Despite Early Returns, Is San Francisco Giants' Success Truly Sustainable?

It has been a surprising turn of events for the San Francisco Giants this year. Entering the season, most outlets had the team predicted to finish fourth in the daunting National League West, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies. Just past the first quarter mark, the Giants hold a 25-19 record and are third in the division entering play Thursday.

The MLB landscape was one more .500 campaign away from officially labeling 2021 a fluke, and while that still may be the case, the tide has certainly turned in the Bay Area with the team's strong start.

From 30,000 feet, a 25-19 record is nothing to shake a stick at. It is tied for the fifth-best record in the National League and the ninth-best in MLB. But when you dive deeper into their schedule and how they have performed against certain teams, namely those within the division, things begin to get clearer.

San Francisco Giants Have Struggled Against NL West

While San Francisco has yet to face the dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers this year (don't worry; it's coming. Fittingly, the first contest between the two teams takes place on Friday the 13th), they have faced the rest of the NL West, and, outside of the Rockies, it has not gone well.

The sample size is small, but through their first five games against National League West opponents who do not reside in Colorado, the Giants have gone just 1-4. They hold a 1-2 record against the Arizona Diamondbacks and a 0-2 mark against the San Diego Padres, both being teams expected to finish ahead in the division come the season's end.

On the bright side, San Francisco has fared well against the other contenders from the National League that they have faced thus far, with a combined 4-3 record against the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies. They face the Phillies again this year at Oracle Park in early July, and the Cubs, also at Oracle Park, in late August.

They do still have many games left with National League West opponents, however, including all 13 against the Dodgers. For comparison, Los Angeles holds a 28-15 record, second to only the Detroit Tigers in MLB, and have gone 2-2 against Arizona. They have yet to play San Diego.

The schedule does not get easier for the Giants, and the cracks that have appeared in the roster over the first quarter will only be magnified on a larger scale.

It is going to be a grind in the Bay Area, and if the early returns against divisional opponents are any indicator, the strong start may turn out to just be smoke and mirrors.