Will Inexperienced, New Manager Give Giants The Change They Need?

San Francisco Giants Preview

The NL West has to be one of the most frustrating divisions to be in. They are the cream of the National League crop. They have the Dodgers, who are constantly spending and are one of the best teams in the league every year. They have the Padres, who are not afraid to spend or trade for assets, either. The Diamondbacks made the World Series just three years ago. The Rockies are an embarrassment. That leaves this team, the San Francisco Giants, to try and figure out how to navigate a tough division.

Last season recap:

The Giants were fine last year. It isn’t like they were a dominant club, and they weren’t bad either. They did everything they could to try and make their team work. They added Rafael Devers before the trade deadline, swooping in to try and give their team even more of a chance to win. Their pitching wasn’t always reliable, but they had good names in the rotation. Ultimately, the team finished 81-81, just two games back of the final Wild Card spot. You always want a chip and a chair, and that’s what San Francisco had all the way until the end last year. 

Offseason moves: 

So what did the Giants do in order to make them capture those two games that pushed them out of the playoffs last year? They made a series of smaller signings, but ones that could be impactful. They needed a new second baseman, and they signed Luis Arraez. Arraez gets a lot of flak for not hitting homers, but the guy is one of the better contact hitters in the game, so I don’t really get it. Not everyone needs to mash the ball. Get on base and let someone else drive you in. Tyler Mahle is a decent arm that the Giants could turn around. Harrison Bader in the outfield could shore that up a bit. None of these moves will make the fan base go crazy, but they are good moves. The one that is most interesting is that they hired Tony Vitello to be the manager. He has no professional experience ever, so this could be a disaster, or it could be a genius move. I trust Buster Posey, so we will see.

Jun 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) waits to bat against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Roster: 

I’ve covered most of their roster, but the strength of the Giants will have to be their rotation. If Logan Webb and Robbie Ray pitch to their caliber, you’re going to win 35-40 of their 60 starts. I don’t know that I want to rely on Ray for health, though. And, Webb will be pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, so that gives me a bit of pause on how good he will be this season. The rest of their rotation is questionable at best. As far as their lineup, I really like who they have. Devers, Arraez, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames should combine to be one of the most productive infields in the entire National League.

Betting outlook:

I don’t expect the Giants to push the Dodgers or challenge them to try to get the NL West. I think the talent disparity is too much. I also think the rotation isn’t deep enough. Don’t be fooled, though; the Giants have a ton of talent. That just means they should be a competitive team. The books expect them to essentially be the same team as last year, listing their total at 80.5. I can’t say I disagree. I’m not going to take a bet on them one way or another, but I’d lean to the over as they’ve shown they are willing to make moves to get in there. I just personally want to see how Vitello manages the team. 

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