SF Giants: Where They Stand In The West

Starting Lineup:

The starting lineup has been the glaring weak spot for the Giants since their World Series run began. It has arguably been their worst aspect, while it is the best part of the other teams in the West.

The Dodger have always been known for having a big lineup with stars up and down. That will most likely be the case once again in 2016. They hope to get a bounce back from sophomore outfielder Joc Pederson after a horrendous second half of 2015. From his minors and firs half numbers, he has the potential to be a .300+ hitter with 25+ home run pop. He can also steal you some bags hitting from the top of the lineup. They also have rookie phenom Corey Seager, who by all accounts is the front runner for 2016 NL Rookie of the Year. He hit .337/.425/.561 with 4 homers and 17 RBI in 27 games. 27 GAMES. He is a super star in the making and will add to a already stellar lineup. They also have guys like Yasiel Puig, who is still a bit raw, but also has the potential to be a super star. He has all the measurables; power, can run, can his for average, but if he can put it all together is what remains to be seen. Adrian Gonzalez, who is a reliable .270+ hitter in the middle of the lineup year by year is still there. They also have players who aren’t big names, but can put up solid numbers, such as Justin Turner, Enrique Hernandez, Howie Kendrick, and Scott Van Slyke.

The Diamondbacks are another team with a good lineup. They aren’t really known for that, but it is a good lineup if you look closely. Obviously, they have one of the best hitters on the planet in Paul Goldschmidt. Who, if on a contending team, would probably have a couple of MVP awards by now. Last year he hit a staggering .321/435/.570 with 33 homers and 110 RBI. He is going to have another great year, barring an injury. They also have the most underrated player in all of baseball, A.J. Pollock. He isn’t quite a superstar, but he has the numbers to be. From the top of the lineup, he hit .315/.367/.498 with 20 homers, 76 RBI, and 39 stolen bags, and chances are, you probably haven’t heard of him much. If he can put of numbers remotely close to those of last year, he will be one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball and a great table setter for Goldschmidt and company. David Peralta is another small name outfielder, who will give you .300+ and 15+ homers. Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas hopes to get a full season in to show his full power. The D-Backs also had a nice offseason acquirement in getting shortstop Jean Segura.

The Giants didn’t make many lineup moves during the offseason, not that they ever do. Their big acquisition this year was getting outfielder Denard Span to be their leadoff hitter and center fielder. When healthy, Span has the potential to be a good leadoff hitter. If he plays a full season, he can hit .290+ with 20+ stolen bases. The Giants hope that he can stay healthy for a full season, because they already have that problem with Angel Pagan.

Along with the newly acquired Span, they still have their studs like Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt. All of whom can produce 20+ homers and 80+ RBI, with Posey being the guy who can clearly put up MVP type numbers. Young studs Joe Panik and Matt Duffy hope to produce once again. Panik, who is coming back from a back injury that ended his season, said he is feeling 100%. If true, he obviously has All-Star potential and can hit .300+ as the number 2 hitter in the line up. Duffy, however, is a bit of a mystery. He barely made the team last season, but he had a fantastic rookie year, hitting .295/.334/.428 with 12 home runs and 77 RBI. The problem is, Duffy was never a big prospect, so it is unknown if that is truly the type of player he is.

They also added some depth. They acquired Hak-Ju Lee, George Kottaras, Grant Green, and Kyle Blanks. They aren’t guranteed to make the team, but if they do, it is some much-needed depth behind Kelby Tomlinson, Andrew Susac, Gregor Blano and so on.

Verdict:

 Unlike the rotation, they aren’t the best in the division. That being said, they also aren’t the worst. They’re really good, probably the best out of all the World Series teams. They have solid players up and down the lineup, players that hit for average and some power. That being said, the Dodgers and the D-Backs have slightly better lineups. You can argue that the Dodgers and the Giants are about equal. They both have guys who can hit for power and average. The D-Backs, however, are much better. They have Goldy, Pollock, and Peralta, which are great players. The Giants are by no means bad, they are very, very solid, but they just aren’t the best in the division.

