MLB Preview 2015: San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants 2014 Record: 88-74
Team Overview:
The Giants have to be the least talked about dynasty of all time. Three World Series in five years, but also two post seasons on the couch can show to the parity in the league, and can also bring to question how strong of a dynasty the Giants are. They snuck in as a five seed last year and while their post season workhorse Madison Bumgarner returns, their key situational bat Pablo Sandoval took a big check elsewhere. It will be interesting to see if a team who had to fight for that post season chance will get back a year later, in a tougher NL West.
The team has one core piece now with losing Sandoval and that is Buster Posey. Not only does Posey lead the team as the best hitter in the lineup, he is the defensive core behind that plate. Honestly he sets the tone that makes a defense as a whole click.
Angel Pagan and Nori Aoki will compete for the lead off hitter role and time in the outfield. Neither brings any power but both can get on base and can be consistent. Hunter Pence is another team leader and could join this outfield later this summer but he currently is rehabbing a fractured arm. Gregor Blanco and Justin Maxwell will spend time filling his role for now, and I would assume that they need Pence back and ready to make another late summer run.
The infield features a little more breakout potential between Brandon Belt and Joe Panik. Both are former prospects and Panik is entering his rookie season. Both manning the right side of the infield is a strong one. Brandon Crawford at short makes it a strong defensive one overall. What Crawford lacks at the plate, Sandavol used to make up for, and now Casey McGehee is signed to replace him. McGehee is a bit of a stopgap and him as well as Pence will need to step up to strengthen a lineup.
The pitching certainly needs some veterans to step up as well. Of course they have Bumgarner, and he has all the makings of a break out ace, and already broke out in his World Series campaign. Behind him is a slew of veterans who have a variety of questions. I can view Tim Hudson, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy, and Tim Lincecum as a whole and think that come October they can be there with anyone. Throughout the course of a season though, these are all mainly pitch to contact guys with a strong defense behind them. That isn’t the worst of strategies due to these pitchers pedigrees. However, Hudson at 39 may be the most consistent, Cain the youngest at 30 suddenly has some injury questions, as well as two poor seasons. Lincecum is also 30 but also has injury concerns and has pitched himself in and out of the rotation in the past four years. Jake Peavy kind of is who he is and that at this point is a number three maybe good fourth option on a team. It is possible with a revamped Cain, Peavy will be in good position to be in that situation but I think it all comes down to Cain. Yusmiero Petit and Ryan Voglesong can come out of the bullpen and make spot starts and that provides the depth need to make them competitive. They have a strong bullpen that helped the run last season and by all accounts if they are back in the playoffs they are dangerous, but time will tell if they are held together to get there.
What To Watch For?
Aside from the fact that Pence, McGehee, and Cain all need to be watched I am going to look to the youth of Brandon Belt. Belt had been a top prospect at first base since 2010, and while he has never lived up to he flashed some power in limited time in 2014. He only played in 61 games due to a variety of injuries and that adds to the questions as to whether Belt will break out but I thought he showed signs, and with a big hole in the lineup he could be a clutch hitter to step in the middle. At age 26 he has a lot to prove as to how well he can hang but I think they will need him if this lineup will strive.
Where Do They Rank?
Although I hope Belt can establish himself, and think Pence, and the rotation can be dangerous in October it sure is a large variety of question marks. It seems the championship train is an every year thing and I guess the Giants are letting someone else have it. I am not pronouncing them dead but at this time I rank them 3rd in the NL West.
