San Francisco Giants Hot Streak
The San Francisco Giants have been the hottest team in baseball as of late. Since Kevin Durant left San Francisco, the Giants have won 17 of their last 21 games. As a team that is projected of being a cellar dweller this season, the Giants streak has surprised the baseball world.
Heading into the 2019 season, the San Francisco Giants were expected to trade away members of the dynasty and start anew. As their World Series core has begun to age, Bruce Bochy’s final season looked like the end of an era. Many predicted that the Giants would be at the bottom of the National League West. However, since June 30 their hot streak has allowed for them to rise to second in the division and in the Wild Card race.
Giants Streak Factors
This could be in part because of new additions Mike Yastrzemski and Alex Dickerson, who have helped to ignite the offense. Yastrzemski is a 28-year-old rookie and grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski . Mike has struggled to get to the Majors through the Red Sox and Orioles organizations. Since being promoted to the Giants, he has surprised many who questioned whether he would even make the majors let alone thrive.
Alex Dickerson came over following a trade on June 10 with the San Diego Padres. Much like Yastrzemski, there was much doubt that Dickerson would become something special. Having not played baseball since the 2016 season, signing the one-year deal with the Padres allowed for him to try again. Now the 29-year-old defies the odds by showing that he is an everyday player in the right environment.
Offense Has Not Factored into the Giants Streak
What is interesting about this recent run is that this team is still one of the worst offenses in the game. Heading into Wednesday’s game, the team had a batting average of .238 (28th in the league), an On Base Percentage of .303 (27th in the league), and a team OPS better than only the Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins at .700.
One of the big things that has brought the team back into relevancy has been the pitching. As it was abysmal to start the season, the bullpen has improved. Madison Bumgarner and the bullpen have been able to carry the load for the Giants.
What This Means for the Giants
As we are one week from the trade deadline, the Giants face three options. The first is to sell key pieces such as Madison Bumgarner and the aging core. As they have contended for much of this decade, this depleted their farm system. Selling off members of the aging core can allow the eventual rebuild to begin and make the process shorter.
The Second Option is to go all-in for Bruce Bochy’s final season.This can be done by selling prospects in order to get a rental and trying to contend. As the Wild Card is essentially anyone’s game, this would probably not be a smart idea, especially considering that the youngest member of this team is 25 years old. As Bochy has won three titles, this attempt could hurt the franchise in the long-term. Looking at a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, they surely regret trading for Chris Archer at last year’s deadline. Archer has not panned out, while Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow have played brilliantly for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Third Option is to stand pat. This relies on the idea that the Giants would not mess with the current chemistry of the team. They would risk losing a great return for players like Brandon Belt or Joe Panik, but it would be better than depleting the farm system even further. This allows the Giants to prove that if they are truly a contender, they can make the playoffs with their current core. If they are great, that’s good; if not, at least they didn’t risk the future.
What This Means for the Blue Jays
As a team in their rebuilding process, the Blue Jays can learn that they can rely on their young players to play well for the future. If this is truly a flash in the pan, this shows that developing the farm is always a priority. Mike Yastrzemski and Alex Dickerson prove that it can take longer for some players to develop. Through some patience, they can truly make an impact. Charlie Montoyo is one to make adjustments, and likely the Blue Jays can come back to the playoffs sooner than later.
Overall
The Giants’ recent run has defied the odds in what is truly possible. However, baseball is a game that truly defies the odds. Sabermetrics and analytics guys predict that this could be a flash in the pan. However, there is a chance that the Giants make the playoffs. As the last three years in San Francisco haven’t been great for the Giants, this year provides a fun an exciting energy. As a baseball fan, this has been a nice surprise, even if it doesn’t last for much longer. The next few years are going to be tough, so fans should enjoy this while they can.
Main Photo
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