5. San Francisco Giants
- 2019 record:77-85
- 2020 projected record:66-106
Full disclosure: I did pretty bad in my 2019 National League West standings. I also projected the Giants to win fewer than 70 games, expected the Colorado Rockies to compete for the NL West crown and thought the Arizona Diamondbacks would win 74 games.
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This year is going to be different, as I am going to be much more accurate (I hope) but the one thing that is staying the same is my take on the San Francisco Giants. Looking at this roster, I haveno ideahow this team is going to win 70 games in 2020.
Just like the Rockies underperformed last season, the Giants overperformed.Baseball-Reference’s Pythagorean win-loss(which calculates what a win-loss record should be based on run differential) for the Giants was 71-91 last season, seven games worse than their record indicated.
So not only should the Giants have been worse last year than they really were but they got worse this offseason as well. The team lost its ace pitcher in Bumgarner, its great closer inWill Smithand a great defensive center fielder with an above-average bat inKevin Pillar.
Sure, the team gotHunter Penceback andJohnny Cuetoisn’t hurt, but what else is there to be excited about?
The hope for Giant fans is that Cueto returns to form to be better than Bumgarner was last season and thatMike Yastrzemskibuilds off of a solid rookie season. I just don’t see it.
Buster PoseyandEvan Longoriawill continue to regress with age,Brandon BeltandBrandon Crawfordare coming off awful offensive seasons and the starting rotation is pieced together with mediocre pitchers that the Giants hope can hold together throughout the season.
New managerGabe Kaplerunderperformed in Philadelphia and I cannot buy into him overperforming with this supporting cast in 2020.
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