The Giants have played 90 games of baseball now, and with 72 games left in the season, that means exactly half of the 2023 season has been completed. I checked the math, and because baseball, it checks out.
Heading into the All-Star Break, there is a lot to like about this year's Giants team, especially when you compare it to last year's team, which set a pretty low bar to begin with. There is also a lot to be desired with this team, as well as a lot that is downright not enjoyable. So let’s get to sorting it all out.
THE GOOD
A Winning Record At The Break
Winning more games than you lose is always a good thing. Yes, the Giants were an above .500 team at the break last year and we all remember how that went. It remains to be seen if the Giants can stay above .500 in the second half, and when you look at the broken down starting pitching staff along with a lineup that suddenly looks rather parched for contact, it is fair to wonder if a similar second half slump could strike this year. My prediction: they will stay above .500.
The Young Guys
Last year's Giants team felt like it was grinding through each day, especially in the second half. This year, even in the down times, the vibe is much more upbeat and positive, and that is because of the jolt of energy this year's batch of rookies has provided. Yes, some of them are struggling, and we will get to that in a bit, but the Giants became a fun team that gave fans hope in the first half, and the likes of Casey Schmitt, Patrick Bailey, Ryan Walker, Blake Sabol and Luis Matos are the biggest reason for that.
Camilo Doval
We have come a long way from Gabe Kapler’s famous “We are very proud of Camilo Doval” after suffering a walkoff loss to the Colorado Rockies back in May of 2021. Doval has become must-see TV for the Giants this year, and according to Farhan Zaidi, has emerged as one of the newer leaders in the clubhouse this season. The praise for Doval feels endless right now, and rightfully so. Finding a closer can be very difficult. Doval has ended that search for the Giants for many years to come.
The Bullpen in General
The 3.80 ERA is not the best, but the 3.3 bullpen WAR is fifth-best in baseball. But eliminate the month of April, and the Giants bullpen has a 2.90 ERA, by far the best in baseball since May 1. the Rogers Brothers, Taylor and Tyler, are a big part of the bullpen's success this year, combining for a 2.62 ERA together. Scott Alexander and rookie Ryan Walker have also be huge contributors out of the pen as well, with Walker, along with John Brebbia before he got hurt, have handled the opener role very well.
The 10-Game Win Streak
Most of the damage done in that 10-game win streak was done against the NL West, including that wonderful 15-0 pounding the Giants put on the Los Angeles Dodgers in The Chavez Ravine. That win streak came during a 33-18 stretch for the Giants from May 1 through June 25 that vaulted the Giants right into the thick of the National League playoff race.
The Opener
It may not be the sexiest way to win baseball games, but it is getting results for the Giants. In 14 games in which they have deployed an opener, the Giants are 11-3, allowing 2.9 runs per game while sporting a 2.88 ERA.
Hitting w/ RISP
Hitting .280 with runners in scoring position, fifth-best in baseball.
Better Defense
16 Outs Above Average on defense, third-best in MLB, and a far cry from the -33 OAA the Giants put up last year, which was the worst in the league.
Patrick Bailey Behind The Plate
Throwing out 12 of 32 would be base stealers. That 38 percent success rate is far better than the league average of 20 percent.
THE BAD
The Month of April
The Giants went 11-16 in April and looked abysmal doing it. A 4.70 team ERA and an even worse 6.15 ERA from the bullpen and an offense that was wildly average on its best days, of which there were few. The fact the Giants record is as good as it is now is actually quite a testament to this team.
Record vs. Bad Teams
The Giants record vs. the Cubs, Tigers, Royals, and Nationals is 3-8 while being outscored 46-51. The combined winning percentage of those four teams is .398 and a combined run differential of -298. Good teams beat bad teams and those are the kind of missed opportunities we will look back on if the Giants miss the playoffs by a game or two.
The Joey Bart Experience
The emergence of Patrick Bailey prevents this from falling into the ugly category, but a lowkey subplot of this season has been what appears to be the silent demise of Joey Bart's future with the Giants. The Opening Day catcher, Bart his .231 with five extra base hits and four RBIs in 26 games to start the season before landing on the IL. You have barely thought about him since.
Brandon Crawford
Sure, there have been flashes this season. In one stretch from May 14 through June 24 he hit .272 with an OPS of .720, and on defense he looked liked vintage Brandon Crawford some of the time. Other than that, the signs that Brandon Crawford is slowing down have never been more evident. The range is not there, and the pop at the plate, which was sparse to begin with, is absent most nights, hot stretch notwithstanding. The end is never easy, and Crawford seems to be taking it in stride and has been indispensable as a clubhouse leader and mentor for the younger players.
Two Out Homeruns
35 home runs allowed with two outs, tied for ninth-worst in baseball with the, oh hey the Dodgers. Even still, giving up home runs rather than ending the inning is never good.
Getaway Days
3-5 on home getaway days. Need to be able to secure wins before hitting the road.
Fatigue
Everyone gets tired in the grind of a baseball season. The best teams find a way to overcome the tired. The Giants struggled to overcome the tired, hitting .210 while finishing the first half on a 5-8 skid.
THE UGLY
The Offseason Results
Michael Conforto has been good when healthy. Taylor Rogers settled in after a rough start and throwing away his glove. Other than that, Farhan Zaidi’s offseason has been an unmitigated disaster. Ross Stripling was given $10 million plus a player option and has a 6.37 ERA. Sean Manaea also got $10 million and has a 5.49 ERA and the Giants seem unwilling to let him back into the starting rotation, where he had a 7.54 ERA before his move to the bullpen. Joc Pederson was given $20 million to come back and be half of a lackluster platoon at DH. And Mitch Haniger got off to a slow start after an oblique injury in spring training, and never really got going before suffering a broken forearm that could hold him out of action until September, assuming he makes it back at all.
Rotation Health
The Giants have been getting consistent production from basically just Logan Webb this season, and even that has been spotty at times. Alex Cobb has also been reliable other than when he was on the IL. The rest of the rotation has been a patchwork job, or a puzzle as Gabe Kapler likes to call it. Whatever you want to call it, the Giants cannot expect to make a playoff run without a full 5-man rotation, something that they may have to look outside the organization to fix. When they do start, Giants starters are averaging about 5.1 IP per start, but that number drops to 4.2 IP if you exclude innings pitched leader Logan Webb.
Casey Schmitt’s Regression
In his first 22 games he hit .325 with 16 strikeouts and a lone walk. In 28 games since, he is hitting .120 with 23 strikeouts, but improved his patience with 5 walks. His swing percentage of 57.6 percent is ninth-highest in baseball, and while aggression is good, too much is not, as evident by the 47 percent of the time he swings at pitches outside the zone, fifth-highest in baseball. The Giants maintain they believe in Casey Schmitt long term, but something needs to change for him at the plate.
Strikeouts
846 strikeouts, third in MLB. Stop striking out please!
Errors
64 errors, most in MLB. Kind of takes away the shine of the 16 outs above average state doesn’t it?
There is plenty more that is good, bad and ugly about this season so far, but when I did this last year I inadvertently blew through the accepted word count by my editor and now that I am just about at that limit now, I feel I will do my guy a solid and end things here.
Here is hoping for a successful playoff run in the second half.
Go Giants!
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