Fansided

5 Reasons the San Francisco Giants will repeat as World Series champions

By Jason Evans

Aug 18, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Santiago Casilla (46) celebrates with catcher Buster Posey (28) after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Giants defeated the Cardinals 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Santiago Casilla (46) celebrates with catcher Buster Posey (28) after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Giants defeated the Cardinals 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 13, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) hits an RBI single against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) hits an RBI single against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive Pop

For all the seasons that the Giants relied on their pitching to get them through, the offense was a secondary piece to the puzzle. This year, the bats have pretty good, which is a welcome change.

The Giants rank 10th in MLB for runs, are second in average and are third in the National League in OPS. This is without their starting outfield for most of the year. Hunter Pence, Nori Aoki and Angel Pagan have all missed time this season. Joe Panik is on the DL.

Matt Duffy has actually been an ample replacement for the departed Pablo Sandoval. Duffy was an 18th round pick, and as the Giants continue to draft and develop their own players and he’s an example of their successes. Duffy has an OPS of .805 with a batting average of .305.

Before his injury, Joe Panik was one of the most productive second baseman in the game and earned his first All-Star berth in his first full season. Panik is fourth among second baseman in WAR, and ranks third in OPS .

Brandon Crawford also broke out this season and earned an All-Star berth himself. He leads all shortstops in WAR, homers, RBI and OPS  – all by large margins.

This team is different when Hunter Pence is in the lineup. He gives them another right-handed presence along with Buster Posey, one the best in the game.

If they can stay healthy, they can hit enough to repeat.

Next: More Than Mad Bum

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