Giants win for BCraw Day*

SF 3  TEX 2

I keep wondering how this team wins games. Then I watch them this afternoon on Fox Saturday. What do the Giants do? They get clutch hits. Patrick Bailey supplied today's happiness by poking it just past the drawn-in first baseman for a walk-off winner. Today the formula was a little different as Robbie Ray pitched his best game yet (7 IP  5 H  2 R  1 W  8 K) and the bullpen only had to cover six outs. The 2025 Giants have a strong relief corps. They keep the games close and that allows the lineup more chances in the late innings.

The Rangers got a couple of early runs off Ray but didn't hit anything hard. Mostly they ran the bases well! After that he shut them down. Willy Adames tied the game with a two-out, two-run single in the 5th. It stayed 2-2 until the 9th. Heliot Ramos smacked a liner for a single, LaMonte Wade, Jr. walked, and Christian Koss (who is looking better) laid down a sacrifice bunt. After the pitching change, Bailey's hit ended it.

This team is thriving on high-leverage magic. It's a lot of fun. Overall they don't hit all that well compared to the league but they seem to have a great sense of timing! Speaking of timing, tomorrow's game is at 1:05 PT. Jordan Hicks faces Jack Leiter.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

* Brandon Crawford was feted at the ballpark before the game and threw out the first pitch.

Bullpen gets it done

SF 6  MIL 5

The Giants took the final game of the series this afternoon despite a rough start from Landen Roupp (3-2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R). Spencer Bivens, Erik Miller, Tyler Rogers, and Camilo Doval threw a combined 5-1/3 scoreless frames to give the home team a chance at a comeback. Sure enough they got two runs in the 8th with some help from the Brewers and that turned the 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead. Doval put two on in the 9th but wriggled out of it and sealed the win.

Mike Yastrzemski continues to rake, he had two hits including a homer. Matt Chapman added a two-run homer. Jung Hoo Lee had a double and two walks and Willy Adames had a hit, a walk, and a key RBI. The Giants were 1-for-13 with RISP and left 10 men on base but some poor execution from Milwaukee's fielders and seven walks from their pitchers kept the outcome in doubt until the end.

The Brewers are a tough team and this series win is pretty impressive. The 14-10 Rangers come to town for three starting tomorrow night (7:15 PT), Justin Verlander and the always-tough Nathan Eovaldi will be the starting pitchers.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb leads Giants

SF 4  MIL 2

After an ugly loss on Tuesday the Giants bounced back behind a great effort from Logan Webb. He threw six scoreless and got an out in the 7th before being relieved. Erik Miller finished the frame. Tyler Rogers threw another impeccable 8th. He's faced 44 batters over 12-1/3 IP and allowed only one run. Unfortunately Ryan Walker had another rough outing and gave up two runs in the 9th before Camilo Doval rescued the evening.

Giants scored all four runs in the 6th. Wilmer Flores drove in two and the Brewers made two errors. Flo's 27 RBI are tops in MLB.

12:45 start today, Landen Roupp gets the ball.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Back home for a win

SF 5  MIL 2

An excellent relief appearance from Hayden Birdsong—three scoreless with four whiffs—led the way last night in San Francisco. Robbie Ray threw the first five but took 92 pitches to do it. The Giants scored a run in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 win. Wilmer Flores hit his seventh homer—he's tied with Aaron Judge.

Jordan Hicks starts tonight at 6:45 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Weekend woes

The Giants got blanked by Tyler Anderson and three relievers on Friday night, losing 2-0 to the Angels and wasting an excellent start from Logan Webb (career-high 12 K).  Landed Roupp followed on Saturday with his best start ever, going seven innings, allowing a mere two runs, and whiffing nine. Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker preserved the 3-2 win. Yesterday the Giants got gut-punched in the 9th, with Walker giving up four runs in the final frame for a 5-4 loss. Justin Verlander went six and allowed just one run. Camilo Doval and Rogers got the next six outs before the Angels spoiled things.

Giants allowed only nine runs in the three games but managed to score just seven. They are finally home after a ten-game (5-5) road trip. They've got seven more to play (four against the Brewers and three against the Rangers) before an off day on the 28th. Tonight it is Robbie Ray at 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

1st inning: 13-5

1st inning: 13-5

With one-ninth of the 2025 season in the books the .722 Giants find themselves a game-and-a-half behind the Padres (15-4, .789) in the NL West. It's been a spectacular opening to the year.

After a tough loss last night the Giants bounced back in a big way tonight with an emphatic 11-4 drubbing of the Phillies. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Wade but he had two walks. Everyone in the lineup scored a run except for Yaz but he had two RBI. Fitz had three hits and is now slashing .314/.352/.842 after a very rough start. Shout-out once again to the bullpen for a stalwart effort. Spencer Bivens and Lou Trivino each tossed two scoreless and they sandwiched a three-up, three-down 6th from Doval. The Giants pounced on Aaron Nola in the 1st for a four-spot but sealed the win with one in the 5th, two in the 6th, and another four-spot in the 7th.

My theme for the first inning of the 2025 season: who are these guys?

At least we can say that Jung Hoo Lee is making a name for himself. Serving notice and all that. Wow! He's been spectacular. Seriously, we knew it would take a lot of good things to happen for the Giants to compete with LA and SD. So far, things are working. They are getting contributions from everyone. They are scoring a lot of runs. They are keeping runs off the board. They are catching the fucking ball. I like it.

