Which Giants Players Received Superlatives After Roller Coaster May?

The month of May wasn’t the greatest for the San Francisco Giants, who went 14-16 after a strong 19-12 start to the season.

If there is any positive to take away from the team’s overall performance, it is that the needs for the Giants to remain in the playoff picture are clear. They need to find some offense otherwise the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres could pull away in the National League West race.

At the very least, San Francisco can rest easy knowing that it already possesses the pitching depth to compete with any team in the league.

There were several standout performers on the mound for the Giants over the last month, and one hitter who stepped his game up with his teammates failing to rise to the occasion.

Here are some superlatives for the team from the month of May.

MVP - Heliot Ramos

Only three San Francisco hitters recorded an OPS of at least .700 in May. It is a major reason that the team has cooled off since their incredibly hot start.

But, the offensive woes cannot be blamed on their left fielder, who has been scorching hot after a slow start to the campaign. In May, Ramos recorded a stellar .347/.407/.600 slash line with six home runs, four doubles, one triple and 18 RBI.

The home runs and doubles were both second most on the team, while the RBI tied for first. All three slash line statistics were tops on the team, with his slugging percentage being more than 100 points higher than Matt Chapman in second place.

His 33 hits also led the team, as fans shudder to think what the offense would have looked like without him the last few weeks.

Cy Young - Randy Rodriguez

The Giants have one of the best bullpens in baseball. Manager Bob Melvin has a lot of weapons to choose from once he removes his starter from the game, possessing the capability of turning a nine-inning game into a five-inning affair with their dominance.

Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Erik Miller have all been excellent, but Rodriguez takes the Cy Young, over some deserving starting pitchers as well, for making franchise history.

He is the first pitcher to record at least 20 strikeouts in a single month without allowing a run.

Rodriguez mowed down every opponent who stepped to the plate, allowing only five hits with three walks issued. Having that kind of weapon as a setup man is a luxury not many teams have.

Most Improved - Robbie Ray

Starting pitcher Landen Roupp had an excellent May and deserves some recognition for his performance. But, it was Ray who was selected as the NL Pitcher of the Month and has earned the most improved superlative.

The veteran lefty wasn’t bad by any means in April, but he has taken his game to another level, creating a dominant one-two punch with Logan Webb atop the rotation.

In six May outings, Ray went 4-1, recording a quality start in each appearance. He three 39 innings, striking out 45 compared to 11 walks. Only six earned runs were scored against him and he didn’t allow a single home run.

This is as close to Cy Young form as he has looked since winning the award in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

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