Next: Bullpen

Bullpen:

This is the toughest group to evaluate. All of the squads are all around the same level. If the deal for Chapman the Dodgers made went through, it would be no question. However, since they didn’t, it’s still as close as ever.

The Dodgers have some nice pieces. Kenley Jansen is a hard throwing righty who has saved 35+ games in each of the last two years. He also has never had an ERA at or above 3.00, or a FIP at or above 2.50. He is likely going to be a top 5 closer in baseball, and will be very very good. Veteran J.P. Howell will also anchor the back end of games for the Dodgers. He had a career year last year, throwing to a 1.43 ERA and 3.34 FIP. He had been very good for the Dodgers since joining them in 2013. Luis Avilan struggled after joining the Dodgers, going 0-1 with a 5.17 ERA in 23 games. Before joining the Dodgers, Avilan was a solid reliever, but he has regressed the past two years. Pedro Baez, a prety decent pitcher who has good stuff will also be back there. Alex Wood, who has been a starter for most all of his career, may not be this season. With all of the pitchers acquired this off-season by the Dodgers, and his struggles last year, he may end up being a reliever. And with the stuff he has, he would end up being a rather good one.

The D-Backs improved their pen a bit this off-season. They added Tyler Clippard, who has been one of the best right handed relievers in the game during his career. He has a career 2.88 ERA, and a 3.72 FIP. He started some games in his first two years in the beginning of his career, so he would be able to give the D-Backs that if they absolutely need it. Clippard has also been a star closer, though he probably won’t be doing that in Arizona. Brad Zielger will take the closing duties for Arizona. He had an absolutely stellar season in 2015, closing 30 games in 32 opportunities, along with a 1.85 ERA. They might have the weakest bullpen of the three because they don’t necessarily have the depth of the others.

The Giants may have the most depth in the pen, and they are probably the youngest, too. Veteran Santiago Casilla will once again assume the closer role. He closed 38 games with a 2.79 ERA and was a very good closer. And in 2014, while he only closed 19 games, he had a 1.70 ERA. The Giants are coming into the 2016 season with a good young core of relievers. Hunter Strickland, who was known for giving up a bunch of homers in the 2014 post season, had an amazing 2015. He throws very, very hard, and posted a 2.45 ERA with a 2.90 FIP in 55 games. Oh, and he also only allowed 4 homers in 51.1 innings. If Casilla ever struggles in the closer role, Strickland would be the best option to back him up.

Mike Broadway, another hard throwing righty, is heading into his sophomore season. He also throws very hard, and has good stuff, but he struggled a tiny bit last year posting a 5.19 ERA in 21 games. Hopefully he can put it together and become a great 1-2 righty tandem with Strickland. Josh Osich is also going into his sophomore season and will be replacing Jeremy Affeldt as a lefty in the pen. He throws mid 90s with a good cutter and change, and posted a 2.20 ERA in 35 games last year. Of course, Sergio Romo and Javier Lopez will be solid options as always.

Verdict:

While all bullpens are relatively close to each other, the Giants just slightly come out on top. They have better depth than any of the other teams, and everyone throws about mid 90s. Romo, Casilla, and Lopez will be as good as always, and the sophomore hope to put up great seasons again.

You may notice that I didn’t mention the Rockies or the Padres. Because, frankly, they aren’t really relevant in the division. The Dodgers, D-Backs, and the Giants will all be competing for the division title. The Giants are the best in two of the three biggest team categories. They have some of the best pitching, rotation or bullpen, in all of baseball. Their lineup is very solid, like I said, it’s the best out of all of the World Series teams. It will produce many runs and the pitching will shut everyone down. It is going to be a really fun year, so get ready, Giants fans.

Next: Slide Rules Increase Middle Infielders' Value