Tomorrow's game is at 1:05. Jordan Hicks gets the ball.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Ten-spot

SF 10  PHI 4

The Giants put up TEN RUNS in Philly tonight and kicked some serious ass. Landen Roupp struggled at the opening and gave up three runs in the 1st. But the Giants responded with six in the 2nd and never looked back. Roupp managed to go five, giving up another run, but the lineup tacked on two more in the 7th and two more in the 9th to seal the deal. Randy Rodriguez, Erik Miller, Tyler Rogers, and Camilo Doval racked up four scoreless, allowing only two hits and one walk alongside four whiffs.

Who are these guys? This has been an amazing start to the season. I did not expect to see this club confidently swagger around in East Coast bandboxes and whip the locals. But so far, so good!

Tyler Fitzgerald was tonight's hitting star and he certainly needed a breakout game. He doubled, tripled, and homered in four trips to the plate, scoring three and driving in three. Mike Yastrzemski added a double and homer as well, scoring two and driving in three.

The 12-4 Giants send Justin Verlander out tomorrow night to face Jesús Lazardo (3:45 PT). There are six more road games before they come home on the 21st, and then they play seven more games before an off-day on the 28th.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Lee leads Giants

SF 5  NYY 4

The Giants took the series in New York behind an explosive performance from center fielder Jung Hoo Lee. Carlos Rodón retired ten of the first eleven hitters, but with one out in the 4th Lee took him deep. In the 6th he hit a three-run homer to turn the 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. He even added a walk later. For the series Lee was 6-for-9 with two homers, a double, four walks, and four runs scored with only one strikeout. He's slashing .352/.426/.704 in 61 plate appearances over 14 games.

Logan Webb had a hard time throwing strikes early in the game. He walked people and gave up extra base hits but only got hurt on a couple of broken bat dinkers. After a run in the 1st and two in the 2nd he looked more like himself for the next three scoreless frames. He was done after five (97 pitches). Hayden Birdsong delivered an impressive two-inning, no-runs stint after that. The Giants added a run in the 7th. Tyler Rogers gave that run back on a solo shot in the bottom of the 8th. Otherwise he got three ground balls! Ryan Walker closed it out in the 9th, striking out Aaron Judge to end it.

A very satisfying win on the road today especially after a deflating loss yesterday. Obviously Jung Hoo was the hero but a shout-out to Birdsong for a clutch relief job. Rogers finally got knicked for a run after seven scoreless appearances (7 IP, 26 TBF). Walker is 4-for-4 in save chances. He hadn't pitched since Wednesday yet came in today in a tight contest and got the job done.

It doesn't get easier as the Giants travel to Philadelphia for four against the NL East powerhouse. Landen Roupp goes tomorrow against Tijuan Walker at 3:45 Pacific. It's Justin Verlander and Jesus Lazardo on Tuesday, Robbie Ray and Aaron Nola on Wednesday (both also at 3:45), and Jordan Hicks and Cristopher Sánchez on Thursday (1:05). At least they miss Zack Wheeler this time.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants pour it on

SF 9  NYY 1 (6)

It rained in the Bronx and delayed the contest by half an hour. Then it rained for the entire game before the umpires finally called it in the top of the 6th. The Giants jumped all over Marcus Stroman and led 5-0 after the 1st. The highlight was a 3-run homer from Jung Hoo Lee. He (.340) and Mike Yastrzemski (.343) are the best hitters on the club in the early going. Robbie Ray labored in the sloppy conditions but got through four frames with seven whiffs, allowing only two hits (but four walks) and one run. The Giants added three in the 5th, one more in the 6th, and the game was called with the bases loaded. Yankees pitchers issued eleven walks. It was ugly. Unless of course you're a Giants fan!

That's ten wins in the first thirteen games (.769). The last time the Giants started this well was in 2003 when they were 12-1 in the same stretch. That was a good team—they were in first place for the entire season and finished with 100 wins.

Tomorrow's game is listed for 12:05 Pacific. We'll see if the weather cooperates. Jordan Hicks gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Flo and Yaz save the day

 SF 8  CIN 6 (10)

The Giants avoid a sweep with a dramatic walk-off win. Falling behind early by five runs they battled back and tied it in the 8th on Wilmer's homer. They won it in the 10th with a Mike Yastrzemski Splash Hit.

I was on Mount Shasta having my final skiing day of the season. It was a beautiful day and I missed the game entirely. I followed all of last night's disappointing 1-0 loss. Fortunately the bats awakened today.

Tomorrow is a travel day and they open a three-game set in Yankee Stadium Friday at 4:05 Pacific. Robbie Ray goes up against Marcus Stroman.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb gets Cained

CIN 2  SF 0

I like to say it's not whether your guy pitched well, it's whether he pitched better than the other guy! In tonight's case—well, not quite. Logan Webb was awesome, throwing seven shutout innings (97 pitches) with TEN strikeouts, eight groundouts, four hits, and no walks. Unfortunately Hunter Greene matched him for seven and continued on until the ninth. The Giants finally forced him out after 104 pitches when Jung Hoo Lee singled and Matt Chapman walked with two outs. Heliot Ramos smoked a liner to left off reliever Tony Santillan but it was caught and that was that. Greene allowed four hits in his 8-2/3 IP, walked one (Chapman in the 9th), and whiffed seven. The Giants made thirteen flyball outs. Greene was still showing 99 mph at the end of the game.

Camilo Doval put two on in the 8th and both scored after Erik Miller came in. With Greene dealing the Giants didn't have much of a chance after that. Lou Trivino got the last four outs. It's too bad they wasted a great start and lost the winning streak. But winning seven in a row is a fine way to start the season. Let's see some more of that.

