemksi, was atrocious in 2025.

Bader is a mostly average hitter (RH) with a few years like last season (.277/.347/.449) sprinkled in. His calling card is his glove and he's been outstanding since his debut in 2017. He's suited up for six teams (Cardinals, Yankees, Reds, Mets, Twins, Phillies) and has also logged 76 PA in the post-season (in ten series).

If you think he's a 2-WAR player this is a good deal. Projections of his hitting aren't pretty but he's good for 15 homers and 20 doubles and a dozen stolen bases so he's not useless. It's really all about how you value his fielding. With a spacious outfield and some fly-ball pitchers like Robbie Ray the Giants could certainly benefit from better defense.

The team is still $20M or so under the luxury tax line.

--M.C.

2026

The Giants won't be signing Alex Bregman anytime soon—the ink just dried on his five-year, $170M deal with the Cubs. It may seem nutty to give a 31-year old that kind of scratch but it's actually reasonable. Figure he's a 3-WAR/yr. player and that's 15 WAR over the life of the contract or $11.3M/WAR. A little on the high side perhaps (my baseline is $10M/WAR) but certainly do-able. Projections suggest Bregman may be worth a little more than that. The consensus on FanGraphs was 5 years, $150M so he got a little more than expected although I understand a chunk of it is deferred for salary cap purposes.

Not that I wanted the Giants to sign Alex Bregman. Kyle Tucker on the other hand . . .

We know that's not going to happen. If they were going to give anyone five years and $150M I would like it to be Framber Valdez! After all, Dylan Cease got 7 years and $210M from the Blue Jays. Now THAT is a nutty contract. But Toronto is going "all-in" after just missing out last year and I can't blame them. 

The Giants? Well, they are tinkering around the edges. I don't think anyone is thrilled about beefing up the rotation with two journeymen, but that's the plan for 2026. The team is clearly counting on improvements from (1) the new manager and (2) some youngster(s). Bryce Eldridge? Carson Whisenhunt?

The 2026 Giants have talent. Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Logan Webb are all top-flight ballplayers. Jung Hoo Lee and Patrick Bailey are both on the cusp and it's not unreasonable to project improvements from both. And there's Heliot Ramos. It's a make-or-break year for him. I know Buster has publicly "called out" the young pitching corps and he expects someone to emerge as a legit hurler from that group. That would be great, of course. Blade Tidwell? Trevor McDonald? Our old pal Hayden Birdsong?

The Giants could fill their hole at second base by signing Bo Bichette. Sure, it would take a billion dollars, but they have plenty of money. Man, that would be some infield! But this outfit is too buttoned-down Wall Street for that sort of outlay. It's tough to compete with the more free-wheeling clubs like SD and LA but that's the way it goes.

Pitchers and catchers report in just about a month!

--M.C.