The Biggest Reason the Giants Have Fallen Out of Contention Isn't Their Offense
The Biggest Reason the Giants Have Fallen Out of Contention Isn't Their Offense
San Francisco revamped its lineup in the offseason, but they are still searching for a way to win.Laura Lambert|
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San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants made big moves in the offseason to reshape their lineup. Coming in to the 2026 season, they had plenty of reasons to believe they would find themselves back in playoff contention.
So far, they are wrong.
Players like Rafael Devers, Luis Arraez, and Willy Adames were added while they also kept investing in their prospects such as Bryce Eldridge.
Yet, after making all these moves, at the halfway point in the season, the Giants now sit at 35-49. This is certainly not where they expected to be.
As is usually the case in baseball, the numbers tell the truth. Digging into the stats, the offense hasn’t been perfect, but the biggest issue is the inability to prevent runs.
Bright Spots in the Lineup
The easy route would be to claim that the offseason moves and the offense are to blame, but that wouldn’t be the case according to the numbers.
Jung Hoo Lee has been one of the National League’s most consistent, with a slash line of .316/.348/.454 and an .802 OPS. He has five home runs and 31 RBI over 291 at-bats.
Luis Arraez has continued to live up to his reputation as a premier contact hitter. He leads the club with his .331 average while posting a .836 OPS.
Casey Schmitt is the powerhouse of the team, leading with 16 home runs. Rafael Devers is right behind him with 15 home runs and 44 RBI. These two are the leaders for sure and their stats show why you find them hitting at number three and four in the lineup on a regular basis.
But the emerging story on offense is Bryce Eldridge. The rookie has been impressive already, posting an .841 OPS with six home runs over 43 games. He has all the tools to be the centerpiece of the Giants’ offense for years to come.
The offense is producing enough individual success stories to prove that they are not the issue.
The Rotation is Top Heavy
Looking at the Giants in comparison to the National League’s contenders, you will see that the sore thumb is the starting rotation.
Logan Webb anchors the staff, holding a 3.09 ERA across 90.1 innings. Robbie Ray has been absolutely dominant in June and brought his ERA down to 3.39 over 95.2 innings.
Then things go downhill fast.
- Landen Roupp 4.55 ERA
- Trevor McDonald 4.94 ERA
- Adrian Houser 5.38 ERA
- Tyler Mahle 5.67 ERA
San Francisco ends up playing from behind on a regular basis and never really gives the offense the opportunity to settle in and get their groove.
Bullpen Isn’t Picking Up the Slack
Once again, no consistency here. When the bullpen is left with a mess, it hasn’t shown the ability to clean it up.
JT Brubaker leads the team here, posting a 2.74 ERA, while Sam Hentges and Keaton Winn have provided solid inning help.
But then the story remains the same as the rotation - a few good arms followed by inconsistent help.
- Ryan Walker 5.40 ERA
- Ryan Borucki 4.94 ERA
- Erik Miller 4.22 ERA
- Caleb Killian 4.11 ERA
With both the rotation and the bullpen underperforming, there is little room for success.
The Giants Need More Than The Stars
The offseason additions have not been a bust.
Lee, Arraez, Devers and Schmitt have provided reasons to believe. Eldridge is looking like a solid star. But combine inconsistent production with a weak bottom half of the lineup, and there’s no way this team can find a way to overcome.
If the Giants have any hope of being more competitive in the second half, it is going to have to come from improved pitching, and that needs to start now.
Published 1 hour ago
LAURA LAMBERTLaura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NHL, and WNBA. Laura covers the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at [email protected]
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
