Motivated Veteran Gamers Lead San Francisco Giants’ Resurgence

Buster Posey, the catcher of the San Francisco Giants, searches for a sign in the dugout during a baseball game … [+] against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar)

Associated press

Simply put, the San Francisco Giants shouldn’t be nearly as good as they’ve been in the National League West.

As of this writing, the Giants are competing with the San Diego Padres for the top spot in the division.

During the off-season, most MLB watchers, including this writer, had given defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers the National League West crown.

So far, the giants have proven these predictions to be wrong.

According to FanGraphs, the Giants have an estimated payroll of $ 152 million in 2021. That is an increase of $ 11 million over the estimated 2020 payroll if an entire season has been played.

Seven current Giants players are in the final year of their contracts. If they are not required to renew, pitcher Kevin Gausman, first baseman Brandon Belt, shortstop Brandon Crawford, pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, Aaron Sanchez and Alex Wood and infielder Donovan Solano can leave as free agents.

These players represent more than $ 64 million in payroll.

Pitcher Johnny Cueto and catcher Buster Posey will only be free agents after the 2022 season. The team holds club options for both.

At an aging club, many analysts believed the Giants may be struggling to get runs. It was a common issue that the pitching staff did not have enough depth or quality to keep the team competitive from game to game.

The season is well into its second month, however, and under the guidance of their seasoned veteran players, the Giants have shown that they are not only competitive but profitable. The veterans seem extremely motivated to return to a World Series. You last won the MLB crown in 2014.

Buster Posey:

Catcher / First Baseman Buster Posey has withdrawn from the shortened 2020 season due to the pandemic.

Posey, a 2008 Giants draft pick from Florida State University, has long been considered a standout batsman. However, its offensive production slowed somewhat in the 2019 season.

As a six-time All Star, Posey won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2012. There are six Silver Slugger Awards on his résumé.

Posey, who all plays with the Giants in his 12th major league season, shows new strength and excellent offensive production in his 34-year season.

Posey scored a robust .374 with a base percentage of .451 and a slugging average of .657 on 113 disk hits. He has four doubles and eight home runs among his 37 hits. Posey hit 18 times and hit the plate 13 times. He drove in 15 races.

If it goes well, Posey can drive the ball into the right / center gap with the best hits in the game.

So far, Posey has been a mainstay behind the plate. He has not yet been deployed on the first base, but that could happen as the season progresses and the hot weather worsens.

Brandon Crawford:

A left-handed shortstop, Brandon Crawford is rarely recognized as safe and far better than the average league defender. In fact, he is an elite. His reach, soft hands, strong arm, and ability to make games both difficult and routine were highlights of Crawford’s defense in his eleven-year career in the big league, all with the Giants.

Sometimes Crawford gets lost in the hustle and bustle of Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Trevor Story and other well-known shortstop names. He may not have the offensive firepower, but he can play top quality defense. Play in and play out.

The 34-year-old Crawford was twice All Star of the National League, most recently in 2018. He has won three gold gloves. He’s only made one mistake out of 120 chances so far this year.

Crawford, who is not known as a power hitter, scored 21 home runs in 2015, the most of his career. So far this season he has already reached ten top runners in the team. He has raced 23 runs and hit only 29 times in 128 record appearances

Brandon Belt:

Brandon Belt was designed by both the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves before eventually signing with the Giants. They selected him in the 5th round of the MLB First Year Player Draft at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009.

Belt has played his entire career with the Giants and is now in his 11th major league season.

Belt’s offense was inconsistent at times, but his power was always welcome. So far this year Belt has met eight homers and has run 21 runs.

As an All Star in 2016, Belt has played on both the outfield and first base for San Francisco. That year he was mostly the team’s first baseman.

This season Belt hasn’t made as consistent contact as Crawford or Posey, but he hits the ball hard and can drive runs from his clean-up area on the line-up.

