Late Night Smack

 

Here's a fact about the 2024 Giants; they've played 47 games, and only three players on this team have played 45 or more. Matt Chapman, Thairo Estrada and LaMonte Wade Jr. Which is very nice for those three, especially Wade, who missed a ton of time a few years ago. But considering that Michael Conforto, Mike Yastrzemski, Patrick Bailey and Jorge Soler have already missed time, and the guy who was supposed to be the big rookie savior, Jung-Hoo Lee, will be missing the rest of the damned season, it's pretty damning. 

And the worrying part is that this isn't even the first time they've lost Patrick Bailey, Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski for a decent amount of the year. Yaz will just get injured, I think they're used to that. Conforto missed a lot of last year. So this all happening again, especially when the Giants have a better, more built up team, isn't great. 

But the good thing about having these guys injured two years in a row is that the second time around, the Giants actually have some contingency plans.

One of those plans is LaMonte Wade Jr., who's become even more beloved this year after getting off to a .315 start. Wade is notorious for having even more of an edge during night games in SF, hence the nickname Late Night LaMonte. A rare player for the guys on the east coast that stay up til like 2 AM. The fans have been absolutely loving Wade's stuff this year, as he's got a .465 OBP and an .881 OPS. Dude's smacking the ball like crazy, and before you look at his stats and say 'hey, there's actually not all that much  there in the hits and RBI columns', that's cause he's walked 30 times. People are getting really scared of facing LaMonte Wade Jr. Not like Soto or Ohtani walk numbers, but close.

Some of these other contingency plans have made their way up to the majors and made a case for staying. Luis Matos had a quieter rookie season last year, but just in this Rockies series alone he's had 11 RBIs and 6 hits. He's played 7 games this season and he already has 17 RBIs. Wade has played in 45 and he only has 14. But Matos hasn't been walked yet though. And, weirdly, he hasn't struck out yet either. Heliot Ramos is another backup plan that's paid off, he's hitting .297 with 7 RBIs in 10 games. Marco Luciano's up again and is already hitting .333 in 3 games. It's wild to see what can be done when this team actually has depth.

The pitching has been luckier thankfully, as only Keaton Winn and Blake Snell have gotten hurt, and Snell will be back soon enough [he's rehabbing in the minors]. Webb, Harrison and Hicks have all been fantastic, and Mason Black is at the very least acclimating to major league pitching. Plus the bullpen's come into its own and have turned into a very nice, compact unit. 

The Giants, despite a third place spot, have improved mightily since figuring out which pieces can work, even in replacement roles. Hopefully this is a formula that aids them as the season goes on, as 2nd place in this division is still a relatively open race.

Coming Tonight: A closer with no earned runs...so he's gotta be doing SOMETHING right, right?

Soldiers of Orange

 
The new schedule means that fun matchups you wouldn't normally see get to happen all the time. For instance- Orioles vs. Giants. Battle of the Orange teams from opposite sides of the country.

While the series did end up going Baltimore's way, it was an intriguing look at two teams at different positions on the totem pole. The O's, ever the punchline, are currently second in the AL East and surging; the Giants, a season or so removed from a huge, west-leading year, are in third and buckling under .500. 

Both teams are ironically dealing with a major hole in the lineup, and are using varying ways of mending them. The Orioles are currently without one of their marquee stars, Cedric Mullins, who's out for a week or so. In his place, they've called up Aaron Hicks, who was recently let go from a multi-year deal with the Yankees on account of his inefficiency. Hicks so far has honestly been really impressive, with his bat off to a nice start, and a contribution of an RBI during today's game. He's not Mullins, let's be clear, but he's a decent enough fill-in, and has improved on his New York run. The Giants have been without Thairo Estrada, and have been swapping around infielders, such as Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely in order to fill the void. Schmitt is the better option, hitting .295 and providing some infield flair, but he might be the better choice for shortstop.

The injuries are also beginning to hit the Giants elsewhere, as both Alex Wood and Ross Stripling are missing time, meaning Sean Manaea will have to start games again, and possibly Jakob Junis might need to as well. Webb, Cobb and Disco have been insanely strong, but the depth may soon run out, and that could be worrying. Around all the lineup injuries are great performances from Blake Sabol, J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto and LaMonte Wade Jr., who's already making up for a diluted 2022 season. 

But I do see why it was so difficult for the Giants to stop this O's team this week, because they're really firing on all cylinders. This team has managed to find Adam Frazier's spark, Kyle Gibson's durability and, well, Aaron Hicks' bat. The heroes, like Rutschman, Mountcastle, Mateo and Bautista, are worth the hype. The sleepers, like Tyler Wells, Austin Hays and Bryan Baker, are equally important. And we're beginning to see results from Gunnar Henderson, which is definitely a step in the right direction. So many once-faulty pieces of this team are working right now, and they've been equally as deadly on the road. 

It feels very interesting that Gabe Kapler's efficient Giants have finally been outdone by a sneakier, more resourceful team, and this Orioles series just about proves it.

Coming Tomorrow- A guy who hit a grand slam today.

Wade From View

 

I...have been waiting...to post this custom....since MARCH.

I made this in Spring Training, it was one of the first few customs I made this year period. IKF as a Yankee, Steven Matz in St. Louis, Adolis Garcia, Josiah Gray. And this one, of LaMonte Wade Jr. Then Wade got hurt. He was activated in May. Then, as I plug him in, he gets hurt AGAIN. PUSHING THE CUSTOM FURTHER AND FURTHER DOWN THE PIPE. I think last time, I could have done it, but I think there was a more pressing candidate for a custom, so I just pushed it out of habit.