Landen Roupp gets his second start tomorrow night at 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Wilmer walk-off

SF 5  SEA 4

Wilmer Flores continues to be Mr. Clutch, driving in the winning run pinch-hitting in the bottom of the 9th to give the Giants a sweep of the Mariners. He tagged Gregory Santos' first pitch for a single to right to plate Luis Matos. That's seven in a row and their 8-1 record (.889) is the best in the NL West, edging LA (9-2, .818) and SD (8-2, .800).

Jordan Hicks was not as effective this afternoon after his great effort in Houston. He struggled with close pitches, Seattle hitters laid off and made him work. He allowed solo homers to Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh. He got one out in the 6th before putting two on and getting pulled. Overall he threw 90 pitches but only 56 strikes. The Giants got a big lift in the 5th with a four-run rally, Mike Yastrzemski hitting a three-run homer. Randy Rodriguez finished the 6th giving up Hicks' third run but closing the door. It was 4-3 Giants and Tyler Rogers and Erik Miller kept the M's off the board until the 9th. Camilo Doval couldn't close it out, giving up the tying run, but a nice play in LF by Luis Matos saved the go-ahead run from scoring.

Yaz walked to open the 9th, Matos forced him at second. A foul fly ball to the right field corner from Patrick Bailey was caught spectacularly by Victor Robles. He got tangled in the netting and fell hard, and couldn't make a throw. Matos scooted around to third base. Robles was taken out of the game. Then Wilmer got his winner.

Logan Webb gets the start tomorrow night at 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants keep it rolling

SF 4  SEA 1

Robbie Ray was a little wild (5 walks) but managed to keep things under control for six innings, allowing just one run on a solo homer by Dylan Moore. A strong relief effort from Hayden Birdsong, who threw a scoreless 7th and 8th, set up the win. Ryan Walker got the save. Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman did the heavy lifting with five hits and four runs between them.

The win vaunts the team into second place in the NL West as the Padres fall to 7-2. Jordan Hicks gets the ball tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Wild win in extras

SF 10  SEA 9  (11)

It was fitting that Willy Adames would play the hero this afternoon in San Francisco. FNGs always have to prove themselves even when they are already stars. Matt Chapman earned his pay last season and fans are hoping Adames will do the same. Today he had three hits and drove in the tying and winning runs. Not a bad way to say 'hello' to a new audience!

The Giants could have scored 20 runs today. And they could have just as easily booted the whole mess. It was one of those crazy, up-and-down contests that really could have gone either way. Thank goodness for home field advantage. Tyler Fitzgerald had a rough day at the plate and a rough day in the field but his speed in the bottom of the 11th provided the winning margin. Most guys would have been thrown out on that play.

Randy Rodriguez was brilliant in relief of Justin Verlander. He's another highlight. Heliot Ramos had three hits but all were singles and so his consecutive game XBH streak ended at six. LaMonte Wade, Jr. had three hits (two doubles) and that's good to see. Overall the Giants got 17 hits, plus six walks and a Mariners error, but were 6-for-28 (.214) with RISP. They left 16 guys on base!

It was quite a game—over four hours. The Giants used eight pitchers and 12 position players. The start to this season has been really fun. Let's hope they can keep the momentum going. Tomorrow's game is at 6:05 Pacific and Robbie Ray takes the hill.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Four in a row

SF 6  HOU 3

The Giants keep their win streak alive with a sweep of the Astros in Houston. They tagged Framber Valdez with a couple of homers early in the game and held on to win. Valdez is an extreme ground ball pitcher and does not give up many dingers but Wilmer Flores took him deep in the 1st and Luis Matos launched one in the 2nd. That's the fourth for Flo and the first for Matos who started in place of Jung Hoo Lee. Heliot Ramos' two-run double made it 5-0 after two. Valdez lasted five frames, walking four and whiffing nine. The Giants would strike out 16 times today and the Astros would add 14 of their own.

Landen Roupp had the strikeout stuff going (8 in 4+ IP) but like Alvarez he also had four bases on balls. Those ultimately hurt him and he left the game in the 5th. Randy Rodriguez gave up a hit that probably should have been caught (the Giants blew a pop up play, too) to make it 5-3 but then shut it down. His performance probably saved the day. Hayden Birdsong followed with two scoreless despite two hits and a walk. Tyler Rogers dominated the 8th and Camilo Doval closed out the 9th. LaMonte Wade, Jr., hitless in his first five games, pinch-hit in the 8th and smacked a homer to make it 6-3, giving the team a little breathing room.

It's an impressive start to 2025. Last year the team won ONE road series (the last one of the season in KC). The home opener is Friday afternoon at 1:35 with Justin Verlander taking the hill.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb goes seven

SF 3  HOU 1

His only blemish was a solo shot from Jose Altuve on a 3-2 count. Logan Webb threw 100 pitches and got six whiffs and nine ground outs with no walks and five hits allowed. Three double plays really helped but of course that's Webb's game. Willy Adames got the big hit, a two-run double in the 3rd, and Heliot Ramos hit a homer in the 4th. That's five straight games with an XBH for Ramos!

Tyler Rogers put two on with two out in the 8th but held on to the 3-1 lead. Ryan Walker closed out the 9th. The Giants struck out 13 times and had a mere four hits and four walks but made the most of them. Of the four there were two doubles and a home run. The Astros had seven hits including a homer but six were singles and no bases on balls. Tough pitching by both clubs tonight so that's a nice win for the good guys.

Landen Roupp goes tomorrow at 1:10 Pacific. Thursday is a travel day and they open at home on Friday.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Hicks goes six

SF 7  HOU 2

The Giants kicked ass in Houston tonight in large part because of an impressive first start from Jordan Hicks. He went a full six innings, the longest start so far, and allowed only one hit. With six whiffs, six groundouts, and just two walks in his 72 pitches it's fair to say Hicks dominated.

