SF Giants: Giving the Players their Final Letter Grades

The condensed, 2020 season has come to a close and we are ready to hand out letter grades to each of the SF Giants players.

The SF Giants exceeded expectations and gave the fanbase the thrill that comes from a much-needed playoff run.

Gabe Kapler‘s inaugural campaign got off to a rocky start after struggling to manage the bullpen in the early going, but he found his footing as the season wore on.

It should be noted that the quick restart to the season did not allow pitchers to build up arm strength, so I think managers were in an uncomfortable position of having a quicker hook on their starters, which put more pressure on the bullpens.

As pitchers rebuilt arm strength, Kapler’s bullpen management was not nearly as polarizing as it was when the season started. That said, he did have hiccups down the stretch.

Despite falling short of a playoff berth in the final game of the season, this appeared to be a strong year for the 45-year-old in his first season in San Francisco. The Giants finished with a 29-31 overall record, and the case could be made that they should have had an even better record.

The offense was a huge surprise. As a team, the SF Giants generated a 115 OPS+, which was the fifth-best mark in the National League. They did a lot of good things with the bat, including hitting the ball harder and at a better angle than they had in previous seasons.

However, the pitching did not hold up. As a whole, the staff pitched to a 4.64 ERA. That said, they went with an unusually inexperienced bullpen by choice as they looked to find arms that they could rely on in future seasons.

With the season in the rearview mirror, it is time to reflect and evaluate how each of the players did by assigning a final letter grade. The SF Giants had plenty of players put on the Orange and Black uniform, but only players who remained on the active roster until the end of the season will be evaluated.

For example, Jeff Samardzija was designated for assignment on Saturday, so he will not be evaluated.

Only position players with over 100 plate appearances will receive a grade. Similarly, only pitchers with 15 innings or more will be graded. The grades will be broken down by the infield, outfield, starting rotation, and bullpen. Let’s get started!

The Infield

First Baseman Brandon Belt: A

After a couple of rough seasons in 2018 and 2019, the confidence in Brandon Belt had waned. the Giants first baseman has battled injury issues over the years and struggled to produce at times, especially recently.

That said, Belt vastly exceeded any expectations for 2020. He slashed a .309/ .425/.591 line (178 OPS+) with nine home runs and 30 RBI while being worth 2.0 WAR and playing steady defense at first base. On top of this, he posted a stout 16.8 percent walk rate.

His career resurgence does not seem to be a fluke either. It is not just the surface-level stats that are encouraging, but he posted strong underlying marks as well. For example, his 90.7 MPH average exit velocity is the highest of his career. Similarly, his 16.8 percent barrel rate is another career-high.

Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. will receive most of the MVP votes, but Belt deserves to be recognized with votes as well. This was a very strong season for the left-handed hitter.

Second Baseman Donovan Solano: B

Grading Donovan Solano is not an easy task. On one hand, he has exceeded expectations since the SF Giants signed him as a minor league free agent before the 2019 season. In 2019, he generated a .330 batting average, but many questioned how sustainable it was.

However, he performed just as well in the batter’s box in 2020. In 203 plate appearances, he posted a .326/.365/.463 line (128 OPS+) with three home runs, 15 doubles, and 29 RBI. With a solid 19.2 percent strikeout rate, Solano has proven to be a pesky at-bat for opposing pitchers.

On the other hand, Solano’s defense had become suspect. He spent the bulk of his time at second base and was worth 1 DRS with -3.8 UZR. The 32-year-old committed seven errors, but the eye test saw much more than that. Regardless, this was been a very nice season for Solano and he is proving that his late-career renaissance is legitimate.

Shortstop Brandon Crawford: B+

Similar to Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford had strung together several below-average seasons. However, like Belt, Crawford’s bat seems to have gone back in time as the new hitting coaches arrived.

In 193 plate appearances, the left-handed hitter has generated a .256/.326/.465 (116 OPS+) with eight home runs and 28 RBI.

In addition to this, the glove remained steady. While Crawford may not be the fielder he was earlier in his career when he won three Gold Gloves, he still is a quality defender. The defensive metrics say that Crawford’s glove was worth 1 DRS and -1.5 UZR. This has been a solid rebound season for the 33-year-old, and the SF Giants should feel confident in him manning shortstop in 2021.

Third Baseman Evan Longoria: B-

This was a season of ups-and-downs for Evan Longoria. At times, Longoria looked as good as ever, and then, he struggled to produce. Nonetheless, he posted solid stats with a .254/.297/.425 line (97 OPS+) including seven home runs and 28 RBI while being worth 0.5 WAR.

The veteran infielder got off to a hot start but wore down as the season progressed. In 91 September at-bats, Longoria hit a rough .198 with a .579 OPS. The SF Giants were extremely thin on third base depth, and they did not have a serviceable option to give him a day off down the stretch.

