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The SF Giants won the home run battle in 2026, but lost the win-loss war

It counts for something...
ByJeff Young
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Sep 11, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) hits a grand slam during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) hits a grand slam during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The SF Giants did not do much right in 2026, but they did win the home run battle. Unfortunately, that did not help them in the standings, as they had the fourth-worst record in baseball.

If you can believe it, the Giants hit more home runs than they allowed. In fact, they hit quite a bit more. In 2026, they hit 178 home runs and allowed only 160 home runs. Only the Boston Red Sox (153), Pittsburgh Pirates (155), and St. Louis Cardinals (158) yielded fewer home runs than the Giants' pitching staff.

This detail is not that surprising. The Giants play half of their games at Oracle Park and still excel at keeping the ball on the ground. These traits will typically lead to low home run totals.

Hitting more home runs than a team allows is generally a recipe for success. That said, it was an odd year for this trait. The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are facing off in the World Series right now, and they both had a negative home run differential. The Cleveland Guardians were part of that group as well.

SF Giants excelled in home run differential in an odd year for the trait

These are some of the more foward-thinking organizations, and yet, they did not excel in one barometer that often correlates to win-loss record.

On the other hand, the Giants were one of 14 teams to have a positive run differential. With a +18 home run differential, they were ninth in baseball in that category. Five of the eight teams in front of them reached the playoffs. In total, seven teams with a positive home run differential made it to the postseason.

It was still an odd year for this trait. Six of the 14 teams with a positive home run differential finished with a losing record. This includes the Giants. The others were the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and the Cardinals.

I usually review this in October every year. In recent seasons, the majority of teams with a positive home run differential made it to the playoffs. In 2026, it was exactly half.

In addition to this, the vast majority of teams with a positive home run differential had a winning record. In 2026, eight of 14 teams had a winning record. Teams with a losing record were often the exception to the rule, but this year, they were more the rule.

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