Fansided

Here’s how every MLB team will finish in 2018

By Joshua Sadlock

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 28: Manny Machado
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 28: Manny Machado /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
24 of 30
Next
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 25: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the San Francisco Giants stands at first base during a game against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 25: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the San Francisco Giants stands at first base during a game against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

San Francisco Giants: 81.5 wins

  • Baseball Prospectus: 83 wins
  • FanGraphs: 79 wins

The 2017 seasons was one that every single person involved with the Giants organization would like to box up, bury 50 feet below the ground and never speak of again. San Francisco got off to a horrible start in April and things devolved from there when Madison Bumgarner put himself on the DL for a few months after a dirt bike accident. The Giants lost 98 games, and to make matters worse, lost out on the number-one pick in the draft when Pablo Sandoval hit a walk-off homer to win the final game of the year.

San Francisco obviously had some work to do after last year’s debacle, and got to work quickly this offseason. All-Stars Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen were acquired in swaps with the rebuilding Tampa Bay Rays and Pirates. The Giants are betting that both aging stars are not quite past their prime. Austin Jackson was also signed to play center field, allowing McCutchen to settle in right field, where his body should take less of a beating.

The starting rotation and bullpen are still a huge concern for the Giants, and the team did not have much financial flexibility to address either area after spending big on Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Mark Melancon and picking up Longoria and McCutchen’s contracts. San Francisco did wave good-bye to Matt Cain and Matt Moore and ushered in Ty Blach and Chris Stratton to the starting rotation.

Conclusion: At worst, the Giants look like an 83-85 win team, but they cannot afford to have anything go wrong. An injury to any key contributor could send the Giants down below .500 again. Any hope they have of reaching the playoffs hinges on Cueto and Samardzija rising to the occasion. Making a pick here is hard, but the over looks more likely than the under.

Home/MLB