The Giants backed him with a run in the 2nd, a run in the 5th, three in the 6th, and two more in the 9th. Wilmer Flores had a two-out knock to drive in that first run and his three-run homer in the 6th also came with two outs. He's Mr. Clutch so far this season. Matt Chapman's single in the 9th to drive in two also came with two outs.

Camilo Doval pitched a scoreless 7th. Spencer Bivens gave up a two-out two-run double in the 8th. Erik Miller came in to strike out Yordan Alvarez and that was that for the Astros. Ryan Walker finished up.

Logan Webb is listed as the starter for tomorrow (5:10). Looks like Landen Roupp will take the getaway game (1:10 Pacific) on Wednesday.

 Go Giants!

--M.C.

Series win in Cincy

SF 6  CIN 3

Unlike yesterday's 3-2 loss the lineup delivered the big hits today. A run in the 5th, three in the 6th, and two more in a clutch 8th gave the Giants enough for a win. Robbie Ray had a perfect game through five frames but fell victim to the long ball with one out in the 6th. He finished with 5-1/3 IP (78 pitches), 3 R, 1 W, 4 K. Overall the pitchers had a good series: only ten runs allowed in the three games.

Tyler Fitzgerald used his power and speed to get on thrice and score twice. Heliot Ramos hit another homer and Matt Chapman got his first. Jung Hoo Lee had two hits and scored two. The fielders made a couple of big plays late. Tyler Rogers put two on in the 8th with a 6-3 lead and got two ground balls. Chapman turned the second one into a double play and they got out of it unscathed. In the 9th Ramos made a diving catch with one out to back Camilo Doval who notched the save.

I know it's only 1/54 (one fifty-fourth) of the season but I feel good about the series win. Taking two of three on the road against a tough club is nothing to complain about! Tomorrow they are in Houston (5:10 PDT) and Jordan Hicks gets his turn.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Flo's blast stuns Reds

SF 6  CIN 4

The Giants looked like they would whiff their opener—they struck out 17 times! But they struck back with four runs in a dramatic 9th to overtake the Reds. Jung Hoo Lee walked with one out, Matt Chapman singled him to third, and with two outs Patrick Bailey singled to tie the game. Wilmer Flores then homered to give the Giants the winning margin.

Logan Webb was not ace-like. His command was off: out of 78 pitches only 46 were strikes. He gave up six hits and three walks in his five frames and left with the team behind 3-2. But he kept the ball in the yard and looked like he could have tossed another scoreless inning. He got five ground ball outs including a double play and struck out seven. So, I'll take the positives! Heliot Ramos was responsible for those two runs. He homered with two outs in the 4th after an epic 11-pitch battle. He drove in Lee who had walked with one out. Wilmer had an 11-pitch AB in the 7th. It ended in a strikeout but I love to see that. I had a good feeling when he came to the plate in the 9th and sure enough he delivered.

Randy Rodriguez, Erik Miller, and Tyler Rogers each got an inning. Ryan Walker gave up a run with two outs in the 9th for the only blemish on the 'pen.

It's great to start the season with a win, especially on the road! Tomorrow, oddly, is an off-day. Justin Verlander gets the start on Saturday at 1:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants open tomorrow

Opening Day for the San Francisco Giants will be in Cincinnati tomorrow afternoon. Game time is 1:10 Pacific. Logan Webb will match up with Hunter Greene. Baseball is finally here!!

I will no longer be cross-posting to Facebook. If you read RMC at ZuckLand you'll miss out. Better to bookmark this site and access it from your browser. Or you can send me your email and I will add you to the notification list (you'll be emailed when there's a new post).

GO GIANTS!! 

--M.C.

The rotation

The biggest news from Spring Training involves two pitchers who were starters last season but now looking at new roles this season. Young southpaw Kyle Harrison made 24 starts as a rookie but will open the season in AAA after being optioned. He's only 23 and can certainly grow and learn and get back to the bigs real soon. Hayden Birdsong had 16 starts last year but will begin this year in the bullpen. He's pitched well in the pre-season but was pipped for the fifth spot by Landen Roupp. Birdsong like Harrison is just 23 so he's got time to develop. The 26-year old Roupp has fewer ML innings than either of his younger teammates but nonetheless edged them out for the coveted final starter position.

Logan Webb of course remains the Number One and he is expected to be among the league leaders in innings again. He's thrown 200+ in both 2023 and 2024. He's a grizzled ace at age 28. Speaking of grizzled, 33-year old lefty Robbie Ray and 42-year old Justin Verlander get the next two spots. Both have Cy Young Awards on their shelves. JV is Cooperstown-bound but it's hard to count on a pitcher in their 40s. That being said I would not be surprised by a resurgence. Maybe 25 starts, 150 IP, and 2+ WAR? Is that unrealistic? Robbie Ray is just as hard to project. If he can stay healthy and deliver 30 starts he could be Robin to Webb's Batman and the Dynamic Duo could make an impact on the pennant race.

The fourth spot goes to Jordan Hicks. I really liked this move when Farhan Zaidi signed the converted reliever. Hicks has dominant stuff and wanted to re-invent himself as a starter. The experiment worked for a while then collapsed. I appreciate a ballplayer who steps outside of his comfort zone! We'll see if he can find his way in 2025. Perhaps a different usage pattern would help. Most guys don't like a mixed starter/reliever role but we've seen it work. Yusmeiro Petit might be one of the best guys ever to do that. He's proof it's possible!

