SF Giants manager Bob Melvin says 2025 team is different in this key aspect

On paper, the 2025 SF Giants do not look all that different from the 2024 Giants. The team's manager Bob Melvin believes that this team is different from last year in spring training from a team chemistry standpoint.

Other than adding shortstop Willy Adames and starting pitcher Justin Verlander, most of the major pieces on the roster remain the same for the Giants this year. But Melvin believes the time at which the team added their new players is much more advantageous than last season.

In remarks made to KNBR, Melvin said, "Last year, we had some late signings. In Blake Snell's case, wasn't really ready to pitch right away. Chapman was just getting here late while camp was going on. It's more cohesive now because everybody's been here. We've had a group here basically for a month — Willy Adames included — before camp even starts. So I think there's just a little bit more familiarity with the team and certainly the coaching staff and myself."

SF Giants have more team chemistry in 2025 according to Bob Melvin

Melvin is right that the Giants signing guys earlier in the offseason than last year could have a positive impact on the team. The fact that things did develop so late in the process last year with third baseman Matt Chapman and pitcher Blake Snell may have just thrown things off a bit early last season which may have contributed to the team getting off to a slow start.

Adames signed with the Giants in December of 2024 and Verlander signed early in January. That has ensured that there will not be a ton of upheaval in spring training like last year. The Giants are not going to have to cut a starter like they did with J.D. Davis last year. Everything feels much more settled and players have a much better sense of where they stand.

While some may scoff at an unquantifiable metric like "team chemistry," it was those exact unquantifiable metrics that allowed the Giants to win three World Series championships last decade. They never had the most talented roster on paper, but they were come together as a team and play as a cohesive unit.

The fact that the Giants are in a better place from a team chemistry standpoint bodes well for their chances to surprise some folks in 2025. They certainly do not have the most talented roster on paper, but they do have enough talent to snag a postseason spot.

We know that all it takes to win a championship is getting to October and getting hot. Team chemistry may not be quantifiable, but the fact that the roots for this team have been laid much earlier than last season bodes well for the team as they try to prove everyone wrong.