The Giants are 52-45 popping out of the All-Star break and have positioned themselves to not less than be within the combine for one in every of three NL wild-card spots. The subsequent two-and-a-half months will decide whether or not Buster Posey’s first season on the helm ends in with a return to the playoffs.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position where, starting in the second half, our objective and where we want to go is still attainable,” stated supervisor Bob Melvin.
The Giants return to motion Friday in Toronto. They path the Dodgers by 6.5 video games within the NL West and are a half-game behind the second-place Padres. Listed below are 5 questions that lie forward with 65 video games remaining within the common season:
Does Rafael Devers flip it on?
There are few Giants extra deserving of a break — mentally and bodily — than Rafael Devers.
Following quite a few public back-and-forths with the Boston Crimson Sox, the Giants acquired the three-time All-Star in one of the vital surprising trades in latest reminiscence. The group addressed its largest want: offense. However Devers has but to appear to be one in every of baseball’s greatest hitters.
In 25 video games with the Giants, Devers is hitting .202/.330/.326 with two homers and two homers and 10 RBIs. Devers owns a profession .277/.349/.506 slash line.
The gradual begin has been due partially to again and groin illnesses. These accidents have additionally prevented Devers from taking part in first base, a place he stated he’s keen to play in San Francisco after very publicly balking on the concept in Boston. When wholesome, Devers will doubtless see a while at first within the second half.
With reference to first base, there was additionally a really odd beef that emerged earlier this month.
Will Flemming, the brother of Giants’ broadcaster Dave Flemming, stated Devers no-showed a exercise with Will Clark through the Giants’ collection towards the Crimson Sox simply days following the commerce. Clark, although, clarified that he understood why Devers didn’t present up, noting how Devers didn’t need to apply in entrance of his previous group — at a place he didn’t need to play for them. Clark later had an expletive-laden response to Flemming on his Deuces Wild podcast for “blowing this thing out of [expletive] proportion.”
Do the Giants add to their pitching employees?
To accumulate Devers, the Giants needed to half methods with pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks together with prospects James Tibbs III and Jose Bello. San Francisco’s rotation depth is significantly weaker with Harrison and Hicks gone, and it’s most unlikely the Giants get by way of the remainder of the season with Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp, Justin Verlander and Hayden Birdsong as their solely 5 starters.
Exterior of these 5, the Giants don’t have many starters of their system with major-league beginning expertise.
Keaton Winn has 17 begins within the majors and is presently rehabbing from a proper shoulder damage. Mason Black has a profession 6.47 ERA in 10 appearances (eight begins) within the majors. Trevor McDonald and Carson Seymour have pitched within the majors, however have but to start out. Carson Whisenhunt continues to be ready to make his main league debut.
Ray, Webb and Verlander all know navigate full seasons, however Birdsong and Roupp are within the midst of their first full seasons within the majors (Birdsong took Hicks’ place within the rotation within the rotation in late Could).
Roupp, 26, has thrown 96 1/3 innings and can doubtless eclipse the 107 1/3 innings he threw within the minors in 2022 by the tip of July. Birdsong, 23, is sitting at 65 2/3 innings and will prime 100 2/3 innings he threw within the minors in ‘23. Can the Giants depend on each to throw quantity innings down the stretch?
Can Willy Adames proceed his robust finish to the primary half?
Earlier than Devers, Willy Adames held the title of the Giants’ splashy new addition. Like Devers, Adames received off to a gradual begin as a Large.
Over his first 65 video games, Adames was hit .193 with 5 homers, 26 RBIs and a .584 OPS. Then Melvin gave Adames a double off-day, conserving him out of the lineup for the primary time on June eighth, adopted by the group’s off-day on June ninth. Since June tenth, Adames has appeared the a part of a $182 million-dollar man, hitting .282/.364/.527 with seven homers and 22 RBIs.
Adames’ protection has improved as properly. Following his two-error sport on Could 5 towards the Chicago Cubs, Adames was value -5 outs above common. On the break, Adames was value 2 outs above common.
Does Jung Hoo Lee regain his April kind?
Jung Hoo Lee’s season has been the reverse of Adames.
Lee started the season wanting like an All-Star. By the tip of April, Lee had a .319/.375/.526 slash line with three homers and 18 RBIs. He shined within the Bronx, hitting three homers in three video games towards the New York Yankees.
Since Could, Lee has been under league common. Over his final 62 video games, Lee is hitting .214/.288/.341 with three homers and has fallen to the underside half of San Francisco’s lineup. By wRC+, he’s been 21 p.c worse than a league common hitter throughout this span.
Lee is vulnerable to those cold and warm steaks due to his profile as a high-contact, low-walk, low-strikeout hitter. By means of April, Lee had a .351 BABIP, or batting common on balls in play. Since Could, Lee’s BABIP is all the way down to .228.
Can Bryce Eldridge make his method to the majors?
The chance of Eldridge making his debut this yr has modified a pair occasions.
Throughout final yr’s MLB Winter Conferences, Posey threw some chilly water on the chance. When the Giants promoted Eldridge from Double-A Sacramento to Triple-A Richmond, Posey appeared extra open to the thought of Eldridge taking part in for the Giants in 2025. Then, Eldridge sustained a proper hamstring pressure in late June that stored him out of motion for a number of weeks.
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Eldridge started a rehab project with the ACL Giants on July 13 and has performed two video games. The Giants haven’t supplied any particular updates on Eldridge, however a return to Sacramento this month appears potential for the 20-year-old.
The Giants’ prime prospect had a gradual begin with Sacramento earlier than the damage, hitting .230/.284/.426 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 16 video games. San Francisco doesn’t need to rush Eldridge, whose protection at first base stays a piece in progress. That stated, if Eldridge catches fireplace after the break and the Giants’ offense continues to be pedestrian, would the group entertain the thought of bringing him up? Even when it’s in the midst of a playoff race? And if that occurs, who would play first base: Devers or Eldridge?
If Eldridge doesn’t mash with the River Cats, the Giants received’t have to really entertain this query. If he does? It may make for a tricky name.
