5 under the radar SF Giants players off to a good start in 2023

John Brebbia has been much better than you think for San Francisco

As good as the Giants' bullpen has been, we have to talk about John Brebbia's 2023 season. On the surface, a guy that has put up a 3.14 ERA in 29 appearances in 2023 wouldn't warrant too much recognition. However, a look under the surface shows a guy that has been doing a lot of good work.

First, Brebbia's FIP sits at a miniscule 2.71 and he currently has a career-high strikeout rate at 11.3 K/9. He does give up some hard contact, but his expected batting average, expected slugging percentage, xERA, and K-rate all rate as elite. His counting numbers got hurt by a rough outing back in April, but he has been absolutely nails ever since.

Camilo Doval is putting up a career-best season for the SF Giants

Giants fans are already aware of what Camilo Doval is capable of, but the league is only just now beginning to appreciate him as a top notch bullpen arm. So far in 2023, he has been a top 10 reliever in the National League by fWAR at 0.9 and his 23 saves is only behind Emmanuel Clase's 24 for the most in all of baseball.

There is just so much to like with Doval. His strikeout rate of 12.65 is elite and his slider has been nearly unhittable for him this as opposing batters are hitting just .105 against the pitch this season. Combine that with the ability to throw 100 mph and you have the makings of an elite reliever that more people should take notice of.

JD Davis needs some more recognition for how good his has been for the SF Giants

When the Giants traded for JD Davis in the deal that sent Darin Ruf to the Mets, they were hoping that Davis would be able to put his injury issues behind him and be the hitter that he was in 2019 when he put up a 137 wRC+ and hit 22 homers. Fortunately for them, that is exactly what they have gotten.

Through 74 games with the Giants, Davis has slashed .289/.367/.467 with 10 homers while also being a very strong defender at third with six Outs Above Average at third base this year. This isn't just the product of a hot streak, either, as he has posted a wRC+ of 122 or higher every single month of the season. The guy can just flat out play baseball and more folks should know about him. Fortunately for the Giants, they have him under team control through the 2024 season and he sure seems like a guy that is a prime candidate for an extension.

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