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3 most disappointing SF Giants players through the first 40 games of the year

By Jeff Young |
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The SF Giants are officially one-fourth of the way through the season. There have been some ups, but plenty of downs as well. At 19-23, the Giants hoped to have a better record at this point in the season, so who have been the biggest disappointments?

3 most disappointing SF Giants players through the first 40 games of the year

The front office spent aggressively this past winter, inking Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, Jordan Hicks, Jorge Soler, and Blake Snell. They hoped that the team would have a new identity, but that has been slow to develop.

The team's identity should be based around pitching, defense, and timely hitting. That is how the roster was assembled. To a large degree, it is the same identity that led the Giants to three World Series titles in five years.

They are ninth in baseball with +7 Outs Above Average in 2024. That is a solid number, but one that will be tested with the spate of recent injuries. On the other hand, the offense has posted a 97 wRC+ so far, which is tied for 18th in baseball. Plus, they have a 4.43 staff ERA, which is the seventh-worst mark. They just cannot be stuck in the middle when it comes to pitching, so it is not too surprising to see that they are below .500 on the year.

1. Blake Snell

The Giants had hoped that Snell and Logan Webb would form one of the best rotation duos in baseball. Webb has been solid with a 3.38 ERA through nine starts.

However, Snell has struggled to an 11.57 ERA in three starts with San Francisco. He signed very late in the offseason and did not even make a Cactus League appearance with the Giants.

The left-handed hurler had been preparing for the season by throwing bullpens and pitching in simulated games. Those are great ways to get ready, but pitching in live games against hitters that you will see in the regular season is arguably a better feedback loop for pitchers. This could be a cautionary tale for signing pitchers so late in the offseason. Of course, the two-time Cy Young winner was holding out hope for a better deal.

Snell landed on the injured list with an abductor strain after his third outing. The good news is that he is nearing a return after completing his first rehab appearance with the San Jose Giants. There is still plenty of time to turn it around.

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Cincinnati Reds v San Francisco Giants / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

3 most disappointing SF Giants players through the first 40 games of the year

2. Matt Chapman

There had been a lot written about Matt Chapman's declining bat well before he signed with San Francisco. 40 games into the season, those concerns remain valid as he is slashing .213/.259/.350 (75 wRC+) with five home runs, 19 RBI, and 21 runs in 170 plate appearances.

The veteran bat has recorded a 25.9 percent strikeout rate against a 5.3 walk rate. He has some swing-and-miss in his game, so a moderately high strikeout rate was to be expected. That said, the walk rate is nearly half of his career mark of 10.4 percent.

On a different note, Chapman's defense has not been as sharp as advertised. The four-time Gold Glove winner has been worth +4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -3 Outs Above Average (OAA). This includes six errors on the year as well.

While concerns about his bat were valid, the Giants expected his defense to be well above average. That has not been the case yet in the early going.

In fairness, Chapman did blast a clutch grand slam in a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds this past weekend. The Giants hope that this is the springboard that gets him going.

Pittsburgh Pirates v San Francisco Giants
Pittsburgh Pirates v San Francisco Giants / Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/GettyImages

3 most disappointing SF Giants players through the first 40 games of the year

3. Jorge Soler

It is probably not too comforting that some of the biggest disappointments so far are those players who were brought in this past winter. There were a few other options such as Taylor Rogers or Wilmer Flores, but Soler has not done what many expected when he first signed with the club - hit.

Admittedly, adding a DH was a bit of an odd fit. It was not necessarily a need, but one area that they could target to improve the lineup. Soler was coming off of an All-Star campaign in 2023 where he posted an .853 OPS with 36 home runs in 580 plate appearances. The Giants signed him to be a middle-of-the-order threat and he has not done that yet.

A primary DH needs to hit and hit a lot to add value. That has not been the case with the right-handed bat. He has registered a .202/.294/.361 line (94 wRC+) with five home runs, eight RBI, and 14 runs in 136 plate appearances. This includes just three hits in 26 at-bats with runners in scoring position in 2024. His overall numbers are not bad, but not enough for a primary DH like Soler.

The 11-year veteran landed on the injured list with a shoulder strain last week. It is not considered serious and the Giants are hopeful that he misses minimal time.

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