There's now some depth in the organization. Keaton Winn, Mason Black, Tristan Beck and The Carsons (Whisenhunt, Seymour, and Ragsdale) will all be in Sacramento with Harrison. That bodes well for the future.

 --M.C.

The lineup

The Giants have the best record in the Cactus League. Too bad it doesn't count! But I have to take it as a good sign. The team had few questions going into Spring Training and those seem to be getting answered.

The left side of the infield (Willy Adames at SS and Matt Chapman and 3B) will be very strong. Adames isn't Francisco Lindor but he's in the top ten of MLB shortstops. Having an athletic fielder at SS who also hits and hits for power is now de riguer for a ballclub. Defensive specialists are lower on the depth charts these days. Chapman is even more elite--certainly a top five player. He's up there with guys like Austin Riley and Jose Ramirez. Giants pitchers will love these gloves behind them.

Jung Hoo Lee in center field is the next best player on the team. It's not hard to see him as a 3+ WAR player if he's healthy. Heliot Ramos had a nice breakout last year and earned himself the starting LF job. The MLB average K% (SO/PA) is about 23%. Ramos came in at 26% last year. Walk rates (BB/PA) average 8-9%, Ramos was at 7% in 2024. So--is he poised to improve or regress? If you can answer that you can have Buster's job! Mike Yastrzemski, who has been remarkably consistent in his time with the Giants, will be the right fielder. He's usually easy to project (2+ WAR) but at age 34 time could be catching up with him.

At first base the platoon of LaMonte Wade, Jr. and Wilmer Flores looks great on paper. Mr. OBP and Mr. Lefty-masher should be productive. Flores, unfortunately, had his worst season ever in 2024 on the heels of his best-ever season in 2023. Injuries robbed Wade's power in 2024 but he maintained his excellent on-base skills. The big question mark is young Tyler Fitzgerald. Like Ramos he had a nice breakout but his high K-rate (31%) is concerning. Both players benefited from some high-BABIP luck that ran out as the season came to a close. Fitz probably has enough power to hold on to his job even if he struggles a bit. He's the starting second baseman for 2025.

Catching is Patrick Bailey's bailiwick. He's a glove wizard but has yet to establish himself as a consistent hitter. He's looked good this spring cutting down his strikeouts and getting his average up. With Jerar Encarnacion fracturing his wrist the DH slot looks less certain. We'll probably see a rotation of sorts.

It's not a lineup that will strike fear in the hearts of opposing teams but it ought to be competent. The NL West is so loaded that getting a playoff spot will be tough even with an improved win total. This team will need to play great defense and get good pitching (that's the next post).

Check out this nice article about Buster Posey from Alden Gonzalez at ESPN (h/t Baseball Musings). He's a very competitive fellow, as you would imagine. This isn't his team quite yet. The roster was mostly built by his predecessor. His first task will be to get the best out of the players he has.

--M.C.

Cactus League Opener

SF 6  TEX 1

The Giants played a good, crisp game to start their exhibition season. It's just the kind of game we hope to see a lot of from this young team. Highlights were many today. Jung Hoo Lee smoked the first pitch he saw for a line drive single. Landen Roupp got the start and threw two scoreless with three whiffs. Catcher Sam Huff hit a homer to give the Giants an early lead (veteran non-roster invitee Jake Lamb was on base). A Luis Matos RBI hit made it 3-0 in the 5th. Four Giants pitchers (NRIs Enny Romero, Kai-Wei Teng, Joel Peguero, and Cole Waites) kept the Rangers off the board with two hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Raymond Burgos gave up a homer in the 7th but NRI Miguel Diaz put up a zero in the bottom of the 8th.

Then the fun started. Super-prospect Bryce Eldridge hit a monster homer to center with one out and one on to make it 5-1 Giants. It was the kind of moonshot everyone was hoping to see the 20-year old launch this spring. He struck out in his first at-bat but recovered from an 0-2 hole in the second at-bat to impress the crowd. And the announcers. Jon Miller and Duane Kuiper were pretty excited. After that Grant McCray hit a homer to left! I think we all want to see the speedster "serve notice" and make the squad. NRI Justin Garza finished up.

It was good to see Brett "Maverick" Wisley get two hits. Casey Schmitt added a knock as well. These guys are already on the 40-man roster (like Roupp, Matos, McCray, and Huff). Wisley, as a lefty hitter, has a good shot at a bench spot.

Logan Webb gets his first start tomorrow (Reds, 12:05 PT). Go Giants!

--M.C.

Full-squad workout

The schedule page on the Giants website says today is the first "full-squad" workout. And that the first Spring game will be on Saturday (against the Rangers).

What am I hoping for? That the Giants Youth Movement will take a step forward. Right now we have C Patrick Bailey (25) anchoring the defense. Up the middle is 2B Tyler Fitzgerald (27) and CF Jung Hoo Lee (26). LF Heliot Ramos (25) will flank Lee, with Luis Matos (23), Marco Luciano (23), Grant McCray (24), and Wade Meckler (24) in the wings.

The biggest prospect in the system is lefty slugging 1B Bryce Eldridge who is still only 20 years of age. Perhaps we'll see him later in the season if he lights it up at AAA. The same goes for the other big prospect, lefty pitcher Carson Whisenhunt (24). He is a likely late-season call-up, too. Both are non-roster invites to this year's camp. I hope they turn some heads this spring! By the way Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs released his Top 100 Prospects list. Eldridge came in at #26 and Whisenhunt at #95.

