Giants Are Exceeding Expectations but Still Have Plenty of Work Left To Do

The San Francisco Giants have been about as average as any team in the MLB over the last few years.

Entering 2025, they have won 80, 79 and 81 games in the previous three seasons, epitomizing mediocrity. The year before this stretch, the Giants won 107 games and finished in first place in the National League West.

One major difference existed between the 2021 squad and the teams of the last three years; Buster Posey was no longer the team’s starting catcher.

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While Posey’s playing days have been over, he returned to the organization in an official, prominent role, being named president of baseball operations in their biggest move of the offseason.

His presence has been felt right away, with Posey bringing the same fearlessness to the front office as he did on the field as a player.

He has made some massive moves in his first year on the job, signing shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal as his first addition in free agency before signing future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million deal.

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San Francisco would get off to a hot start, exceeding what were low expectations coming into the campaign.

As shared by The Athletic (subscription required) in this week’s MLB power rankings, the Giants had a 26.2% chance of making the playoffs.

Those odds have jumped considerably, as the team is 50-42 entering play on July 8, right in the thick of the NL playoff race.

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Their odds now sit at 46.6%, as it means there is still work to do to make the postseason, but they are heading in the right direction.

“Like San Diego, San Francisco cooled off in May and June, with the Dodgers surging ahead in the division. The Giants will be jockeying with the Padres, Brewers, Cardinals, Reds and possibly the Diamondbacks for Wild Card positioning. It is an excellent outcome for a club that looked more likely to finish in fourth place when the season began,” wrote Andy McCullough of The Athletic.

Posey made another major addition during the season, acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox with hopes of jumpstarting what has been a dormant offense for most of the season.

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As it goes sometimes in baseball, since adding the star slugger to the lineup, San Francisco has gone 9-11, but they are starting to heat up again, riding a three-game winning streak and being victorious in five out of their last six contests.

This is a potentially dangerous team if the offense can start to click because they have the pitching to compete with any team.

Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are anchoring the starting rotation with a dominant bullpen behind them, highlighted by Randy Rodriguez, Tyler Rogers, Erik Miller and Camilo Doval.

For more Giants news, head over to Giants On SI.