And now, I get to finally post this awesome LaMonte Wade Jr. custom, which was supposed to be a welcoming of a fresh season for the Giants after scorching through the NL West last season...in August. Where the Giants are at .500 and are in danger of losing Carlos Rodon. What a difference time makes.

Whatever has happened, it's certainly not Wade's fault. Wade being absent for most of the season is really a small part of a larger problem with this team- everything that worked so well in 2021 isn't working near as well in 2022. Last week, Jake McGee, who was responsible for a ton of saves last year for SF, was cut. Last month, Steven Duggar, who was an outfield helper for the team during the heat of the season, was traded to the Rangers for Willie Calhoun [read: nothing]. So many people who made that team great, like Darin Ruf, Camilo Doval, Anthony Desclafani and even Tyler Rogers are just not hitting the marks they hit last year; Wade, the centerpiece of that team, is only hitting .183 in 31 games so far.

At the same time, the Giants are dealing with some terrible injuries ripping through the lineup; Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada had recently injuries, and Brandon Crawford, Evan Longoria and Curt Casali are out for substantial periods of time. While Matt Boyd has yet to even make good on his Giants contract, at least the rotation of Wood-Rodon-Webb-Cobb-Junis is pretty strong [assuming nobody leaves, which is quite the assumption. The Giants are relying on people like Tommy La Stella, Jason Vosler, Wilmer Flores and, yes, Yermin Mercedes, to fill the void of full-time players, and it's not working. 

The Giants are at the back of the caboose in the train of serious contenders for the wild card race. The Braves, Padres, Phillies and Cardinals are all better than them right now. Either they pull something crazy at the deadline or they admit that they're not up to it this year. The clock is ticking on their season, and they had better make the right choice.

Coming Tomorrow- A low-budget young player plucked from another farm system in a deal for to-be-controlled player. OO, I WONDER WHAT TEAM HE PLAYS FOR.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Giants

 

The San Francisco Giants finished the 2021 season with the best record of anybody, with 107 wins and 55 losses. With a regular season that good, the Giants were unfortunately doomed for a steep fall. Which is exactly what happened when they went against the Dodgers in the NLDS. 

But before then, they took a mostly-aging core and added a lot of youth and cheap statistical forces to the team in order to make it great. It was a triumph Gabe Kapler had been waiting for since getting the job with the Phillies. And it was a worthy triumph, considering the franchise piece that would leave at the end of the season.

But first, one of the other pillars of the team, Brandon Belt, had a great year in between injuries. Over 97 games he hit .274 with a team-leading 29 homers, and 59 RBIs. Belt also had the largest OPS on the team with 160, and notched a 2.7 WAR despite missing time. If that's how good he was without 50 games, it proves that Belt still has some life in him, even at 33.

2022 Prediction: A fuller year, though maybe not as power-heavy. Expect some big moments from the guy, though. I don't quite see 1st base going to Darin Ruf quite yet.

Rounding out the 6-year contract he signed in 2016, Johnny Cueto found himself bringing up the rear of a rotation that featured Kevin Gausman, Anthony Desclafani, Logan Webb and Alex Wood. In 21 games, the former Cincinnati ace went 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA and only 98 Ks. It's sad to see someone who looked so powerful in 2015 and 2016 seeming this blah, but he did still have some moments of dominance before being left off the postseason roster. 

2022 Prediction: A lower-price signing for a team needing rotation help. Washington? Baltimore? Hell, the Mets?

One of the biggest surprises for the Giants was the arrival of former Twins utility piece LaMonte Wade Jr.,  who was a very useful bench piece that made his way to starting in June and July. In July he had a 1.027 OPS with 16 RBIs and 7 homers, owing to his season .243 average. Wade, like Darin Ruf, is an outfield-1B type who can just rake and hit it where they ain't at crucial moments. No wonder Kapler likes him.

2021 Prediction: A bigger case to start, and maybe bigger contact numbers.

Two relievers split the closing spot in SF this year. Technically the most successful of the two was Jake McGee, who had 31 saves, a 2.72 ERA and 58 Ks. Clearly his best season closing since Tampa, and I'm glad he's come into his own as a ninth man. 

2022 Prediction: A few more blown saves will leave the door open for their other closer.

The other closing piece the Giants used this year was Tyler Rogers. While his brother Taylor was injured for a great deal of the year, Tyler the sidearmer had the stronger overall season, with a 2.22 ERA, 55 Ks, and 14 saves in 80 appearances. Rogers may be 30, but he's reaching his peak, and has been a nasty relief piece for the Giants over the last few seasons.

2022 Prediction: Takes the ninth full time, with great results.

Meanwhile, the middle relief piece that raised the most eyebrows this year was Camilo Doval, who premiered as a rookie, became a trusted relief piece, had a 3.00 era in 29 appearances, notched his first postseason save and gave up a run to the Dodgers in the NLDS. Doval is 23, and is doing so much already. While people like Jarlin Garcia and Dominic Leone had bigger overall seasons, Camilo Doval had the biggest second half, and made the Giants more of a force going into the postseason.

2022 Prediction: Levels a bit behind some aforementioned talents, but begins to hone things for a prime season coming in a year or so.

Finally, 2021 was the final one for Buster Posey, a team hero I saw in his rookie year at Oracle Park, and who always seemed to excel both behind the plate and at it. I respect his decision to bow out now, as he's certainly on top, with an ASG season, a .300 average and 120 hits. Very respectable numbers to go out on. I hope that either Joey Bart or Curt Casali will fill the void strongly enough without him.

Tomorrow- Some results of the soon-to-be-Guardians' decision to make for a lower-budget 2021.