Yaz If

In 2022, Mike Yastrzemski played in 148 games with the Giants. While it wasn't his best season, it was his most consistent one to date, and his fullest in his entire career. So far, thanks to injuries, it is the only year of Yaz's career to hit this mark. Comparatively, another Yastrzemski family member hit that mark fifteen times over the course of a 23-year career. 

Obviously there's a lot of factors at play here, like the frequency of injuries in this stage of baseball, the fact that Carl started his career at 21 while Mike was first called up at 28 [after years in the minors], and really the ultimate reality that Carl is just a better all-around player because he could hit for average more...and back then you weren't instructed to swing at everything. But it is kinda sad that Mike Yastrzemski hasn't achieved the level of consistency that his grandfather so memorably got to legend status with for the Red Sox. 

There are still perks, of course. Mike is off to a 2.0 WAR start, with excellent defensive numbers, in addition to 8 homers and 31 RBIs. He's not as overpowering as he was in 2019 or 2020, but he's also nearing his mid-30s, and he's already missed time this year. I really wish the O's would have let us see some of his peak years, but...y'know...apparently he wasn't ready for the 2017 Orioles, guys. 

Yaz is one of many very wild 'what would have happened?' stories on this current Giants team. Cause I do think about what would have happened if some of these guys had developed with the teams that drafted them. If Thairo Estrada actually got reps in New York at 2nd. If LeMonte Wade Jr. actually got to play 1st regularly in Minnesota. Hell, I even think about what would have happened had Heliot Ramos started playing like this in 2022 rather than just now. Things would look a lot different. But as it is, they're all playing for this halfway decent Giants team that's just trying to make something happen.

You're seeing them try to lift off again. Blake Snell's suddenly sprung back to life and has been peak Snell. Hayden Birdsong is already looking like a pro. Chapman and Conforto have had some hero moments. It just makes you wish that Lee and Soler had worked out the way some of these other guys have, because they're really almost there. They're just not catching fire like other NL West teams are, and it might do them in, even with Bob Melvin there.

For now, Yaz will have to make do with what he's got, and hope that it's enough. As usual.

Coming Tonight: From the talk of the baseball world to looking at where he's gonna be pawned off to.