SF Giants will face first true litmus test after strong start

The SF Giants are off to a hot start with a 9-3 record, but how good are they? The first real litmus test is coming up on a 10-game road trip.

SF Giants will face first true litmus test after strong start

Baseball can be a weird sport at times. Sometimes, it is when you face a team, not how you play them. In other sports, the team that has more talent will win the game more often than not. It is somewhat easier to predict.

On any given day, the Chicago White Sox could defeat the New York Yankees. It will not happen often, but good teams have off days, too.

On paper, the Giants have faced some quality teams in the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and Houston Astros. Are any of these teams playoff contenders? Who knows.

The Reds have a strong starting rotation and a superstar in Elly De La Cruz. They were a tough matchup for the Giants at home, as the Reds' pitching staff tallied two straight shutouts. The Giants did get the final game of the series thanks to a Mike Yastrzemski walk-off home run.

The Astros did reach the playoffs last season, but they look to be at the end of their competitive window. The talent has not been retained with Carlos Correa, Gerrit Cole, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker leaving in recent seasons via trade or free agency. They did not look good at all in a three-game series against San Francisco.

The Mariners can definitely pitch. They struggle in nearly every other facet of the game.

So, it is hard to know just how reliable the Giants' record is at the moment. They have their first true litmus test coming up on a 10-game road trip.

They face off against the New York Yankees for three games followed by a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees lead their division with a 7-5 record in what should be a tough AL East division.

Despite losing Juan Soto in free agency, the Yankees always look to compete. This is a team that reached the World Series just last season.

On the other hand, the Philadelphia Phillies have a strong roster and pose arguably the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL. They currently lead the NL East with an 8-3 record.

The Giants will be on the road in both series, which adds another challenge to the matchup. They are off to a good start, but the next seven games should be a pretty good litmus test of where they stand.