On the pitching side there are certainly a lot of youngsters. Logan Webb is still only 28 and in his prime but he's a seasoned veteran at this point. A big step forward from lefty starter Kyle Harrison (23) will be huge for the club. The same goes for young righty starter Hayden Birdsong (23). Big expectations are out there for another young lefty, reliever Erik Miller (27), currently the only southpaw in the 'pen. Ryan Walker is 29, but only a third-year player, and Camilo Doval is still only 27. Sean Hjelle (27), Tristan Beck (28), Keaton Winn (27), and Randy Rodriguez (25) round out the choices.

That's a lot of upside!

The Giants didn't do much in the off-season. Getting Willy Adames was a no-brainer. They really needed a real shortstop. He will make a great tandem with 3B Matt Chapman. (Team defense was a serious problem last year.) And Justin Verlander will probably deliver a solid season. Buster Posey will be fielding Farhan Zaidi's team, for the most part. We aren't going to know what kind of PoBO Posey will be for a while as he has yet to construct a roster.

The Giants have wallowed in mediocrity since their fabulous 2021 NL West title. Yaz, Wilmer, Webb, Doval, Tyler Rogers, and Wade, Jr. are the only ones left from that team. It's time for some winning ways. Let's hope the Youth Movement pays off in 2025!

--M.C.

Projections

FanGraphs has released its projected standings and playoff odds for 2025. The Giants, as you might expect, are predicted to be a .500 (81-81) team!

The NL West will be dominated by the Dodgers, again no surprise there, and the second-best team is expected to be the Diamondbacks. That's not unreasonable given their two top starters and their quality lineup. What's interesting to Giants fans is that the Padres are looking vulnerable. The Giants have a real shot at third place.

 

 

Sorry for the poor picture. Click the links above to see the whole thing. Or click on the image to enlarge it.

Going from a .500 team to a playoff team will require at least five more wins. Ten would be better. Last year it took 86 wins (Tigers and Royals) in the AL and it took 89 wins (Mets and Braves) in the NL to make the cut.

Are the 2025 Giants ten games better than the 2024 team? I don't see it. A five game improvement looks possible with the addition of Adames and (we hope) bounce back years from Doval and Ray and continued improvement from Harrison, Fitzgerald, and Ramos.

The 2025 team is relying on internal solutions. The young corps needs to step up and contribute!

--M.C.

p.s. David Pinto at Baseball Musings had a post a while back with a proposal to re-arrange the divisions so more teams have a chance at the playoffs. It's a little rough, but it's a cool idea. It at least addresses some of the things Zo mentioned in his last post.

Upgrades

I think the Giants should sign free agent right-hander Jack Flaherty to a short-term deal. (I'll take almost anyone on a short-term deal.) He's going to give you 25-30 starts with above-average results. Flaherty's market is depressed and he needs to prove himself with a good year and then opt-out. Think Kevin Gausman and Carlos Rodon. (He's not as good as those guys, but that's okay.) It's never bad to have a surplus of starting pitchers.

Right now the Giants are expecting the kind of performance I described for Flaherty from four guys: Ray, Verlander, Hicks, and Harrison. How many of those guys are going to deliver 2+ WAR? Ray did it last in 2022, Verlander in 2023, and neither Hicks nor Harrison pulled it off last year. After that they have a nice group of youngsters—by definition unproven—like Roupp, Birdsong, Black, Rodriguez, etc. I like this group of hurlers but there's a heapin' pile of uncertainty there! Even Flaherty, an eight-year veteran, has exhibited big swings in seasonal WAR totals. There are red flags with him, like declining velocity, but he'd be relatively cheap. He's not going to get the multi-year deal he wanted. And San Francisco is a great place for pitchers.

Really all of this is to say I'd like to see one more starting pitcher added to the mix. I don't believe free agent veterans "block" prospects and young players. It's a performance-oriented workplace. If you deliver the goods you get to play. If the youngsters want time on the field then they have to shine on the field. Am I right? And it's just money. The Giants have plenty. They can afford to take a risk on a veteran pitcher because they need the depth to compete with the other teams in the NL West.

I think they need another position player/DH type for some more thump in the lineup. Or at least some more competition in Spring Training. Somebody like Randal Grichuk is a free agent and he's actually been linked to the Giants. Austin Hays, Tommy Pham, Jorge Polanco, and Paul DeJong are other examples of low-cost free agent players available at this point. Alex Bregman, Ha-Seong Kim, and Pete Alonso are the "big names" left on the board. None would be a fit. Bregman because of length and cost, Kim because Adames and Fitzgerald are already at SS an 2B, and Alonso because he's too limited, and they have Wade and Flores as a platoon pair.

These aren't exciting propositions. We aren't buying a new car, just getting some upgrades on the old one. Right now the Giants look like they've looked for the last three seasons: fair-to-middling with an outside shot at being good enough to get a post-season berth. A couple of breakout seasons from the youth brigade and it's a different story. I know we'd all like to see that!

--M.C.

Baseball, We Have a Problem

Roki Sasaki decided to sign a MLB contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, because, of course he did.  Just like the last best pitcher available, Yamamoto, and that other pitcher, Snell.  Oh, and Ohtani.  Not to forget Betts, Freeman and all the other stars.  And thus, baseball gets to be a little less of a game and more of a race between merger and acquisition specialists to see who wins.  The game becomes incidental. And that's a problem, because while some Angelenos, even if they can no longer afford to go to a game, may think it's fine to watch their team pile up superstars and, maybe, trophies for years, they might not notice one-time fans of the sport slowly slipping away.

