The San Francisco Giants had been a firm contender for years, but their days of winning World Series are over for now. While you can find a few positive players of value on the Giants this season, it is tough to see them going far in any MLB predictions.
Our picks for the 2021 season have the Giants finishing in last place in the NL West. Here’s a look at why we aren’t very confident about the Giants this year and how they are going to perform.
Where the Offense Goes
The San Francisco Giants has many valuable offensive players like Mike Yastrzemski and Alex Dickerson. Brandon Belt also went over .300 this past season, and he came close to ten home runs. All of these players are looking forward to playing a 162-game season where they can prove their value.
Buster Posey returns at catcher this season after sitting out 2020. Whether he will rebound this year after spending so much time off remains uncertain.
Donovan Solano had a .326 average last year at the second base position. But much of his performance came against an AL West division that didn’t perform very well last season. How he can compete in a regular season with all National League divisions involved will be worth watching.
Pitching Plans
The pitching situation for the Giants doesn’t look very pretty. Kevin Gausman had a good season last year, but he was the only regular starter to have an ERA under 5.00 last year. Johnny Cueto and Logan Webb saw control issues last season.
The sounds of the seasons. 👂⚾️🎄 #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/gxn8vCrjBh
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) December 22, 2020
Anthony DeSclafani will join the team from the Cincinnati Reds this season. DeSclafani had a 7.22 ERA with the Reds last year. He hopes a change of scenery will give him the extra help he deserves to get back on track. But playing against the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers might not provide as much help as the team wishes.
The Giants also put together a bullpen out of many random parts. Reyes Moronta returns after missing all of last season, and he is expected to be the team’s closer. The rest of the bullpen features mostly players who didn’t get as much experience last season, including a few who are being called up directly from the minors.
How Will the Giants Finish in 2021?
It is tough to see the San Francisco Giants doing much of anything in 2021. The Giants will finish in fifth place in the NL West this season. The team won’t be competing against the AL West teams for much of the season, so they will have a rough time going forward. The lack of a designated hitter in the National League this season will also be a problem.
Will the Giants Reach the Playoffs?
The San Francisco Giants will not enter the playoffs in 2021. We don’t see the Giants reaching a hundred losses this year, but we do find they will go on the decline this season.
The 2021 season will go back to looking like something close to normal, from the schedule to some of the temporary rule changes going away. The Giants benefitted from some of these changes, and going back to a regular style of play isn’t going to help the team.
There are still a few months before the next season of the MLB starts! But if you are looking to get your fix of baseball early, make sure you visit our MLB hub page for all the information you need!
Image by: David
