SF Giants saw largest decline in key offensive metric in 2025

Overall, the SF Giants offense was not a strength of the roster in 2025. However, they also demonstrated a concerning dip in average bat speed compared to 2024.

SF Giants saw largest decline in key offensive metric in 2025

The Giants finished tied with the Chicago Cubs for the second-lowest average bat speed with 71.0 MPH. Only the Chicago White Sox had a lower mark last season, with an average bat speed of 70.9 MPH.

On the other hand, the New York Yankees (73.2 MPH) and New York Mets (72.5 MPH) finished at the top of that category.

In isolation, what does this even mean? Well, it means the Yankees and Mets swung the bat a lot harder than the Giants or White Sox.

In these scenarios, I like to look at the correlation between one metric and overall offensive performance. The Yankees led baseball with a 119 wRC+ in 2025, whereas the Mets were fifth with a 112 wRC+. In this scenario, it is easy to see the connection between bat speed and offensive production.

On the other hand, the White Sox, along with the Cleveland Guardians (71.1 MPH), Texas Rangers (71.1 MPH), and Cincinnati Reds (71.1 MPH) were just ahead of the Giants in this category. Not surprisingly, the Guardians (87 WRC+), Rangers (92 wRC+), and Reds (92 wRC+) were near the bottom in offensive production. There seems to be a correlation between low bat speed and below-average offensive production.

If the Giants want to see their lineup improve in 2026, this is one area where they will want to show improvement. It was also one area where they saw the largest decline in 2025.

In 2024, the Giants had one of the highest average bat speeds at 72.3 MPH. They saw the largest decline in baseball in that category this past season.

Jerar Encarnación, Jung Hoo Lee, and Matt Chapman were among the Giants hitters to see the largest year-over-year decline in bat speed. Aside from occasional power, Encarnación does not add much value, so that drop-off in bat speed is especially concerning.

The Giants have also invested a lot of money in Chapman and Lee, so they will want to understand why each player displayed such a notable decline as well. Chapman spent time on the injured list with right hand inflammation in 2025, so that could have been a culprit. On the other hand, Lee went through his first full major league season, so fatigue may have kicked in.

Nevertheless, Toronto's success in 2025 is due in part to seeing a notable increase in bat speed. The Giants' offense could benefit from a similar increase next year. Plus, they could benefit from being more aggressive on pitches in the zone. The Giants were one of the most passive teams on pitches in the zone, especially on middle-middle location.