They didn’t keep up with the even-year trend and win the World Series last season—the Giants won in 2010, 2012, and 2014—but San Francisco did come within three outs of forcing the eventual champs to Game 5 in the NLDS. They head into this season looking pretty similar to last, which means chances are good that we’ll see them in the playoffs yet again.
As we approach the 2017 season, we’re previewing what’s ahead for each of the 30 MLB teams. The San Francisco Giants are next:
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Up-and-coming player to watch
The Giants’ top prospect is right-hander Tyler Beede—he’s also a rapper. But, we digress. The 23-year-old starter posted a nice looking 0.96 ERA in five exhibition games in spring training before he was optioned to triple-A Sacramento. But the kid who throws a 95 mph fastball is expected to make his big league debut this season, and manager Bruce Bochy says he’s not ruling out a role in the bullpen, which needs some help.
So expect to see Beede in the big leagues. In double-A last season, he had a 2.81 ERA in 24 starts, giving up 136 hits and striking out 135. Whether we see him in the bullpen or slotting in with the starters at some point, the kid is one to keep an eye on.
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What a successful 2017 season would look like
Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, two of the best starters in the game—and both in their prime—would keep doing what they’re doing. Buster Posey, 30, would continue to frame pitches behind the plate and increase his home run total after posting the lowest (14) of his career in a full season in 2016.
The Giants’ infield would be the envy of many teams with third baseman Eduardo Nunez, gold glove-winning shortstop Brandon Crawford, second baseman Joe Panik and all-star Brandon Belt at first. Panik, who had a concussion last season, should improve his offensive production this year, and look more like the guy who batted .312 with a .378 on-base percentage two seasons ago. At third, the Giants will have a full season of Nunez, who played just 50 games with the team last year after being acquired from Minnesota. And Nunez, who had a sore shoulder in spring training, would remain healthy.
But the area that would improve most is the bullpen, and that isn’t going to be easy, since key reliever Will Smith is going to miss the whole season to recover from Tommy John surgery. The bullpen was weak at times last year, and never more so than in Game 4 of the NLDS against Chicago, when they blew a 5-2 lead in the ninth and used five relievers. But now with a definitive shut-down closer in Mark Melancon—their biggest off-season acquisition, who had 47 saves last year and 51 the season prior—these Giants will hang on to leads more often. In a dream world, they’d also see relievers like Derek Law and Hunter Strickland get him the ball.
Biggest remaining question
The outfield features some question marks. In left, the starting job is likely going to be Jarrett Parker’s, because Mac Williamson—who was seen as his top competition—has been out of action for parts of spring training with a tight left quad. Last season, Parker played 63 games and had a .236 average and .358 OBP. He hits really poorly against lefties, which is something the Giants will have to find a way to address.
In centre, there’s Denard Span, who just turned 33 and is in his 10th MLB season. During spring training he reportedly hadn’t been moving well, and was 4-for-28 at the plate. Span had a .331 on-base percentage last season, but also finished the year lower than average in almost all offensive categories.
And in right field, there’s good old Hunter Pence, who played a full 162 games the last time his team won a title, but who’s been limited to just 158 games in the last two seasons combined. The 33-year-old from Texas (he turns 34 next month) also had an oblique issue in spring training already. There are few certainties in the Giants’ outfield.
