SF Giants: Three takeways from the first two series of the season

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The SF Giants are off to a nice start after taking the first two series of the year against the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres. They have a 4-2 record heading into the weekend and some early impressions stand out.

SF Giants: Three takeways from the first two series of the season

Catcher Joey Bart looks more polished in his third season with the Giants, whereas fans got a chance to see outfield prospect Heliot Ramos in San Francisco for the first time. Neither one looks overwhelmed, but unfortunately, Ramos was optioned back to Triple-A after yesterday's win against the Padres.

The plan was for Ramos to get a brief cup of coffee with the Giants, so the demotion is not a reflection of his performance. He can still benefit from some additional minor league seasoning.

1. The starting rotation looks to be one of the best in baseball

The Giants had one of the best rotations in baseball last season and they look to be continuing that trend in 2022. It is a mild surprise given that they started the offseason with four rotation vacancies to fill.

They filled these spots by bringing back a couple of familiar faces in Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood as well as reeling in Alex Cobb and Carlos Rodón to pair with Logan Webb. Through two starts, Webb is building off of his strong 2021 season where he posted a 3.03 ERA in 26 starts.

The right-handed hurler has registered a 1.29 ERA in his first two starts with 10 strikeouts against only one walk. Rodón and Cobb were electric in their Giants debuts, collecting 12 and 10 strikeouts, respectively.

Rodón and Webb give the Giants one of the more formidable duos in the National League. Whether it is fair or not, the team's success in 2022 will depend in part on how far those two can take them.

Wood and DeSclafani did not have outstanding outings, but each one left the game with a chance to win. As a unit, the starting rotation has posted a 2.53 ERA in 2022, and the expectation is that they will have one of the better and deeper rotations in baseball.

San Diego Padres v San Francisco Giants / Ezra Shaw/GettyImages

SF Giants: Three takeways from the first two series of the season

2. Brandon Belt is off to a hot start

The Giants have some holes to fill in the lineup following a pair of departures in Buster Posey (retirement) and Kris Bryant (free agency). Brandon Crawford and Mike Yastrzemski both are off to slow starts, but another left-handed bat is off to a hot start.

Brandon Belt has typically struggled in April as he has posted an .819 OPS in the first month throughout his career. His bat typically warms up along with the weather, but this year looks like it will be a different trend.

The 33-year-old accepted a $18.4 million qualifying offer in the offseason and the early returns have been promising. Interestingly, Belt battled knee inflammation in camp and he did not record a hit during the Cactus League, so there were some concerns over his level of pereparedness.

However, he has quieted any concerns as he has slashed .438/.526/.875 (306 OPS+) with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs in 19 plate appearances. This includes a strong 15.8 percent walk rate, which is a trait that Giants fans have come to expect from the lefty.

These numbers continue a trend that has taken place in recent seasons with Belt. After many strong years at the plate, the left-handed slugger has emerged as one of the best hitters in baseball since Gabe Kapler and his coaching staff took over.

Since the start of 2020, only Juan Soto (171 wRC+) has produced a better mark than Belt (167 wRC+) in terms of wRC+. It has been a remarkable transition for Belt and the hope is that he can stay healthy in 2022.

Miami Marlins v San Francisco Giants / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

SF Giants: Three takeways from the first two series of the season

3. The defense looks rusty

The Giants are off to a promising 4-2 start on the year, but if not for a few defensive miscues, they could be 6-0. No team is perfect and the rough defense is likely a product of the shortened spring training.

This was an issue at the beginning of the 2020 campaign after a three-week camp. The circumstances are similar and so are the results. Through six games, the Giants have played in four one-run skirmishes with defense being a key factor.

That is a trend that could continue throughout this season. Teams that play in a lot of close games have very little margin for error, so an improvement in the defense will be key.

There have been some critical miscues. For instance, the Giants committed two errors on Opening Day against the Marlins. Neither one changed the outcome of the game, but it reduced the margin for error. However, on Saturday, the Giants allowed a run that scored due in part to a throwing error and a pair of wild pitches. Only one of those pitches was officially recorded as a wild pitch.

In a game against the Padres on Monday, Ha-Seong Kim singled on a soft ground ball to shortstop Brandon Crawford. It was ruled a base hit but is a play that Crawford typically makes. That play eventually resulted in a key run as the Padres eventually nabbed the 4-2 victory.

These issues are not likely to continue as San Francisco had one of the best defenses in baseball last year with many of the same faces returning. However, it has not been as clean as the Giants are capable of.

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SF Giants: Three takeways from the first two series of the season

SF Giants: Three takeways from the first two series of the season

SF Giants: Three takeways from the first two series of the season

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