San Francisco Giants: 5 Players Who Need to Step Up in the Second Half

Sam Dyson is one heck of a conundrum. Dyson started bad, then got really good. He was so good in fact, that the Giants gave him the keys to the closer role FIRST when Hunter Strickland angrily busted his hand on a door after blowing a save. As soon as he got put into that role, he got lit up and didn’t start to look good until the end of the first half.

Dyson has still been pretty good this season. At first glance, a 3.13 ERA and 1.11 WHIP look really freaking nice. But out of the Giants current crop of relievers (minus Ty Blach because he’s a long man and it doesn’t count for this), his 3.13 ERA is the worst of all of them.

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When Strickland gets back, there could be a chance Dyson is the odd man out if he doesn’t step it up. But if he does step it up, then it could be Ty Blach. Ray Black has been phenomenal since he got called up, and to no surprise either.

Will Smith could earn comeback player of the year for his efforts post Tommy John, and Melancon, Moronta, and Watson have been solid, if not lights out all season long. The Giants bullpen is absolutely stacked. But if anyone has fallen away in recent weeks, it’s been Dyson.

Dyson is also a potential trade piece, so this evaluation of him needing to “step up” may be a lost cause. Or it could not be after all. If he really does start pitching well, he would make the Giants bullpen that much better. It’s already one of the best in baseball, and a strong Sam Dyson performance in the second half could round it out as the best in all of baseball.

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The San Francisco Giants will begin their second half with their final series against the A’s. They’ll head across the bay to the decrepit Oakland Colesium for the second leg of the Bay Bridge Series. Friday night, at 6:35 local time will be when they start their second half.