SF Giants hot start has hinged on surprising success in key area

The SF Giants are off to a hot start with a 13-7 record. Overall, their offense has been closer to the middle of the pack, but they have been unusually successful with runners in scoring position.

SF Giants hot start has hinged on surprising success in key area

Hitting with runners in scoring position is one of those qualities that is hard to evaluate on a year-to-year basis. The fluctuations can be pretty wild. For example, the Giants were one of the worst teams in baseball in these situations last season with a .673 OPS. Teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals were some of the teams that posted worse numbers than San Francisco.

Despite having very little turnover in the offseason, the pendulum has shifted entirely the other way in 2025. The Giants are slashing .280/.345/.520 (140 wRC+) with runners in scoring position. The wRC+ is tied with the Chicago Cubs for the third-best mark in baseball.

Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski, Jung Hoo Lee, and Matt Chapman have all been unusualy successful in these spots. For example, Flores leads baseball with 23 RBI, which is not something you would expect from someone who has a .746 OPS on the year. However, that number has jumped up to a 1.118 OPS with runners in scoring position. The veteran bat has cashed in on those opportunities.

As a whole, the Giants have registered a .226/.304/.402 line (101 wRC+) with a 25.5 percent strikeout rate, 9.6 percent walk rate, and .176 ISO. This is a lineup that will strike out at a high rate, but they have been offsetting that with above-average power.

This number is being carried by unusually strong production from Lee, Yastrzemski, and Tyler Fitzgerald. Their numbers will likely come down as the season progresses. On the other hand, Willy Adames, Heliot Ramos, and LaMonte Wade Jr. have not made much of an impact.

Adames might be pressing at the plate to make a good impression. Wade Jr. is off to a slow start, and that could be an extension of last season. This could lead to a change sooner rather than later.

Anyways, front offices tend to view hitting with runners in scoring position as an unpredictable trait. So, while the Giants are off to a hot start due in part to their success in these spots, is it sustainable? That is tough to say. They would probably prefer more consistent production up and down the lineup, but for now, they are enjoying a quality that has evaded them in recent seasons.