2014 SF Giants postseason hero makes very bold claim about 2024 team

The SF Giants did not do a ton at the trade deadline and certainly did not make any big additions in anticipation of a postseason run. Despite this, 2014 postseason hero Jake Peavy made a very bold claim that the 2024 Giants are better than the 2014 team.

2014 SF Giants postseason hero makes very bold claim about 2024 team

Peavy made these comments on KNBR and a clip of him comparing the 2024 team to the 2014 World Series winning team can be listened to here.

Peavy says in the interview, "The Giants this year are a better team man for man than [the 2014 Giants were]. When you talk about having Logan Webb and Robbie Ray and Blake Snell, nobody wants those three in a playoff matchup."

That is a very bold statement, and one that not everyone will agree with. Even George Kontos, a member of the 2014 Giants, responded to Peavy's comments with some quizzical emojis on X.

Now, let's give Peavy the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he simply meant that the starting rotation is better than it was in 2014. That is a more plausible argument. In 2014 in the postseason the Giants had a rotation of Madison Bumgarner, Jake Peavy, Tim Hudson, and Ryan Vogelsong. We all know that Bumgarner was dominant, but the other three pitchers were not slouches either. However, they were all towards the end of their careers and were on the decline even though all of them made quality starts that postseason. One could argue that Ray, Snell, Webb, and Kyle Harrison may be a more talented group overall, but not by a ton.

The argument falls apart more when you look at the lineup for both teams. The 2014 Giants were not an offensive juggernaut, none of the championship teams were, but they were certainly superior to the current lineup. They had the likes of Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence, and Brandon Belt in the middle of the order. The Giants have some solid offensive contributors, but none that you would prefer over that group even if you remove the nostalgia aspect.

You cannot even argue that the current bullpen is better even though it is fairly strong. The 2014 team still had the incredible Core Four combination of Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt, and Javier Lopez. The Rogers twins, Ryan Walker, and Camilo Doval are four solid relievers, but they do not approach that level.

In sum, Peavy may have been overstating his case when he said the 2024 Giants are superior to the 2014 team. The 2014 Giants were not the most talented team in the league, but they had so many key contributors who believed in one another and had that championship DNA that propelled them to victory.

The 2024 Giants could have a postseason run in them if they turn things around, but it is a bit too bold to be saying that they are a superior team to the 2014 team that took home the 3rd World Series championship in 5 years for the club.