If The Shoe Fitz...

 

Eleven home runs in a seventeen game span. After hitting 1 home run in his first 33 games. That is pretty incredible, and that is just what Tyler Fitzgerald is doing to start his MLB career.

The Giants have a lot of flaws this year obviously, like lack of rotation depth, the immediate loss of Jung-Ho Lee, the gradual attrition of some roster spots that were typically set in stone for this team. The one thing that's been constant since losing Buster Posey has been a severe lack of brand identity, and not even Logan Webb or Mike Yastrzemski or even Bob Melvin has been able to completely restore that. But you're seeing inklings. You're seeing signs that something may be coming soon, and people like Fitzgerald and Heliot Ramos are some of those.

Fitzgerald is pretty important not just because of this insane power hitting moment that almost made you forget that Blake Snell just pitched a no-hitter for this exact same team, but because he seems like a pretty substantial answer at shortstop a year after the departure of Brandon Crawford. The Giants were planning on going with Nick Ahmed this year, but it only worked so well, and while they did try Brett Wisely he was more of a utility option. Fitzgerald sliding in at short, and hitting like hell, provides an answer at a rare position that wasn't set in stone going into this year. Curiously, though, Marco Luciano has also been a strong option at short, though Fitzgerald seems to be a little better defensively. The current vacancy at 2nd has allowed Luciano, and Wisely, more chances to play, and it's great timing.

If a lot of this team not only stays hot but also stays in SF next year, we could see a team that confidently goes forward with people like Ramos, Lee, Fitzgerald, LaMonte Wade and potentially Matt Chapman if he's enamored enough with the area. That could be a pretty strong team, not even counting some of the people that may or may not be headed elsewhere. Also intriguing is the prospect of a revitalized version of this rotation, with Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Hayden Birdsong and Robbie Ray all zooming at 100mph. Ray has honestly been pretty strong in his first few starts back. Not Snell in July strong, but better than expected. 

I don't know how likely it is for the Giants to still compete this year, as the field is very crowded, but they're still very much a productive team, and they could compete anywhere in the next few years if these circumstances remain promising. All of the pieces are there pretty much; they just need the luck on their side.

Coming Tonight: Ironically a former Giants reclamation project who's doing as well as he can after a few tour de force years in a row have tired him out a bit.