San Francisco Giants: Predicting the lineup for Game 162

We are 19 games into the 2019 season and the San Francisco Giants are in fourth place just 3.5 games behind the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.  Anything can happen with so much baseball left to be played.

Before the season began, many people were ready to count the San Francisco Giants out, fully expecting the team to begin rebuilding rather than pushing toward a playoff run.

Baseball is a grind. Playing for six months with only three or four off days a month can take a lot out of a player. But the great thing about baseball is that you almost always play again the next day.

New team president Farhan Zaidi did not get the impact bat many expected him to target after missing out on Bryce Harper, instead opting to sign a handful of veterans to buy-low minor league deals.

Outfielder Gerardo Parra, starter Drew Pomeranz and relievers Nick Vincent and Trevor Gott have all taken on major roles after joining the team on minor league deals, while Rule 5 pick Travis Bergen is pitching well out of the bullpen.

The pitching staff as a whole ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.10 ERA and the bullpen has been baseball’s best with a 2.51 ERA. It’s been a complete team effort, with the newcomers and incumbent veterans all performing well.

Case in point, Mark Melancon has recorded eight scoreless appearances after a disastrous start to his Giants’ tenure the past two years.

The bullpen is the strength of the team right now, and it could provide Zaidi with a number of valuable trade chips come July if the Giants wind up falling out the race.

But what about the offense?

In short, it’s been a disaster. The Giants are hitting a collective .208/.268/.341 with just 15 home runs in 19 games to rank 26th in the majors in long balls. They’re also averaging just under 3.2 runs per game, which also checks in among the worst in baseball.

When the Giants score at least three runs, they’re 7-4 this year, compared to 1-7 when they score fewer than three runs.

What does all of that mean for the team’s chances of contention in 2019?

At this point, the season could go in either direction. With that in mind, I set out to predict how the team’s lineup might look for Game 162 if they stay in contention and if they fall out of the race.

Let’s start with the hypothetical contender:

Thanks for the memories, Bochy.

Get ready for the “Pablo Sandoval plays every position game” to close out the season if the Giants fall out of contention and blow it up at the deadline.

Manager Bruce Bochy had a great run and the future Hall of Famer will go out having fun just like he should.  He might have done this very thing last season had the Panda not gotten injured.

In this scenario, the pitching staff held up pretty well, but the offense simply never came together.

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Madison Bumgarner is headed for free agency next offseason and is a prime trade candidate if the Giants decide to sell. Dealing him would hurt, but for the right price, it’s the right move.

Pillar could also be flipped if he continues to hit at a decent clip, and then there’s the pitching staff.

Closer Will Smith, setup man Tony Watson, former closer Sam Dyson and scrapheap find Trevor Gott will all be attractive trade chips. Meanwhile, Jeff Samardzija and Mark Melancon are both pitching well, and if the front office is willing to eat a good chunk of money, they too could be moved.

When all is said and done, the Giants are left with a deja vu of the 2018 lineup. The month of September could be a chance for the rookies to show what they can do.

That said, I still believe Bochy will start this game with his regulars, then play it like a spring training game rotating guys in and out throughout the game while Pablo Sandoval switches positions every innings.

At any rate, here’s a look at my predicted Game 162 roster if the team is out of contention:

Starting Lineup

CF Steven Duggar
2B Joe Panik
C Buster Posey
1B Brandon Belt
3B Pablo Sandoval
LF Chris Shaw
RF Mac Williamson
SS Brandon Crawford

Full Roster (Top 30 players on the expanded roster)

C: Buster Posey, Aramis Garcia
IF: Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford, Pablo Sandoval, Evan Longoria, Abiatal Avelino, Breyvic Valera, Ryan Howard
OF: Chris Shaw, Steven Duggar, Mac Williamson, Tyler Austin, Austin Slater
SP: Derek Holland, Dereck Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Suarez, Shaun Anderson
RP: Tyler Beede, Logan Webb, Ty Blach, Ray Black, Melvin Adon, Sam Coonrod, Williams Jerez, Travis Bergen, Nick Vincent, Reyes Moronta

Of course, we won’t know how things turn out until several months from now.

It’s always fun to try to guess, though.