3 biggest SF Giants surprises from the first half of the season

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We already took a look at three of the players who have been the hardest to watch as an SF Giants fan, but sometimes, the glass is half full. The Giants, despite looking up at three other teams in their division, have still given their fans plenty of reasons to tune in and watch every day. What have been the three biggest surprises thus far?

3 biggest SF Giants surprises from the first half of the season

The Giants have a 42-45 record, which is on the outside of the playoff race, but not by much. When the front office constructed this roster, it was safe to assume that the team's identity would focus around pitching and defense.

That has not been the case. The offense has been surprisingly solid with a .248/.317/.393 (105 wRC+) triple-slash line. That is more than enough offensive production even if the Giants do not have a 30-homer hitter in the lineup.

1. LaMonte Wade Jr.

Late Night LaMonte Wade Jr. has been an on-base machine this year – his sensational .460 OBP would lead the major leagues if he had enough plate appearances to qualify, far outpacing current major league leader: Juan Soto’s .437 mark.

Wade has demonstrated exceptional command of the strike zone, with his career-best walk rate of 19.3% nearly matching his 22.2% strikeout rate. He’s also been doing a fantastic job of making contact with a .326 batting average, though his .434 BABIP is due for regression and his power has been surprisingly muted.

Just nine of his 45 hits have gone for extra bases, and only two of those were home runs. Even so, his 161 wRC+ would be eighth-best in MLB with more plate appearances, and he has done enough against lefty pitching to warrant evolving into a solid everyday player rather than the platoon option he once was.

San Francisco Giants v Atlanta Braves / Todd Kirkland/GettyImages

3 biggest SF Giants surprises from the first half of the season

2. Heliot Ramos

It seems like a long time ago Heliot Ramos was one of the top prospects in the Giants’ system, and he had to bide his time in Sacramento after not breaking camp with the Giants on their Opening Day squad.

After injuries to Jung-Hoo Lee, Jorge Soler, and Austin Slater, however, there was playing time to go around out on the grass, and Ramos took full advantage of the opportunity. He has burst onto the scene with a .294/.368/.508 slash line, carrying the offense at times when it was desperately needed.

In just 48 games he has already been worth 2.0 WAR, which ranks third among the team’s position players, and his 10 homers rank him second behind only Chapman’s 11. His sterling 149 wRC+ trails only Wade’s, as well. He has written his name in the Giants’ plans for next year in permanent ink with his performance so far.

3. Jordan Hicks

Signed to a four-year deal over the offseason, it was an open question as to how long he would last as a member of the rotation before reverting to his old role as a setup option. Playing with a chip on his shoulder, Hicks has proven that he can and should be considered a reliable starting pitcher going forward.

His average fastball velocity, which sat no lower than 100.1 in each of his previous five seasons, has fallen to 95.6 this year as he has learned how to pitch deeper into games and not have to rely on blowing the ball by hitters.

The veteran pitcher has been a stabilizing force in his starts, pitching to a 3.36 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in his 85.2 innings. Worryingly, those 85.2 innings already represent a career-high for him, so the Giants will have to start micromanaging his workload to keep him healthy for the rest of the season and into next year.

Hopefully, that won’t be much of an issue when other arms like Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb's return. Hicks has done a nice job in the meantime.

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3 biggest SF Giants surprises from the first half of the season

3 biggest SF Giants surprises from the first half of the season

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