The San Francisco Giants narrowly missed the playoffs in 2023. San Francisco had a successful offseason for the most part, though, and they could make some noise in 2024.
Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers had one of the best offseasons in recent memory so winning the National League West is going to be difficult. The Dodgers have endured postseason struggles, though, and the Giants should be in the conversation for an NL Wild Card spot.
So is there reason to believe that San Francisco can make a surprise deep playoff run in 2024? Let's take a look at three reasons why the Giants will win the World Series.
All-around pitching ceiling
The Giants starting pitching and bullpen could be quite impressive.
Beginning with the rotation, Logan Webb returns as San Francisco's ace. Blake Snell joins Webb atop the rotation after signing with the Giants in spring training.
Webb has quietly been one of baseball's better pitchers in recent seasons. Snell won the NL Cy Young in 2023 with the San Diego Padres. Although Snell can be inconsistent at times, there is no denying the potential of the Giants' starting pitching duo.
Meanwhile, left-handed hurler Kyle Harrison could emerge as a star. He displayed ace-caliber prowess on the mound at times in 2023. Veteran Robbie Ray is currently injured but he features a Cy Young ceiling.
Closer Camilo Doval leads the bullpen. He's one of the best relievers in the sport. Setup men Tyler and Taylor Rogers, who are also twin brothers, will play big roles for the Giants as well.
Between the starting rotation and bullpen, there is reason for optimism when it comes to San Francisco's pitching staff.
Sneaky good lineup
The Giants lineup may not be the best in baseball. In fact, it actually could be underwhelming. With that being said, there is enough talent present for San Francisco's offense to surprise some people in the National League.
The Giants signed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee this past offseason. He could end up becoming a quality centerfielder and San Francisco believes in his offensive ceiling.
Matt Chapman, a Gold Glove third baseman, also signed with the Giants. Chapman has endured his ups and downs at the plate but he still provides the ball club with a reliable right-handed bat.
Slugger Jorge Soler also joined the team during the offseason. Soler features some of the best power in baseball. The Giants need to hit more home runs, and Soler will unquestionably help in that regard.
Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski return for San Francisco as well. They are corner outfielders who can help balance out the lineup from the left-side of the plate.
Again, this isn't MLB's best offense. It would not be surprising to see the Giants' lineup finish among the top half of the league in many different offensive categories, however.
Giants' motivation
Baseball is a mental game. We have seen talented rosters stumble and underwhelming teams make playoff runs over the years. Why is this? Well, it all starts with mentality.
The Giants and Dodgers have one of MLB's most historic rivalries. In fact, it's arguably the second best rivalry in the sport behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
San Francisco has taken notice of all the attention the Dodgers have received. The Giants have seen the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, who also play in the NL West, upset the Dodgers in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. In 2021, though, it was the Dodgers who defeated the Giants in the postseason.
So San Francisco would love nothing more than to make a legitimate playoff push and pull off an upset over their rival in the postseason. Motivation cannot be ignored in sports. And that motivation might just carry this Giants ball club to a deep postseason run.
I also must mention that 2024 is of course an even year. Why does that matter? Well, baseball fans will recall that San Francisco's last three World Series championships (2010, 2012, 2014) all occurred during even years. There was a narrative about the situation during the 2010-2014 span.
Does this really matter? Maybe not, but it is something that Giants fans will surely point out.
Follow Us
Subscribe