2012 Season
Entering the 2012 season, there weren't many who gave the Giants a chance for a World Series ring. They had missed out on the 2011 post-season entirely, and entered 2012 with few changes to the roster. But then, there weren't many who expected Buster Posey to make a full recovery from a horrific injury, never mind win the National League MVP award. And there were perhaps fewer who expected Melky Cabrera to lead the league in batting average and consequently be banned for 50 games for PED use. Throughout the saga, the pitching remained a constant strength, with Matt Cain's perfect game a particular highlight. In the post-season, the Giants produced the stuff of legends, coming back from 0-2 down to beat the Cincinnati Reds and coming back from 1-3 down to beat the St. Louis Cardinals before taking apart the Detroit Tigers in a World Series whitewash.
Off-Season Moves
IN: Tony Abreu, Andres Torres, Ramon Ramirez
OUT: Melky Cabrera, Brian Wilson, Clay Hensley
Overview: Another quiet season for the Giants, who did most of their work in re-signing players, notably Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro. Andres Torres gives them more outfield depth with the departure of Cabrera, and Ramon Ramirez will be a handy bullpen arm. This team still appears to lack a few big hitters, but they have continued to prove that you don't need high-paid studs to win championships, and a status-quo off-season is no less than I expected. Overall grade: 4/10
| Expected Opening Day Line-up | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Projected stat line (OBP/SLG/WAR) |
| CF | Angel Pagan | .332/.403/2.8 |
| 2B | Marco Scutaro | .344/.378/1.3 |
| 3B | Pablo Sandoval | .356/.498/3.4 |
| C | Buster Posey | .400/.534/6.2 |
| RF | Hunter Pence | .338/.464/1.5 |
| 1B | Brandon Belt | .374/.463/2.2 |
| LF | Gregor Blanco | .346/.328/0.8 |
| SS | Brandon Crawford | .306/.351/1.2 |
| Expected rotation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Player | Projected stat line (IP/ERA/WAR) |
| 1 | Matt Cain | 226/2.95/4.7 |
| 2 | Madison Bumgarner | 203/3.37/5.0 |
| 3 | Ryan Vogelsong | 185/3.75/2.5 |
| 4 | Tim Lincecum | 197/3.47/3.6 |
| 5 | Barry Zito | 192/3.94/1.2 |
Position Players
The line-up has a number of different cogs that all play a key role. The clear stand-out in this line-up is reigning NL MVP Buster Posey, who was a behemoth at the heart of the Giants line-up last season, winning the batting title thanks to a monster second half in which he hit .385 after the all-star break. Regression is to be expected, but Posey is a rare breed of hitter who makes contact, has power and plays superb defense. The 6.2 WAR projection is high, but wholly fair. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval could be a game-changer if he could stay on the field and avoid the crippling cold slumps. Meanwhile Hunter Pence will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2012 campaign.
Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro were revelations atop the line-up last year, but both played well beyond their ability and will regress towards the mean this season. I think Brandon Belt is ready to break out, as he started to show signs of turning it around at the plate towards the end of last season (.349 average in August, .316 in September). Brandon Crawford will never be a great producer at the plate, but he's the best defensive short-stop in the major leagues not named Brendan Ryan and has shown signs of improvement with the lumber. Overall grade: 7/10
Pitching
The rotation is a clear strength for this team, and is ably led by Matt Cain, who put up Cy-calibre numbers last season. Pitching in AT&T helps him, but there is no-one in the NL more consistent in recent seasons. Behind him, Bumgarner has shown glimpses of brilliance, and after fading a little down the stretch last season he once again turned it around on the biggest stage in the World Series. He's quietly turning into an ace in his own right, and the 5 WAR projection from ZiPS suggests this is the season he puts it all together. The real enigma is Tim Lincecum, who struggled last season after being a perennial Cy Young contender up to 2011. The projections suggest he can rediscover his old form, but the Giants will be wary as his 5.18 ERA last season was by far the worst of pitchers with 180+ innings.
In the 'pen, the loss of Brian Wilson was ably covered by the superb performances from Sergio Romo. Armed with a devastating slider, Romo showed he could pitch the ninth as well as the eighth inning and his 1.79 ERA and 0.85 WHIP prove he is one of the finest relievers in the game. Jeremy Affeldt, Javier Lopez and Santiago Casilla all fill crucial roles for the Giants who had one of the best bullpens in baseball last season. If they can repeat those kind of performances again this season, then pitching will be an area of considerable strength for the Giants. Overall grade: 9/10
Prospects
The Giants are armed with a farm full of pitching prospects to ably back up the pitching-heavy Major League talent. The player most likely to make an impact this season is closer-in-the-making Heath Hembree, who will likely play a part in the bullpen as they mould him to become the 9th inning man. Other than that, it appears most talent is a little while away, and Giants fans will be hoping they are worth the wait. Overall grade: 3/10
Overview
Winning two World Series in three years is no fluke, and the Giants deserve a lot of respect for doing so with a team that may not match the high-spenders on paper. The pitching will continue to be an area of strength, with Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner ready for Cy Young-esque seasons. However, the offensive production rests considerably on the shoulders of Buster Posey, and he is unable to repeat they may find the 2011 struggles on offense repeat themselves. I like them to win the division though, they have a better 'team' feel than the Dodgers, and have the 2-3 win players that make a Championship team.
Prediction: 94-68
Gif to Watch
Remember how I told you about Sergio Romo's devastating slider? See for yourself...
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