For the third time in five years, the San Francisco Giants raised the World Series trophy in spite of virtually nobody thinking they would. It was an incredible season for this team, filled with amazing highs and soul-crushing lows before sneaking into the playoffs and going on a run for the ages once they got there. They’ve cemented themselves as baseball’s newest dynasty and the league’s premier team.
But how do you explain this team? It’s nearly impossible. They lost both their offensive catalyst and second-best starting pitcher to injury, they played without a real second baseman for nearly three months, they relied on a converted first baseman who was DFA’d by the Pirates to play left field, and at one point they had Dan Uggla on the roster. How does that team win the World Series? Where do you even begin? Let’s take a look back at the 2014 Giants and their incredible run.
Preseason Prediction: Everything will probably end up balancing out. Morse and Sandoval will miss time, and the key Giants offensive players probably won’t be as good as they was in ether of the last two years. But on the other hand, I highly doubt that their rotation in 2014 will be “Madison Bumgarner and four dudes off the street”, and that will more than make up for any decline in the team’s offensive production. The Giants aren’t better than the Dodgers unless everything falls apart in Los Angeles, but I do think they’re better than every other team in the division. (Joe Lucia, February 26th)
What Went Right: The Giants got off to an incredibly fast start, posting a league-best 43-21 record on June 8. That cushion allowed them to absorb all of the losses that came their way in June and July and still stay in playoff contention. Their offense clicked when everyone was healthy and they had big years from Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and Pablo Sandoval (after a very slow April). Their two big offseason acquisitions, Michael Morse and Tim Hudson, both performed well in the regular season. Hudson helped stabilize the rotation and was arguably the team’s best starter for stretches at a time, while Morse provided the Giants with something they’d lacked for a long time: a true power bat. Madison Bumgarner padded his already impressive resume and put himself in the conversation for best pitcher in baseball. Joe Panik filled a gaping void at second base and looked like a 10-year veteran while doing it. The Giants’ bullpen depth showed when Sergio Romo lost his closer’s job, as Santiago Casilla took over and was impressive in the role. Lastly, the Giants made the playoffs as the NL’s second Wild Card and, well, you know the rest.
What Went Wrong: They were hideous throughout June and July, going 22-30 and not looking at all like a playoff team. In fact, the Giants went 45-53 the rest of the way after June 8 and only made the playoffs because of that hot start. They received virtually nothing from Marco Scutaro, who’s still due over $6 million next year and looks like he’s finished. Matt Cain was having the worst year of his career before finally having surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, causing him to miss most of the season. Angel Pagan couldn’t stay healthy again and ended up playing a little more than half a season before having back surgery. Brandon Belt suffered through a broken hand and a severe concussion, costing him most of what was looking like his breakout year. Despite his second no-hitter in as many years, Tim Lincecum continued his decline and looks like a liability next year at his $18 million salary.
Most Surprising Player: Brandon Crawford took a big step forward at the plate this year, hitting 10 home runs while driving in 69 and posting a .713 OPS. Always a defensive whiz, Crawford has never been a big threat with the bat and any offense he provided was considered a bonus. This year, though, Crawford proved to be a consistent threat and looked to be putting up even bigger numbers before a hand injury slowed him at the plate. Still, he finished 4th on the team in RBI which is pretty incredible considering he’s their 8th place hitter. He also hit .304/.370/.304 in the World Series and was a big factor in the Giants winning it all. If Crawford can build on this year’s success at the plate the Giants’ middle infield should be set for years.
Most Disappointing Player: There are actually quite a few to choose from here, but taking injury out of the equation the pick has to be Lincecum. Eyebrows were raised when the Giants signed him to that big two-year deal last October and Lincecum did nothing to quiet his doubters. He was removed from the rotation at the end of August and never found his way back, and for a while it didn’t look like he’d even make the postseason roster. The Giants owe $18 million to Lincecum next year and it’s hard to see how he’ll be worth anything close to that. He was just plain bad this year and didn’t give any indication that he knew how to fix himself.
The Future: The Giants have some big decisions looming, the biggest of all being Sandoval’s impending free agency. Reports are that the Red Sox will be aggressive bidders for Sandoval, but the Giants have a history of paying big money to their own free agents and likely won’t let their third baseman go without a fight. It’s hard to see how they can even think of letting Sandoval walk away after another stellar postseason, but his salary demands will be the deciding factor. As for their other free agents, the Giants will probably say goodbye to Ryan Vogelsong and Michael Morse (though with the way this team values continuity, that’s far from a sure thing) and will likely make an effort to bring back Sergio Romo and Jake Peavy. A lot depends on if any of those guys will accept team-friendly deals; if they choose to chase the highest dollar, their time in San Francisco is likely done.
The Giants also found out this year that their farm system is capable of producing quality players. Panik, Andrew Susac, Matt Duffy, and Hunter Strickland all emerged from the minors this year to play big parts in the Giants’ success. Susac in particular should get more playing time next year and looks ready to be an everyday catcher in the majors. The Giants’ system gets a lot of grief from the experts every spring, but there’s no way they win the World Series without big contributions from their homegrown talent.
Don’t expect the Giants to make a big splash in free agency, since that hasn’t been their M.O. for quite some time now. They won’t overpay for front line starters like Jon Lester or Max Scherzer and they won’t get into prolonged bidding wars. An everyday solution in left field would be nice, and they’ve been linked to names like Nick Markakis this fall; still, if the Giants have money to spend, expect them to spend it on their own free agents and worry about left field later. Don’t expect a massive payroll bump just because they won it all.
The Giants definitely have some questions to answer this winter, as all teams do. But if all goes well they’ll receive a boost next year from the returns of Cain and Pagan, a (hopefully) healthy season from Belt, and a full season of Panik at the major league level. They’re in prime position to find themselves in contention once again…in an odd numbered year, no less.
