The Giants Are the Ultimate Wild Card in the NL Playoff Race
Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer
With just six weeks remaining in the regular season, the NL Wild Card race escalates. Team win streaks are valuable, and losing skids aren’t affordable as we get closer and closer to writing more baseball history. Every year, teams trend up and squeeze into a wild card spot (especially after the new format) or hit a road bump and can’t salvage the season, costing them a ticket to October.
A handful of potential postseason teams are chosen based on their activity at the trade deadline. Those who buy show they are in to make a postseason push, gathering reinforcements to fill roster weaknesses. The San Francisco Giants were criticized this season for making minor moves, trading away, and receiving players without leaning either way.
This was especially surprising since the Giants’ President of Baseball Operations, Farhan Zaidi, is on the hot seat after making one playoff appearance (2021) in five seasons. Going one for six would call for a new captain to steer the ship in San Francisco.
Since then, the Giants have flipped the script, proving they’re still in the mix, sitting four games back from a Wild Card spot. They’ve won three of their last four series and have found themselves on the front doorstep of the final Wild Card spot. However, four of the previous five series have come against teams under .500, and their schedule doesn’t get any harder. But this opens the door to making history and potentially being the fourth NL West team in the playoffs this October.
Rely on the Rotation
Farhan and the Giants are winning precisely because they were betting on dominant pitching to lead the way. The rotation has been stellar, and the young guys are stepping up big-time at the plate. It’s a strong start, but can it propel them enough to surpass Atlanta (who they just lost 3/4 games to at home) and the Mets?
Blake Snell has been pitching like a two-time Cy Young winner. Since July 9, he’s thrown an almost flawless 45.1 innings with a 0.99 ERA and 60 strikeouts, including his first career no-hitter. Pitching, like the best arm in baseball, has paired very well with teammate Logan Webb. Just two runs allowed through 29.1 innings have earned him a 2.03 FIP in his last four starts. Their dominant combo was precisely what Giants fans had dreamed of when Snellzilla inked his two-year deal with San Francisco in March.
"A couple of things really stand out… we feel like we have the best rotation in baseball."
Farhan Zaidi's opening statement on his thought process behind how the Giants approached the trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/7bkAVFEIM1
— KNBR (@KNBR) July 30, 2024
The babies of the rotation, Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison, have hit a roadblock raising their season ERAs above four over their last two starts. Robbie Ray is getting his feet wet with only 21 innings this season after receiving Tommy John surgery last May. If he or Harrison (or both) can pitch the type of game they are capable of, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this team can make a statement down the stretch.
Preseason injuries, late signings, and midseason injuries have interrupted any potential rhythm in the rotation to begin the year. Zaidi has the rotation healthy and motivated for a playoff push. If Ray and Harrison can click sooner rather than later, their pairing of two of the hottest aces in baseball should be a strong enough wave for any offense to ride into October with.
The Offense
This offense has perfectly defined the word inconsistent all year. Dropping the series against Toronto and Colorado and then going on promising win streaks has given their fans a headache. Part of this could be due to how young this lineup has become. Injuries and underperformances have opened opportunities for standouts like Tyler Fitzgerald, Brett Wisely, and All-Star Heliot Ramos.
Ramos and Fitzgerald have been the best hitters in the lineup over the last month, but neither were active until late May. Ramos has filled the role of headline free agent signee Jung Hoo Lee, who’s missed nearly the entire year with a shoulder injury. Despite a recent slump, he’s still slashing .279/.335/.490 with a 130 wRC+.
San Francisco Giants with 11 HRs in a 17-game span:
Willie Mays
Willie McCovey
Jim Ray Hart
Barry Bonds
Tyler Fitzgerald ?pic.twitter.com/tSSckvvv54— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 5, 2024
Fitzgerald stole the shortstop job from Nick Ahmed after breaking records previously owned by Barry Bonds. He also became the first Giants rookie to hit a home run in five straight games. Outside of breaking records, he’s hitting .316 with a .986 OPS and is one of the fastest players in baseball ranking. Backing up his offensive surge with 4 OAA has earned him the everyday job over top prospect Marco Luciano.
Star catcher Patrick Bailey, and in my opinion, the foundation of this team, along with Webb, is another name struggling at the plate recently. Just 5-for-54 over a 15-game span is hard to watch, but Bailey’s productivity behind the plate hasn’t skipped a beat. Despite this forgettable stretch, Bailey still leads all catchers with a 3.7 WAR and is in the 100 percentile in caught stealing, above average, and framing. When hot, this is a bat that the rest of the lineup seems to follow suit.
Is the Wild Card Within Reach?
This rotation has made a statement, and with a weak schedule ahead of them, it’s hard to confidently say they will miss the postseason. Their inconsistent offense will determine whether or not they play October baseball because Snell and Webb are almost guaranteed wins every trip through the rotation.
With 36 games left in the season, the Giants should aim for a 23-13 record to end the year. That would give them 87 wins, which would be good enough for them to clinch a wild-card berth in each of the last three years of the new playoff format.
For any Giants fan, that may sound out of reach for this team based on the product we’ve seen through 126 games this year. However, their remaining schedule gives them more than enough opportunities. Favorable matchups against the White Sox, A’s, and Marlins. Then, chances to gain ground on other teams in the Wild Card hunt, like the D-Backs, Padres, and Cardinals.
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