San Francisco Giants: What We Learned in Week One

It was certainly an eventful first week of baseball for the San Francisco Giants. Many fans are ready to jump ship, while the other half is trying to talk them off a cliff.

The Giants have given us a roller coaster of emotions through the first week by winning just two of their first seven games.

After starting 1-5, I certainly was ready to hit the panic button. But everyone kept reminding me it’s just six games, which is annoying.

I know it’s early, but when all your concerns from the offseason show up in week one, you get worried. We are all fans, don’t tell me how to react to my team.

Still, there is a lot of baseball left to play. And while I do think there are many reasons to worry about this team, I know there is plenty of time left to solve those issues.

Here is what we know after week one:

• The bullpen still stinks: After seven games the Giants bullpen has the 25th ERA in the league at 6.48. They’ve given up 12 earned runs in 16.2 innings with 19 hits, 13 walks and 15 strikeouts. The relievers have the second worst OBP against at .421. This was a major concern coming into the season, and after week one it’s still a major concern. This is an area we’ll have to keep an eye on all season.
• Madison Bumgarner is really good: While there weren’t many bright spots from the pitching staff in week one, Bumgarner delivered. He gave the Giants two quality starts going seven and eight innings respectively. He was also 2-5 at the plate with 2 home runs. The rest of the team may be struggling, but MadBum is in mid-season form.
• Joe Panik needs to bat leadoff: He hits just as well against righties as lefties, and he’s off to a good start going 8-20 last week. I love Denard Span, but he’s not great against lefties, and is getting old — missed time in week one with an injury. As long as Panik keeps getting on base, he needs to bat leadoff.
• The NL West is Competitive: I think a lot of people thought the NL West was a 2-team race between the Giants and Dodgers. However, it looks like the Rockies and Diamondbacks deserve to be in the mix as well. The Rockies pitching staff is much improved — albeit young — and the Diamondbacks offense is on fire with A.J. Pollock back and healthy. I know it’s just one week — man, I get tired of hearing that — but I think the NL West will be a lot more competitive than most people thought coming into the season.
• The offense is pretty good: One reason the first week was so disappointing is because the offense was good. You figure that if the Giants average nearly five runs a game all year they’ll be in pretty good shape. They’ve benefited from the long ball with 9 home runs in seven games. Hopefully this production holds up when the pitching comes around.

Next: Top 10 Sights, Smells, and Sounds of AT&T Park

Let’s hope for a better week two for the San Francisco Giants, and check back at Around the Foghorn throughout the season for editorials and analysis from a fan’s perspective.