The 5.3 percent walk rate is concerning, especially considering that the 34-year-old has two years remaining on his contract. That said, his 91.3 MPH average exit velocity is the highest of his career, so regression does not seem around the corner.

In the field, Longoria remains a solid glove at the hot corner. In 53 games, he was with two DRS and 3.7 UZR and could be a Gold Glove finalist.

I have concerns about how his bat will regress as he ages, but the glove really has not shown any signs of slowing down.

Designated Hitter Wilmer Flores: B

I felt that Solano and Flores should receive the same grade because they both hit well, but neither one looked good in the field. There is only one DH, and both meet the criteria of players who should a DH at this stage in their respective careers.

That said, the SF Giants appear less confident in Flores’ defense of the two as he saw the more time at DH than any other position. In addition to this, he saw time at first base, second base, and third base. First base and second base are the only positions he should see in the field going forward.

However, he was everything the Giants could have hoped for with the bat when they inked him to a two-year, $6.5 million pact. In 213 plate appearances, he produced a .268/.315/.515 line (124 OPS+) with 12 home runs and 32 RBI while being worth 1.1 WAR

He was brought in to hit against a left-handed pitcher, but he saw plenty of at-bats against right-handers as well. He posted a .stout 924 OPS against southpaws, but he held his own against righties with a .783 OPS.

He did exactly what the SF Giants needed, and will be back against next season.

Catcher Joey Bart: C

If a C-grade represents meeting expectations, then Joey Bart’s rookie campaign met my expectations for him. In 111 plate appearances, he posted a .233/.288/.320 line (69 OPS+) with seven RBI while being worth 0.1 WAR.

When he was originally called up, I was concerned about his contact skills and that concern became a reality as he struck out in 36.9 percent of his plate appearances. To compound this matter, he did not demonstrate any command of the strike zone as he posted a 2.7 percent walk rate.

Another concerning trend was the fact that he produced a ground ball in 51.6 percent of his batted ball events. He did frequently make hard contact, but when he did, he hit it into the ground.

Despite having an average launch angle of 12.4 degrees, he struggled to consistently lift-and-separate as evidenced by the fact that he finished the year with no home runs. On a positive note, he posted an average exit velocity of 89 MPH.

You can’t teach a player to hit the ball as head as he does, but his approach at the plate and swing needs to be reworked as he heads into the offseason.

Behind the dish, I was mildly surprised. His pitch framing was league average, and he struggled to manage the running game as he threw out only 19 percent of baserunners. On top of this, it looked like he struggled to get on the same page with many of his pitchers.

Despite all of this, a tough rookie campaign can be a good learning experience for a player like Bart, who has never experienced failure in his professional career. He will not be the last rookie to struggle, and it is good to remind fans that development is hardly ever linear.

The Starting Rotation

Kevin Gausman: B+

Kevin Gausman became the de facto ace and workhorse for the Giants rotation this season. He was awesome.

The right-handed hurler found another gear after coming to San Francisco on a one-year, $9 million pact. For years, he demonstrated the swing-and-miss stuff but just could not put it all together.

In a short, 60-game season, the 29-year-old finally put it all together. In 12 appearances, including ten starts, Gausman posted a 3.62 ERA (3.09 FIP) with 79 strikeouts while being worth 1.3 WAR in 59.2 innings. On top of this, he generated a 4.94 K/BB ratio, so he was in complete control of the strike zone.

His 15.2 percent swinging-strike rate was the seventh-best in baseball while his 32.2 percent strikeout rate was also one of the best and higher than the likes of Max Scherzer, Luis Castillo, and Yu Darvish.

The SF Giants have a decision to make on Gausman who is set to become a free agent after the World Series. He will earn a nice payday in free agency, but does San Francisco feel pressured to get into a bidding war? That remains to be seen, but he became a very popular Giant in a short time.

Johnny Cueto: D

This may seem like a harsh grade for Johnny Cueto, but I expected better production. After all, he is over two years removed from Tommy John surgery.

At times, he looked like his old self, but he struggled to find the consistency that we have seen from the veteran hurler for years.

On the year, the 34-year-old posted a 5.40 ERA (4.64 FIP) with 56 strikes while being worth 0.1 WAR in 63.1 innings. His 1.3 HR/9 ratio was one of the highest of his career and not a good sign for a pitcher who will be turning 35-years-old before the 2021 season.

On top of this, his fastball velocity averaged 91.3 MPH, which not surprisingly, is lower than what we saw during his peak years. Similarly, his 8.3 swinging strike rate is also one of his lowest in a non-injury season.

Does this mean we should expect more of the same in 2021? Not necessarily. His 4.64 FIP does point to some poor luck. Regardless, this was a disappointing season for Cueto.

Logan Webb: D

After showing some promise down the stretch in 2019, Logan Webb strung together a rather disappointing campaign in 2020.

