The 2024 San Francisco Giants season was the same as the past few seasons, lackluster. The Giants finished 4th in the NL West with an 80-82 record. This is their 3rd consecutive season missing the playoffs since their historic 107-win season in 2021. The San Francisco Giants now under new leadership Buster Posey becoming the new President of Baseball Operations, leads to hope for the 2025 Giants. A new approach to roster construction and how the team should carry themselves day in and day out.
This offseason the Giants handed out the largest contract in franchise history. They targeted the offensive side of the ball to improve, which was their biggest struggle last season. The NL West is an extremely tough division due to the juggernaut, the Dodgers sitting at the top. However, the NL Wild Card was extremely open, with multiple teams competing for the three spots. The Giants could become one of the teams vying for the Wild Card this season. According to FanDuel, the Giant’s win total projection is 79.5 and they can go over this total.
San Francisco Giants 2025 O/U: Why the Giants are Guaranteed to Hit the OVER
Offseason Additions
The Giants brought in star shortstop Willy Adames, who had a career year hitting 32 home runs and a .794 OPS. The San Francisco Giants had a huge void at the shortstop position where they had three different players start at least 20 games at shortstop this past season. It was unsustainable for the future of this team. Bringing in Adames solidifies the left side of the infield with star third baseman Matt Chapman. Now the Giants have what could be the best defensive duo in the major leagues.
The Giants also brought in veteran pitcher Justin Verlander. After losing Blake Snell to the Dodgers and losing the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes to the Diamondbacks the Giants had a void in the rotation. Verlander fills that hole for the short term and he’s still a solid pitcher. His last season starting over 20 games he had a 3.22 ERA. Verlander is a great leader for the young pitchers on the roster. The Giants have high hopes for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong, so having a former superstar like Verlander on the team will help them tremendously. One of those two could take a jump this year and win some significant games for the Giants.
Potential Breakout Players
The Giants have talented position players throughout their roster that could be poised to improve upon their 2024 season. Tyler Fitzgerald came up to the big leagues on fire, hitting 15 home runs in under 100 games. The goal for Fitzgerald is to find consistency throughout a full 162-game season rather than just a few good months. With a clear path as the team’s starting second baseman, he’ll have every opportunity to build on last year’s success.
Another Giant who broke out in 2024 was Heliot Ramos, who blasted 22 home runs with a .791 OPS while earning an All-Star selection. Advanced metrics from last season suggest Ramos’ power surge was no fluke. His ability to consistently barrel the ball resulted in high exit velocities, making him one of the Giants’ most dangerous hitters. With another year of development and more experience at the plate, Ramos has the potential to eclipse the 30-home-run mark something the San Francisco Giants haven’t had since Barry Bonds.
Jung Hoo Lee Return: A Game Changer
An extremely important addition for this Giants team is the return of Jung Hoo Lee from the shoulder injury he suffered in May last season. Lee will be the Giants starting center fielder for the season and his skillset was sorely missed last year. His speed allows him to cover long distances and make huge defensive plays in the outfield. His reliability as a defender will be very helpful for a Giants team that had mediocre defensive outfielders in 2024.
Lee has a great approach at the plate, he’s very patient and will get on base for the Giants a lot. As the team’s leadoff he brings the speed that they didn’t have last year. The Giants were 29th in stolen bases last year and Lee is going to steal bases putting himself in a lot of scoring positions. Lee’s ability to play great defense and get on base will be a huge factor in this Giants team’s improvement from the previous season.
They’re Going OVER!
The Giants have been a middling team for years now, but it feels this is the year for improvement. To finally break through the low 80-win seasons and compete for a wild card spot. Their young pitching is led by ace Logan Webb and former Cy Young winners Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander. The improved hitting through off-season additions and return from season-long injuries gives this team a chance to shock a lot of people and potentially make the playoffs. Their line of 79.5 wins is extremely doable for the 2025 season.
Main Image: © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
