The SF Giants are slugging the ball this spring, but not in the way you would expect

The SF Giants have put up a .500 slugging percentage this spring, which is the third-highest mark in baseball. The are not relying too much on the long ball, as their 10 home runs sits in the middle of the pack.

The SF Giants are slugging the ball this spring, but not in the way you would expect

The Arizona Diamondbacks (.519 slugging percentage) and Colorado Rockies (.511 slugging percentage) lead the way in that category. One team you would probably expect to have one of the best offenses in baseball, and the other team is a complete surprise.

At the end of the day, it is only spring training, so how much does it really mean? For what it is worth, the Giants lead baseball with a .323 batting average and a .387 on-base percentage. In the case of batting average, they lead by a comfortable margin. The Diamondbacks are second in that category with a .304 batting average.

The Giants have been one of the best slugging teams in baseball, and they are not doing it with the long ball or even an unusually high number of extra-base hits. They have put up 35 extra-base hits, which is tied for the ninth in baseball.

Their .177 ISO also sits closer to the middle of the pack. That slugging number is being propped up by a high batting average, but that should not take away from the accomplishment!

It is also a sign that it might just be best for the entire lineup to start the regular season tomorrow. Yet there are still more than three weeks to go before Opening Day. Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow always talked about how Rich Aurilia would comment on hitting well in the spring by saying "save some of those hits for the season!"

In the early going, the Giants have also seen a sizable decline in their strikeout rate. Again, whether that carries over into the regular season remains to be seen.

There is no denying that this is a lineup that the front office wants. They believe that good things happen when the team puts the ball in play. That has happened more often than not.

Not surprisingly, the Giants' 7-2 record is the best in the Cactus League at the moment. Does that mean anything? After all, they were the best team in the Cactus League last spring. I suppose it helps build confidence and can help propel them to a strong start. Anyways, it is good that baseball is finally back, so we can find different ways to analyze the team!