The 23-year-old struggled to the tune of a 5.47 ERA (4.17 FIP) with 46 strikeouts and 24 walks while being worth -0.5 WAR in 54.1 innings. Similar to Cueto, the large variance between his ERA and FIP could be a case of some poor luck.

Nevertheless, Webb consistently struggled to soak up innings as his pitch count usually ballooned due to not being able to put opposing hitters away efficiently.

Still, Webb’s arm is low on mileage as he has needed Tommy John surgery in 2016. There is plenty of development left for the right-handed hurler to realize, and hopefully, this tough 2020 season can become a learning experience.

Tyler Anderson: C+

I was not sure what to expect from Tyler Anderson this season. After all, he came over to the SF Giants via a waiver claim from the Colorado Rockies.

I guessed that if the pitching-needy Rockies felt that he was not worth a roster spot, then I may need to look away during his starts. That said, the Rockies decision had more to do with paying him a raise through arbitration than just the roster spot he occupied.

However, Anderson looked good this season. In 59.2 frames, the left-handed hurler produced a 4.37 ERA (4.36 FIP) with 41 strikeouts and 25 walks while being worth 0.4 WAR.

Anderson relies on good command and a deceptive delivery to keep hitters off balance and generate outs. However, he did struggle when having to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in three consecutive starts. By the second and third starts, Anderson was not fooling any hitters as he yielded 11 combined earned runs. However, the proximity in which the Giants and Diamondbacks faced each other was a product of the 60-game season, so we should not see that again next season.

The 30-year-old is arbitration-eligible in 2021 meaning the Giants have a decision as to whether to retain the lefty. With how thin their projected 2021 rotation currently looks, they should tender him a contract.

Trevor Cahill: B-

The SF Giants signed Trevor Cahill to a minor league contract, which turned out to be a nice depth move for San Francisco.

The veteran hurler worked out of both the rotation and the bullpen and proved to be a capable arm in either role. In 25 innings, Cahill pitched to a 3.24 ERA ( 4.19 FIP) with 31 strikeouts and 14 walks. His 29.2 strikeout rate was an encouraging sign, but he did battle command issues as well as he produced a 5.0 BB/9.

In a very small sample, the 32-year-old did not yield a run in five innings out of the bullpen. Working out of the bullpen may be the next move in the latter stages of Cahill’s career, but teams will always need a pitcher who can eat up innings in a start as well.

As a minor league signing, he gave the Giants exactly what they needed. Perhaps, it would be smart to bring him back next season as well.

Drew Smyly: B

I feel like this grade a little unfair for Drew Smyly as he was fantastic when he was healthy. However, durability concerns held him back from stringing together a really impactful season.

In the limited sample we saw, Smyly was a strikeout machine. In  26.1 frames, he posted a 3.42 ERA (2.01 FIP) with 42 strikeouts and only nine walks. He struck out 37.8 percent of the opposing hitters he faced.

It is a shame that we only got a chance to see him pitch in seven appearances because when he was on the mound, he was really fun to watch. If he was healthy for the entire season, the Giants might be in the playoffs this week. That is how good he threw.

After being on the shelf for the 2017-2018 seasons, the left-handed hurler demonstrated the ability that made him a good rotation arm earlier in his career with the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays.

The Giants have a decision to make on Smyly, who is a free agent after this season. Do they bring him back knowing that there are durability concerns and that the market will likely increase his cost? That’s a decision they will have to ponder.

The Relievers

Tony Watson: A-

The Giants bullpen carried on an unusually high number of left-handed arms, and Tony Watson was one of the better options.

The funky-style reliever posted a 2.50 ERA (4.36 FIP) with 15 strikeouts and three walks across 18 innings. Watson relies on a deceptive delivery to disrupt the timing of opposing hitters, and it has worked for years.

Eventually, he will not be able to get opposing hitters out as effectively as he has. That has not happened yet, and he strung together a nice season.

The 35-year-old was often used in high-leverage spots and excelled. In fact, he only gave up an earned run in three of his 21 appearances. As a pending free agent, the SF Giants may have seen the last of Watson as they do not seem inclined to spend heavily on free-agent relievers.

Tyler Rogers: C

After a solid rookie campaign in 2019 where Tyler Rogers posted a 1.02 ERA in 17 appearances, the Giants had expectations that he would become a high-leverage arm in 2020.

However, he struggled to the tune of 4.50 ERA (3.26 FIP) with 27 strikeouts and six walks in 28 innings. That said, much of the damage was done at the beginning of the season. Rogers yielded 14 runs all season with nine of those runs hitting his ERA in July.

After July, the 29-year-old recorded a 1.88 ERA in his final 24 appearances, so he got much better as the season wore on.

