SF Giants slugger has seemingly turned a corner since the calendar flipped to May

The SF Giants offense has gotten off to a brutal start in 2026. That remains true for several key contributors, but Rafael Devers has gotten his bat going in May.

SF Giants slugger has seemingly turned a corner since the calendar flipped to May

The Giants are still waiting for Matt Chapman and Willy Adames to heat up this season. Their struggles have coincided with Bryce Eldridge being called up.

The addition of Eldridge adds to a complicated roster situation. They have coverage at the positions he plays, including first base and DH.

The Giants have invested a lot of money in Devers, Adames, and Chapman. They are going to be in the lineup more often than not. This is further exacerbated by Casey Schmitt being their best hitter. They did not anticipate this with Schmitt in the offseason, and it is fair to be critical, as an evaluation they misread. 

Schmitt needs to be in the lineup every day because he is one of the few players who are hitting. However, that leads to some tough decisions for everyone else. Eldridge will need to hit his way to more at-bats. For now, he will get regular days off, which is a questionable approach for one of their best prospects over the past 15 years.

Devers is making one of those decisions easier. Not surprisingly, by the way. He has been one of the better hitters over the last decade. He is also somewhat of a slow starter by his standards. 

In the first month of the year, Devers has a career .776 OPS. That is not a bad mark by any means, but below his career .849 OPS across 10 major league seasons. This year was no different as he put up a .537 OPS in 129 plate appearances in April.

The 29-year-old hitter usually warms along with the weather. Since the calendar turned to May, he has a 1.121 OPS with three home runs and seven RBI in 43 plate appearances.

The offense runs through Devers, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames. Of course, that was hard to see with all three getting off to a slow start. The Giants also expect contributions from Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos, Luis Arráez, and Harrison Bader. This lineup should have some length to it, but it has not played out that way.

The Giants had no other option but to ride this out with Devers, Chapman, and Adames. For now, their patience is paying off with one of those bats, but this is a reminder that the baseball season is a long one with plenty of ups and downs. 

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