Giants running away with West
It’s an even year, which means the San Francisco Giants are likely going to win the World Series. In 2010, 2012 and 2014, San Francisco has ended up hoisting the hardware with a great rotation and a clutch lineup, and the 2016 edition has all the earmarks of that team once again.
San Francisco was not talked about much in the offseason despite shuffling the roster to an extreme extent. The Giants went out and landed a couple of legitimate starting pitchers under the spending eyes of general manager Brian Sabean, landing Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. Coupled with the already formidable Madison Bumgarner, the Giants had one of the best rotations in baseball and yet were being overshadowed by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, with the latter making all kinds of splashy moves.
Flash forward to the night of June 26, and San Francisco is eight games clear of the second-place Dodgers in the National League West. The Giants also have a record of 49-28, sporting the most win in the game and are only a half-game back of the Chicago Cubs for the best record in Major League Baseball.
As usual, this club looks like a serious contender and one that was built for the challenges of October. Bumgarer is the unquestioned ace of the staff (especially come playoff time) and to this point in the campaign has been phenomenal. The 2014 World Series Most Valuable Player is sporting a 1.99 ERA to go with an 8-4 record. His Wins Above Replacement is already at 3.2 and we aren’t even halfway through the season.
Meanwhile, Cueto might be the best pickup any team made in the offseason. The fiery right-hander has a 2.42 ERA and owns an 11-1 record, making him a legitimate candidate to not only be in the All-Star Game (he will be) but perhaps be the starter in it. Cueto has never won 20 games before despite being on some very good Cincinnati Reds teams, but he looks almost a lock for that distinction in 2016.
Samardzija has not been as dazzling as Cueto and Bumgarner, but he’s been effective and filling the role of third starter. The Shark has an ERA of 3.59 but does have eight wins and 77 strikeouts. If he can take his game up another notch, the Giants would have to be considered favorites to beat anybody in the NL, including the mighty Cubs or pitching-rich Washington Nationals.
Of course, it is only June. Much can and will change between now and when the leaves start changing colors. All that said, we know the pedigree these Giants bring into the fall. They are a dangerous team, and looking once again to make an even year the right moment for another title by the bay.
