SF Giants get some surprise visitors from across the bay ahead of Diamondbacks series

Ahead of a critical, three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the SF Giants received a pair of surprise guests. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith of the San Jose Sharks stopped by Oracle Park and took batting practice, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

SF Giants get some surprise visitors from across the bay ahead of Diamondbacks series

No, not that Will Smith. And, not that Will Smith, either. This Will Smith was the Sharks' first-round pick in 2023. Celebrini was the top pick by San Jose in 2024.

The Sharks have had some lean years lately, but they hope that trend is turning a corner. They also see Smith and Celebrini as among the core group of young players who will lead them back into the playoff picture.

Last season, the Sharks were comfortably in last place in the Pacific Division with 52 points. The Seattle Kraken were the next closest with 76 points.

Celebrini led the club with 63 points, including 25 goals and 38 assists. On the other hand, Smith had 45 points, including 18 goals and 27 assists. Both Celebrini and Smith were rookies last season. They received a tour of the park from Giants hitting coach Pat Burrell.

Speaking of playoff hopes, the Giants are clinging onto a faint chance of reaching the postseason. As of Monday, they had a 3.9 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. They did not help themselves by dropping the series against the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend.

However, the Giants still have a favorable schedule in the final weeks of the year. Their remaining matchups include the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are the only team with a winning record among that group. Unfortunately, they will face off against them seven times in the final 18 games.

The Giants only sit three games behind the New York Mets for the third Wild Card spot. The Mets hold the advantage with the tiebreaker, so the Giants will need to surpass them by one game in the standings to reach the playoffs.

More from Around the Foghorn: