SF Giants’ slow start? Let’s wait awhile before panic sets in
Even in the wake of a 5-8 start, there are some good things happening with the Giants and it's ridiculously early to be concerned.
Venture into the morass of social media or check in with either of the sports radio stations in the Bay Area, including the Giants’ flagship KNBR, and you’d think the Giants were 50-80 instead of 5-8.
The Giants managed to beat Washington 7-1 Wednesday to avoid being swept by a team that figures to be one of the National League bottom feeders before taking a day off and playing a pair of three-game series in Tampa Bay and Miami that begins Friday afternoon.
And even though the Giants broke out of a dreadful stretch of hitting with runners in scoring position by going 6-for-8 against Washington, getting swept by the Dodgers and an early run of uneven play has alarmed some of the fan base who figured Jorge Soler, Matt Chapman and Blake Snell were the answer to their prayers.
There was concern on the airwaves as well as Twitter/X or wherever it is fans choose to access fuel for their skepticism.
Where are the home runs? Is it time to part with Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater and go with some new blood? What’s with the dearth of stolen bases? Will Patrick Bailey regain his throwing form behind the plate?
Hey, the NFL Draft is two weeks away, the Warriors won’t begin as a play-in team until next week and the Sharks are a lost cause. So the landscape is ripe for some overreaction.
Here’s are five way-too-early positive observations:
Jordan Hicks is for real
When all is said and done, Jordan Hicks, with a 2-0 record and 1.00 ERA in three starts and 18 innings, may wind up having a better year than Snell, the reigning N.L. Cy Young Award winner the Giants signed just before they wrapped up spring training.
Hicks’ stuff is dazzling and has caught the attention of Rob Friedman, the Twitter/X “Pitching Ninja.” He’s only walked three batters His WHIP is 0.833. He’s also got great perspective about switching from reliever to starter.
Jordan Hicks, 94mph Two Seamer (17 inches of run) and Sweeper in the other batter's box (swinging K), Overlay. pic.twitter.com/WVhiJuuT3r
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 10, 2024
He shrugged off a question Wednesday about whether he should have been a starter sooner. Hicks said if that had happened he wouldn’t have been in the majors as soon as he was and he probably wouldn’t be on the Giants.
“Maybe I spend another year and a half in the minors,” Hicks said. “My whole life looks different. I wouldn’t change how anything has happened.”
Health permitting, it’s hard to imagine Hicks going back to the bullpen under any circumstance, and that includes when Robbie Ray is good to go around midseason.
Nick Ahmed is an upgrade over Brandon Crawford
Hurts to say it, given everything Crawford did for the Giants. Face it, 2021 was Crawford’s last hurrah as an every day shortstop, and Ahmed won’t be that good.
But Ahmed is clearly better than Crawford 37, as a defender and the Giants will live with offensive issues given that he and Chapman make for a special left side of the infield. Right-handers pulling the ball against the Giants will occasionally find that it’s like hitting golf balls into a net — the ball looks great taking off but it doesn’t go anywhere.
Oh, and it’s amusing to hear all the gushing about Chapman’s defensive skills. Anyone who watched Chapman in Oakland realized he has virtually no peer at third base unless its Nolan Arenado.
The Melvin way
Before the Giants won Wednesday, manager Bob Melvin talked about the Giants’ early offensive shortcomings and wasn’t mincing words.
“We’re all frustrated with our record, and if you look at some of our numbers we haven’t really excelled in any area,” Melvin said. “We have to be better across the board. There’s a lot more in there for us and we should expect more.”
With the A’s, it wasn’t unusual to see Melvin’s teams hover around .500 and then suddenly kick into gear in June or so and make a run. He’s a pretty steady hand and and there’s no reason to believe he’s lost his touch after a disappointing year in San Diego.
Steals? No big deal
It’s true the stolen base played a role in the Giants beating Washington Wednesday. The last team in baseball to steal a base had three of them — two by Tyler Fitzgerald and one by Chapman. While rule changes have enhanced the stolen base as a weapon, the Giants aren’t going be big in that area, although Jung Hoo Lee may get a “go” sign now and then.
“We don’t have a lot of team speed but we need to push the envelope a little more,” Melvin said. “Lee is going to be one we’re going to push a little. He didn’t have a ton of stolen bases (in the KBO) but he’s fast.”
Fitzgerald, depending on the amount of playing time he gets in the outfield and shortstop, will continue to be a factor. He said Melvin told him so the first time they met in person.
“He said you’ve got the green light all year, and go when you want,” said Fitzgerald, who had 32 steals in 35 attempts between Double- and Triple-A last season. “I feel pretty good on the base paths.”
Forget about the Dodgers
What if the Giants lose touch with the Dodgers in the National League West?
So what? The Dodgers are perfectly capable of winning 105 or more games and then flaming out in the playoffs even with pitching that could be suspect.
Get to 90 wins or so, make the tournament, and then see what happens.