The San Francisco Giants are in the middle of the NL Wild Card race, trailing the New York Mets by 1.5 games for the final spot. Additionally, they are tied with the Cincinnati Reds. While some believe the Giants will fail, there is still a chance they can make it as the last NL Wild Card entrant.
San Francisco currently has +570 odds to make the playoffs, according to FanDuel. There are 16 games left in the season. Ultimately, there is still time. But the team must act now. They cannot afford any more crushing defeats. Likewise, they must figure out a way to go on a run, especially with the playoffs getting close.
The Giants begin a big three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend. Also, they will play four games at Chavez Ravine next weekend. Sandwiched in between that is a three-game trip to the desert to face the Arizona Diamondbacks. The season concludes with a six-game homestand that sees them face the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies.
The team has had many ups and downs this season. Now, with so much on the line, everything has to go right. Here is how their season has gone, and the one Giants player who must step up.
How the Giants' season has gone
The campaign started off pretty well. Initially, the team went 19-12 in April, and were 32-26 after two months. The Giants held a 45-40 record entering July, displaying another month of hot streaks and cold falls. Then, they sputtered out of the gate after the All-Star Break and were 54-55 going into August. At the time, it seemed like the team was dead in the water.
The Giants hit their absolute bottom point when they were 61-68 after August 22, 2025. Most people wrote them off and assumed they wouldn't be competing. Then, something happened. They got hot. The Giants won six games in a row. Next, they tacked on another five wins in a row shortly after. Slowly and steadily, they climbed back into the race.
It brings them to this point in time, where the Giants are tied with the Reds while still trailing the Mets. Meanwhile, the Mets are starting to stumble out of the NL Wild Card spot.
Players who have helped San Francisco in NL Wild Card race
Matt Chapman has delivered results for the majority of the season and is one of the best players in the batting order. Currently, he is batting .243 with 21 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 68 runs. Willy Adames is setting franchise records and playing out of his mind as he attempts to keep his team in the race. So far, he is batting .229 with 28 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 87 runs.
These players have been solid and are picking it up as the playoffs approach. Likewise, the rotation has put up better results recently, while trying to overcome earlier struggles. The bullpen is the second-best in the game of baseball.
With all this going on, there is one Giants player who must step up. Overall, he has not been the best since the team acquired him. San Francisco needs him to be at his best, especially if they want to get a good return on their investment. That Giants player is Rafael Devers.
Rafael Devers must pick things up
When the Giants traded for Devers, they believed they would get an ultra-power hitter who could also hit the baseball in all directions. They believed they got an elite first baseman who would take them far. So far, it has not exactly worked out that way.
Devers is batting .260 with 31 home runs, 102 RBIs, and 89 runs. However, he is only hitting .247 with 16 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 42 runs over 74 games with the Giants. Devers has a .355 on-base percentage and an .824 ops. Also, he has a .469 slugging percentage. While the power has been there, the consistency has not.
Devers has 68 hits for the Giants, 13 of them being doubles. While looking at the large scope of things, there are some concerns. Devers has struck out 95 times, which translates to a 30.6% strikeout rate. Alarmingly, that is much higher than his 21% career strikeout rate. The Giants need him to be better at the plate to have a chance to catch the Mets or fend off the Reds.
Devers needs to show up for the Giants as he did for the Red Sox for many seasons. Moreover, they need him to be at his best for every game, including the seven games against the Dodgers. The time is now for the slugger to get hot if the Giants want to make the MLB playoffs and enter as the final NL Wild Card entrant.