I see the sport devolving into a few oligarchs, the Mets, the Yankees, and the Dodgers, and a few teams who can make a splash on occasion, and maybe win it all, like Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and probably San Francisco, but not sustain the level of investment that it takes to do this year in and year out.  Then there are the teams that are willing to spend money, but have to be selective, like Arizona, and St. Louis.  Below them are the teams that don't really stand a chance.  Sure, they might sneak into an expanded playoff format on occasion, but unless luck plays a much larger part than anyone who ever reads statistics imagines,  they aren't going to win.  Finally, at the bottom are teams that don't care about winning, they exist as developmental and feeder teams for other clubs and are making money from revenue sharing, like the A's and Rockies.

Major League Baseball probably doesn't care, but it should.  Tickets are expensive, but the better teams seem to sell tickets fairly well.  I spend money on entertainment of various sorts, but a fundamental principle of sports is that the outcome is not pre-determined.  And as soon as that premise, real or imagined, slips away, there is no point in bothering to observe the sport any more.  Or, to put it more accurately, as soon as that premise appears to be no longer valid, there is no sport anymore.  And it seems to me that, thanks to LA co-opting the WBC Championship team, that premise is definitely open to question.  I think the Giants have an interesting team of young players (finally).  But I'm thinking we could all save time by just giving LA the NL West title right now.  I will certainly be watching less.  And for someone raised as a baseball fan from my earliest memories, that's saying something.  Baseball should address these inequalities that are becoming more and more prevalent, or they will become a minor sport. 

The 2025 Giants: starting pitching

It all starts with Logan Webb, of course. He's penciled in for 4+ WAR and if he doesn't do that then the Giants are in a world of hurt. He's started 33 games in back-to-back seasons while throwing 200+ innings in both. He gets guys to hit it on the ground, keeps the ball in the yard, and doesn't give away freebies. He's one of the best pitchers in the game. He's 28 and signed through 2028.

The next guy in line is Robbie Ray. He's probably the most important person on this list! The Giants need something from Ray. They need length. He needs to start lots of games and throw lots of innings. He made 32 starts in both 2021 (193 IP) and 2022 (189 IP) before his surgery. He's 33 now and won't likely top those numbers ever again but he should be healthy and able to pitch a full season. FanGraphs projects him for 28 starts and 161 IP with a 3.95 ERA (his career mark is 3.98). That's about 2 WAR. Ray is a high-K pitcher but struggles a bit with the long ball. If he can keep his walks down he can stay in games and give the Giants some quality innings.

Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks fill the next two spots. Both are hard to project. Harrison is only 23. He was one of the top lefty prospects in MLB when he made his debut. We saw some flashes of that talent in an up-and-down year for the youngster (24 starts, 4.56 ERA). He gave up too many hits and too many long balls but he has the strikeout stuff to succeed. With more experience and maturity he has a good chance to evolve into a top starter. There's lots of upside with Harrison. Hicks suffered a Tale of Two Seasons last year. He was very effective as a starter early on, then struggled badly and was used in relief. He's the perfect swingman—think Yusmeiro Petit—but it seems guys don't like that role. Hicks threw a career-high 109-2/3 IP in 2024. Can we expect him to push that up to 150? Hard to know.

So it is easy to see why the Giants pursued Corbin Burnes and ultimately signed Justin Verlander. Last year the starters didn't get it done and the bullpen got over-worked. They need innings! Lots more innings from the rotation.

The Giants have a pool of guys who could have filled the fifth starter spot and may ultimately do that before the season is out. Hayden Birdsong is the obvious leading candidate—he had 16 starts last year and showed some real potential. Keaton Winn had 12 starts and Mason Black had 8 starts. There's Landen Roupp and Tristan Beck in the mix. There are the three young Carsons in the high minors: Ragsdale, Seymour, and Whisenhunt. It feels like there is a lot of pitching talent in the organization right now and that bodes well for the future.

--M.C.

Justin Verlander

So for half as much money as the Diamondbacks are paying Corbin Burnes the Giants will take a flyer on 42-year old no-doubt-future-HOFer Justin Verlander. He had a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts (90-1/3 IP) last season. You can see this as a desperation move. Buster and The Gang lost out on Burnes and they went to Ye Olde Vintage Shoppe and came back with JV. Hey, it's MLB economics, an entire discipline in itself, who can understand what things cost anymore?

Or, you can see this as an upgrade on Robbie Ray. No disrespect to Robbie, a former Cy Young awardee himself, but this is his role. Dispenser of Leadership and Veteran Savvy Clutchness. Showing the bevy of young arms how to be a major leaguer. Ray, I should note, is getting $25M both this year and next. (Once again it is that goofy Baseball Econ 101.) Both guys will probably put up 2+ WAR and be solid #3-starter types. Alex Cobb put up back-to-back 2.5 WAR seasons with the Giants. Maybe Verlander captures a little of that gritty old-guy-in-a-new-place magic and gives the team a couple dozen starts.

I expected something along these lines when the Burnes thing didn't happen. This is the kind of thing, once again, that the Giants have to do. They can afford to blow $15M! The Dodgers do it all the time. The Giants have to plug the holes and they can't be afraid to make a choice and go forward. The worst outcome is that some young pitchers will have to work a little harder to prove they should push aside established veterans. That's got to make them better players! If they have any brains at all they'll realize having a real superstar in their midst will only help them. Verlander's reputation is that he's "not an asshole" despite his stature in the game and is an approachable teammate. He's got to know as much about pitching as anyone does, don't you think?

Go Giants!

--M.C.

The 2025 Giants, part 3

I think the bullpen will be a strength of the team. I really like both righty Ryan Walker and lefty Erik Miller. Walker threw 80 innings last year and only allowed 50 hits and 18 walks while striking out 99. He even had 10 saves! Miller wasn't quite as dominant in his rookie season and had some command issues (38 BB in 67-1/3 IP) but whiffed 87 and only allowed 50 hits. Both these guys will be hugely important in 2025.

