Just like that, after losing six straight games, the Giants swept the Rockies and put themselves right back into the wild card conversation.
The Giants have been kind of hard to pinpoint this year. On one hand, they've had some great performances, some excellent defenders, some crucial rookies that are turning the team around, and one of the best closers in the game. Alternatively, this is still a very anonymous team. In 2021, the Giants felt a lot more star-studded. Y'know, Buster Posey was here, Evan Longoria was here, Kevin Gausman was the ace, Belt and Crawford kept the 2010s legacy alive, then they got Kris Bryant. It felt big, it felt starry. Now the games are being carried by Alex Cobb, LaMonte Wade, Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores.
The people who went into this season as the most highly-regarded haven't had the best seasons. Michael Conforto was the big outfield acquisition, he's only hit .250 this year. Joc Pederson's re-signing was a big deal, he's only hit .246 with 13 homers. Mitch Haniger, as per usual, hasn't stayed healthy and only has 6 homers. Even Mike Yastrzemski, the perennial marquee guy, was injured for a large swath of the year, and his excellent 2023 work is spread across only 87 games. Really the only 'star' the Giants have that's delivered on the promise of what his 2023 was touted to be has been Logan Webb; Webb has 10 wins and has struck out 177 batters this year.
It being up to the littler guys has made this a far more interesting winning season, though. You get standouts like Ryan Walker, opener/starter/reliever type who only has a 2.15 ERA, or Luis Matos, the rookie defensive standout who's also hitting .270, and Patrick Bailey, who was having a worthy rookie year behind the plate before he got hurt. J.D. Davis leads the team in RBIs with 64, I don't think anybody saw that coming. And then you have both Rogers brothers in the bullpen having excellent seasons, and that's the kind of fun thing you hope for when two brothers play at the same time.
The Giants are within reach of a wild card spot, and in a far better position than they were before the Rockies' series, but the Reds and Marlins want in as badly as they do, and it's gonna be a really interesting game of musical chairs heading into the last few weeks of the season. I think the Giants have a decent shot, but their anonymity and small-ball approach could leave them standing as the lights come up.
Coming Tonight- That stache. That average. We've got to talk about him.
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