Who was the biggest SF Giants surprise of the 2024 season?

The SF Giants had their fair share of disappointments in 2024 but there were some pleasant surprises as well. Heliot Ramos sits atop the list of biggest surprises for the club this past season.

Who was the biggest SF Giants surprise of the 2024 season?

Ramos was not the only surprise by any means. The Giants knew they would be upgrading the third base position when they signed Matt Chapman before the start of the season. However, it would have been a modest surprise for him to finish the year with down-ballot NL MVP votes. There is a good chance that he receives some outside MVP consideration after a strong season.

Tyler Fitzgerald is another player who seemingly came out of nowhere to put up a strong stat line in 2024. The speedy infielder forced his way into the lineup after an impressive July where he posted a 1.239 OPS with eight home runs and 15 RBI in 59 plate appearances.

Perhaps, a much more nuanced surprise was how Hayden Birdsong performed in his first season in the majors. The rookie pitcher only made two starts in Triple-A before earning a promotion to the big league roster. His did tally a 4.75 ERA in 16 starts, which is not all that great. That said, the righty pitcher recorded 88 strikeouts in 72 innings. He did flash the ability to make major league hitters swing and miss. The next step will be improving his control.

On the other hand, it would have been hard to envision Ramos making the NL All-Star team when the year began. The right-handed bat did not even begin the year with the Giants. After a strong run in Triple-A and some injuries to the outfield, the right-handed bat forced his way back onto the roster and did not look back.

Overall, he slashed .269/.322/.469 (120 wRC+) with 22 home runs, 72 RBI, and 54 runs in 518 plate appearances. This includes a 7.1 percent walk rate, 26.1 percent strikeout rate, and .200 ISO. Matt Chapman was the only Giants hitter to have more home runs (27) and RBI (78) than Ramos this past season.

While the Giants' roster needs a major overhaul in 2025, Ramos is one of the few core players that the club can start to build around.