The San Francisco Giants had a tough 2023, once again finishing under .500. Since that insane 2021 season, the Giants have underperformed. However, Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball operations, did not roll over. The Giants went hard after Ohtani and Yamamoto and missed. However, they still were able to do enough wheeling and dealing to reload the roster and put themselves in a much better position for 2024.
The 2024 season fast approaches, and the Giants are ready. They’ve got a new skipper in Bob Melvin, who knows the Bay Area well from his time in Oakland. Here’s how we see things in the Golden Gate City.
2024 Positives For The San Francisco Giants
The main set of positives are the big-name additions from the off-season. The San Francisco Giants signed Matt Chapman to a three-year, $54 million deal, providing lockdown defense at the hot corner. Chapman performed a fair bit worse at the plate in Toronto compared to Oakland, but a return to the Bay Area could spark his bat.
Next, the Giants also acquired former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray from the Mariners in exchange for Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeScalfani. Ray won’t pitch until later in the season due to elbow surgery, but he is under contract long-term and will bolster the rotation in a much-needed way.
Furthermore, the Giants brought in Jorge Soler, the power-hitting outfielder and DH. He replaces Joc Pederson, who left for the rival Diamondbacks. Soler has been a part of some successful teams of late, including the 2021 World Series champion Braves, as well as the unlikely Wild Card-winning Marlins in 2023. We’re unsure if this is the right place at the right time for Soler or if he brings a winning edge to the clubhouse. One thing is for certain: he isn’t a losing player.
Finally, the Giants signed Korean phenom Jung Hoo Lee. Lee scored himself a six-year, $113 million deal by coming to the USA. He tore up the KBO with a .340 career average and is looking to bring that elite hit tool to San Fran. While Lee has yet to face MLB pitching, the skill translation from the major Asian leagues has become a little more one-to-one in recent years. With all of these moves, the Giants are ready to rock this season.
2024 Question Marks
The San Francisco Giants have some question marks in their lineup. The first is JD Davis. Davis has been a solid hitter for the Giants, posting a 113 OPS+ (where 100 is average) in the orange and black, but he regressed from his even stronger 126 Mets OPS+ in his first full season as a Giant. The Giants need Davis to be that line drive-hitting hard-contact machine he was in New York if they are going to have a good year in 2024.
Next, we’ve got LaMonte Wade Jr. Wade Jr. had a strong year for the Giants last year, putting up a .790 OPS. However, Wade Jr. is not exactly a proven player. He’s barely had 1250 plate appearances in his 5 seasons as a big leaguer and has never played more than 135 games (which he did last year). If the Giants have something good cooking with Wade Jr., then it will be a huge boon for the squad. After all, he was a big piece of the 2021 success.
Finally, the San Francisco Giants have a potential beast lurking under the surface in Michael Conforto. While injuries have completely derailed his career, Conforto previously hit a 134 OPS+ from 2017–2020. If he can get healthy and in the right space, the power-hitting lefty could be visiting McCovey a fair bit this season.
San Francisco Giants: 2024 Issues
The major issue for the San Francisco Giants remains their starting rotation. Yes, Ray will provide a shot in the arm whenever he can get on the field, but that does not help for opening day. Logan Webb is a solid ace, but Alex Cobb is recovering from hip surgery and likely won’t even be ready for the opening series. DeScalfani threw the third most innings of Giants starters last year and is now with the Mariners. The Giants brought in Jordan Hicks to start, but Hicks has pretty much exclusively pitched in relief roles in the big leagues. It’s unlikely the transition will be completely painless. The back end of the rotation is made up of young, unproven pitchers like Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn, who were not particularly impressive for the Giants in 2023. They are also both already struggling with injuries.
Even if a solid four-pack of Webb, Ray, Cobb, and Hicks can get rolling in the second half, the damage may already be done.
2024 San Francisco Giants Prediction
We think the Giants will overcome their pitching issues and make a run at the Wild Card. Their lineup has a chance to pop this year, if Conforto and Davis can return to their Mets numbers and Lee is the real deal, it could carry them until Cobb and Ray arrive to soothe the rotation issues. Bob Melvin will keep the ship steady and help lead them to success. A 90+ win season from the team is in reach if they can hold on until the injured starters return. The NL West is tough, but the Giants will be tough right back.
About The Author
Ryan is a freelance writer from Long Island, NY. He hopes the Knicks and Mets are good at the same time this year (yeah, right).
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