Evan Longoria:

Third baseman Evan Longoria began his career as a power hitting third baseman for the American League Tampa Bay Rays. In 2017, the Rays swapped him to San Francisco as part of a multiplayer deal that sent four players to the Rays. Infielder Christian Arroyo and outfielder Denard Span were the best known of the Rays acquisitions.

Longoria was All Star three times. He won a Silver Slugger Award and three gold gloves in his trophy case.

Like other veterans on the Giants offensive, right-handed Longoria shows a new life on the plate.

Now at the age of 35, Longoria has met four homers and ridden 14 runs in his 138 record appearances. However, he has had important hits and has run 18 times to keep the line moving in the order of strokes.

While Longoria’s stats for 2021 don’t leap off the side, they offer stability and leadership to a team that will slowly transition to younger players who are under team control in the years to come.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto delivers during the first inning of a baseball … [+] Game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar)

Associated press

Johnny Cueto:

Right-handed starter Johnny Cueto is playing in his 35-year season.

Cueto was originally signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic and is now in his 14th season in the Major League.

The Reds traded Cueto for the Kansas City Royals in July 2015. In November of that year he became a free agent and then signed with the Giants.

With the exception of limited appearances, injuries have kept Cueto off the hill since making 25 starts for the Giants in 2017. In his career, Cueto missed the time with a lat strain, shoulder pain, blisters on his pitching fingers, and most importantly, a right elbow problem that required surgery on Tommy John in 2018.

Well now, Cueto seems to be back to the quality starter he showed before his elbow surgery.

Cueto was All Star twice in 2014 and 2016.

Cueto has started five games for the Giants so far this year, throwing 27.1 innings and setting a 2-1 record with 3.62 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. Cueto scores an average of 7.2 hits per nine innings, while 1.6 hits are scored per nine.

Not known as a strike pitcher, Cueto throws his fastball at an average speed of 92.5 mph 44% of the time. He mixes a slider, a cutter and a switch in equal parts, all of which keep the clubs off balance.

As a crafty pitcher, Cueto’s secondary pitches have changed the batsman’s eye level and returned him to the form that has made him a winner in his long career.

Jake McGee:

Without the inclusion of left-handed pitcher of relief Jake McGee, the reflection of the San Francisco Giants’ veteran contributions this season would not be complete.

The 34-year-old McGee is in his 12th season in the big league. He has promoted Tampa Bay, Colorado, the Los Angels Dodgers and now the San Francisco Giants.

McGee signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2021, signing a two-year deal worth $ 5 million. There is a club option for USD 4.5 million for 2023.

McGee shares the narrower role of the team with right-handed Tyler Rogers and has already saved 11 games for the Giants. He has appeared in 20 games, throwing an ERA of 4.82 and a whip of 1.17 in 18.2 innings.

McGee is basically a fastball pitcher who uses this pitch 90% of the time at an average speed of 94.9 mph. He can end a hitter with a high quality slider and an occasional curve.

The combination of McGee and Rogers at the back of the Giants bullpen was efficient and effective. In addition to these 11 McGee parades, Rogers also saved five games.

Summary:

Without question, the San Francisco Giants resurgence in National League West is a good baseball story.

Experienced players paved the way for a solid winning stance and a high position in the overall standings.

Obviously, seasoned players were at the forefront of the solid brand of baseball played in San Francisco. These players got a lot of cheers in addition to the contributions of teammates Mike Yastrzemski, Darin Ruf, Alex Dickerson, Austin Slater Anthony Desclafani, Wilmer Flores and other Giants fans. It’s a real team effort. The parts are in sync.

In addition to veteran starter Johnny Cueto, starters Alex Wood, Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani and up and coming leftist Logan Webb (who is currently struggling with a shoulder injury) have performed superbly and kept their team in the games.

The challenge for the San Francisco Giants is to maintain their level of play to fend off high profile clubs like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

For now, however, Giants fans can enjoy the performances of seasoned players who have demonstrated the kind of skills and leadership qualities that have maintained their careers at the highest level of professional baseball.