To his credit, he did well at keeping hitters off balance. The right-handed reliever induced a groundball in 55.3 percent of his batted ball events and recorded a 2.47 GB/FB ratio. These are solid numbers, and exactly what Rogers needs to do to be successful at the major league level.

Interestingly, the Peay State University product led all of baseball with 29 appearances. I do think he was overused, especially considering how few reliable right-handed relievers the Giants bullpen had. That is not a knock on Kapler’s bullpen management, but rather it is an indication of the restraints he had to work with.

Wandy Peralta: B-

When the season began, Wandy Peralta quickly hit a rough patch, and many SF Giants fans were not looking forward to his appearances.

However, he settled down and finished the season on a positive note.

On the year, the 29-year-old produced a solid 3.29 ERA (4.22 FIP) with 25 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. However, in September, he pitched to a 0.71 ERA in nine games.

Peralta flashes a mid-90’s fastball and pairs it with a good slider and changeup while inducing ground balls in 45.9 percent of his batted ball events. On top of this, he has a 12.7 percent swinging-strike rate.

Peralta does a lot of things well on the mound, especially from the left side. He has the potential to become a higher-leverage reliever, but he needs to be more consistent.

Caleb Baragar: C+

Surprisingly, Caleb Baragar made the club out of camp and performed well as a rookie. The 26-year-old only had eight innings of work at Triple-A before getting promoted to the big club and sticking on the roster.

In 22.1 innings, the left-handed hurler posted a 4.03 ERA (4.04 FIP) with 19 strikeouts and only five walks. To his credit, Baragar was stingy with allowing baserunners as he allowed less than one baserunner per inning.

Similar to many other relievers, the Indiana University product got better as the season wore on as he yielded zero runs in his final 8.1 innings.

Sam Selman: B-

Sam Selman was added as a minor league free agent before the 2019 season, and this is looking to be a shrewd addition.

Selman strung together a strong season that included a 3.72 ERA (3.86 FIP) with a 28 percent strikeout rate as well as an 11.1 percent swinging-strike rate. The 29-year-old has no problem getting opposing hitters to swing-and-miss while flashing a low-90’s fastball and a devastating slider.

Opposing hitters posted a meager .174 batting average against Selman’s slider. This pitch is one of the few true out pitches in the SF Giants bullpen.

He has the potential to become a closer and continues to show growth since he originally signed with San Francisco.

Jarlin Garcia: B+

Jarlin Garcia, surprisingly, was placed on waivers by the Miami Marlins before the 2020 season, and that was to the Giants benefit. I say surprisingly because he pitched to an acceptable 4.29 ERA in three seasons with the Marlins.

Garcia only yielded one earned run in 18.1 frames with 14 strikeouts and seven walks with a 3.14 FIP. While his 0.49 ERA looks great on the surface, the Giants never felt comfortable enough to use him as a closer.

He did demonstrate okay command with a 3.4 K/9, but I think San Francisco felt that his command was not ideal for high-leverage situations when mixed with his less-than-stellar 19.2 percent strikeout rate.

That said, he exceeded any expectations that the SF Giants could have had from a waiver claim. He was exceptional at preventing runs and is under contract for the next several seasons.

Shaun Anderson: B

I may sound like a broken record at this point, but Shaun Anderson is yet another pitcher who got better as the season wore on.

In 18 appearances, the right-handed reliever posted a 3.52 ERA (5.73 FIP) with 18 strikeouts and 12 walks. Despite the high walk total, he was difficult to barrel up as he allowed only 10 hits.

Anderson emerged as one of the few reliable, right-handed relievers. Out of the bullpen, the University of Florida product flashed a mid-90’s fastball with a good changeup and slider.

Opposing hitters only had a .108 batting average against Anderson’s slider, whereas no one got a hit off of his changeup.

He has the stuff and the mound presence to become a high-leverage arm but needs to command his arsenal better. That said, he finished the season on a high note with five scoreless innings down the stretch in September.

Sam Coonrod: D-

Admittedly, Sam Coonrod was just 0.1 innings shy of reaching the 15-inning threshold I originally set for consideration, but I decided to make an exception. Coonrod has some of the best stuff in the bullpen, but he did not command it in 2020.

On the year, he produced a 9.82 ERA (4.76 FIP) with 15 strikeouts, seven walks, and 17 hits in 14.2 innings. He allowed way too many baserunners to be an effective reliever, and it showed in his surface-level results.

Coonrod flashes a high-90’s fastball with a bevy of other pitches to keep opposing hitters honest, but it did not come together this season.

After posting a 3.58 ERA in 2019, there was hope that he would become a quality reliever in 2020. That did not happen, and this year was a disaster for the former fifth-round pick.

Of the relievers who are under contract for next season, Coonrod is one of the few who really needs to make a good impression in Spring Training.

The 2020 season is now in the books. What grades would you give to each of the Giants players?