San Francisco Giants: 5 keys to success in 2020

Developing Homegrown Talent

The key to the Giants’ recent success has undoubtedly been the scouting and development of homegrown talent.

Buster Posey, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Pablo Sandoval… the list of homegrown stars who played a key role in the team’s success goes on and on.

Recent history says they are not going to be able to lure top-tier free agents to San Francisco. As such, it will take a revamped farm system to not only provide future faces of the franchise, but also to serve as trade fodder when it comes time to be buyers.

The Giants already have two intriguing potential stars in catcher Joey Bart and outfielder Heliot Ramos. It’s unclear whether either player will be ready for the majors by next year, especially with Bart’s recent injury, but there is no question they can become a big part of the Giants’ long-term plans if they continue to progress.

At the same time, they also need to be careful not to call them up to quickly or put too much pressure on their shoulders. Chris Shaw’s struggles last season speak to the issues a hasty call-up can cause when a prospect is not completely ready.

The Giants need more than just those two guys, though. They will need standout scouting and player development across the board, even with late-round picks. Remember, Sergio Romo was a 28th-round pick. Those are the kind of guys the team needs to hit on to build a strong core.