SF Giants offensive improvement will need to come from 2 key sources

The SF Giants have put up a 96 wRC+ this season, which is not terrible. It is not good either. For them to improve that mark, they will need Matt Chapman and Willy Adames to lead the way.

SF Giants offensive improvement will need to come from 2 key sources

If the Giants remain in the playoff hunt in July, they will have an opportunity to upgrade at the trade deadline. The bench could use some help, but the only realistic upgrade opportunity at this point is at first base.

The soft spots in the lineup have been at catcher, first base, and shortstop. Catcher is a tough position to fill during the season, as bad teams typically do not have good catchers and good teams are not trading theirs if they have one. Plus, Patrick Bailey is arguably the best defensive catcher in baseball right now.

Of course, Adames is the Giants' shortstop for the long haul, so there is no move to make here. The rest of the lineup has been pretty good, with the outfield being a strength. Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, and Mike Yastrzemski have been among the team's best hitters.

As a whole, the lineup has been one of contrasting production. They have gotten pretty good production from a number of positions. They also have some extreme soft spots, especially at catcher and first base.

For the offense to get going, they need Adames and Matt Chapman to take the lead. That was the main reason they extended Chapman last season, and inked Adames to the largest contract in Giants history.

Chapman has been more fine than good. He is slashing .214/.335/.401 (111 wRC+) with nine home runs, 25 RBI, and 27 runs in 215 plate appearances. The veteran bat also has demonstrated an excellent eye at the plate, recording a 15.3 percent walk rate and rarely chasing out of the zone.

Despite a solid overall stat line, it feels like Chapman has not found a rhythm at the plate yet. And, the Giants need better production from a middle-of-the-order hitter.

On the other hand, Adames has registered a .213/.294/.347 line (82 wRC+) with five home runs, 24 RBI, and 30 runs in 228 plate appearances. Similar to Chapman, the eight-year veteran has not found a rhythm at the plate. He will string together a couple of good games, but has not found the consistency yet.

There are a few concerning trends in Adames' profile this year, but they are just about one-third of the way through the year. One area that has seen a notable drop-off has been his ability to pull the ball in the air. His pulled fly ball rate sits at 16.7 percent, down from 24.8 percent last season. This will be a number to monitor as the season progresses because if his home run total is down, it is pretty easy to connect the dots here.

While the Giants might be in a position where they can add at the trade deadline, that is still a few months away. Only one position that sticks out as an obvious upgrade opportunity, and that is first base. Much of the offensive improvement needs to come from the internal options, especially Adames and Chapman.