Veteran stalwarts Tyler (righty) and Taylor (lefty) Rogers will be back. The twins are 34 and both are coming off 1+ WAR seasons. Tyler is one of my favorite ballplayers. He's led MLB in appearances three times in his last five seasons and still manages to baffle hitters with his weird delivery. Last year he walked only six batters in 70-1/3 IP!

Camilo Doval was an All-Star closer before last year's disastrous campaign. He's 27 and immensely talented, it's not hard to believe he will bounce back and be a dominant pitcher again.

There are a host of other relievers and we saw all of them in 2024. The top four in IP were Sean Hjelle (27), Randy Rodriguez (24), Landen Roupp (25), and Spencer Bivens (30). There should be some useful arms there. In 2025 they'll need to get more innings out of the starters so they don't wear down the bullpen. I'll look at the rotation in the next post.

--M.C.

The 2025 Giants, part 2

The Giants are lucky to have a young, talented ballplayer at a key infield position. That would be 25-yeaer old Patrick Bailey who is one of the most valuable fielders in MLB. He's a switch-hitter without much of a platoon split but has yet to hit at a league average rate (MLB 2024 was .243/.312/.399) over his 801 career PAs. I suspect he will improve as he hits his prime seasons. His superb work behind the plate makes him a crucial building block for the franchise.

Veterans Matt Chapman and Willy Adames give the Giants middle-of-the-order hitters who are also great fielders. Chapman can be other-worldly at times—we saw him make some sensational plays last season. He's known throughout MLB for his glovework. Newcomer Adames doesn't quite have that same reputation but he's no slouch and looks like a perfect fit. Third base and shortstop are well-covered. Pitchers will enjoy having those guys behind them. Buster Posey believes young players need veteran leaders and role models in the clubhouse and these two guys are ideal for that.

And speaking of young players, Tyler Fitzgerald was a bit of a sensation in 2024, smacking 36 XBH in 96 games and making himself useful all over the diamond. The fanbase really needed an exciting debut from a farmhand and Fitz did his best to fulfill that. Going forward Buster says he will be the starting second baseman in 2025. The projections aren't kind to Fitz and they peg him for a big regression. His high K-rate and .380 BABIP get flagged by the computers, but I'm convinced he's a mature hitter and will make the adjustments. He's 27 so the Giants are capturing his prime seasons. I think if expectations aren't too high on him he can be a solid everyday player with some pop. Adames taking over short and moving Fitz to second base is a smart move. If he's going to stick in the bigs it will be with his big stick!

First base is a bit of a conundrum. LaMonte Wade, Jr. and Wilmer Flores make a pretty good platoon pair but injuries limited them both last season. After a sensational 2023 Wilmer had his worst season in 2024. He's 33 and even though he's one of my favorite ballplayers I think this might be the end for him. He's a free agent next year. Wade once again showed off his excellent on-base skills but his power disappeared. There was talk of trading him. He's also a free agent next year so this is probably his last season in orange-and-black. He just turned 31. We all know about super-prospect lefty slugger Bryce Eldridge. If he lights it up in Spring Training or at AAA he could get the call-up early in the season.

Marco Luciano, Brett Wisely, Casey Schmitt, and David Villar are all on the 40-man roster. Both Schmitt and Villar hit at an above-average rate last year. Villar is 27 and this is probably his last shot with the team as he is out of options. Schmitt looked like he could hit but was a real free-swinger. Lefty Wisely could use some plate discipline as well. Luciano looks over-matched but of course he's only 23.

In the backup catching spot(s) they have both young Blake Sabol and old Tom Murphy in the fold. That will work. Switch-hitting Sabol has shown he can hit at this level and Murphy has a solid track record.

--M.C.

The 2025 Giants, part 1

The Dodgers made another splash, signing KBO IF/OF Hyeseong Kim. He's 25 and profiles much like our very own Jung Hoo Lee. Speaking of Lee, the Giants are counting on him big time. They need a good glove in CF and they need a steady leadoff hitter. We don't know yet if Lee can do that. In 37 games last year he was hitting .262/.310/.331 before his injury. His career line in Korea was .340/.407/.491 which would be phenomenal in MLB. I like to think that will translate into a quality hitter. Certainly we should expect an above-average on-base guy and a strong defender. If he can do that, be a 2-3 WAR player, that would be great.

The same goes for Heliot Ramos. Both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference rate him at 2.3 WAR for last year's .269/.322/.469 in 121 games. Ramos is only 25 so it's not unreasonable to expect him to improve as a hitter. He seems best in left field.

Mike Yastrzemski is a solid bet to deliver 2 WAR in RF. He's done that every year in orange-and-black. He's 34, however. If anyone is a candidate for a decline, it's him. He signed a $9.25M deal for his last year of arb (he's a free agent next year).

Luis Matos, Grant McCray, Jerar Encarnacion, and Wade Meckler all got looks last season. Maybe we'll get a fourth outfielder from that bunch. The starting three are dependable but at this point unspectacular. They can "hold down the fort" but aren't going to carry the club. This would be a good place to improve the team. A young stud emerging this spring or a fresh face from another organization added to the OF mix would be just the thing.

The Dodgers and Padres each have a superstar in their OF (Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis). LA brought back Teoscar Hernandez. The Padres had a rookie sensation last year (Jackson Merrill, 4.4 WAR). The Diamondbacks have the 2023 Rookie of the Year (Corbin Carroll) who "only" managed 3.4 WAR last year. (I don't care about the Rockies.) It's going to be tough to match up against those teams.

I'll take a look at the infield in the next post.

Happy New Year!

--M.C.