The San Francisco Giants are one of the most interesting franchises in the history of U.S. sports. Obviously, they played in two of the biggest cities in the country, New York and San Francisco. They also have two of the best players in the history of the franchise who have worn their jersey. Willie Mays spent his entire career in black and orange, and Barry Bonds, while controversial, broke just about every power record while dominating in the Bay Area.
The rest of the Giants’ history is fascinating. They have eight World Series titles, tied with their most-hated rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many might not remember that this team was a straight-up dynasty in the 2010s. They won three World Series titles in five years. That can’t be denied. That’s a dynasty.
With that dynasty and a legendary history, they should have one of the best lineups in baseball history.
First Base
Willie McCovey
1959-1973
We start off with one of the most beloved figures in franchise history. Willie McCovey spent close to two decades with San Francisco in their early years on the West Coast. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1959 after hitting .354 and 13 home runs in just 52 games. Of his feats, his 22-game hitting streak was his most impressive.
He never really slowed down. The fact that Willie McCovey made the 500-home-run club despite playing at Candlestick Park makes his career even more impressive. If he played today, he might be a 600 home run hitter.
He was moved around in his career between first base and the outfield since another Giants legend also played both positions. Still, he dominated at the plate, and that’s what he was there for. He led the league in home runs three times, RBIs twice, slugging percentage three times, and OPS three times, as well. He won the 1969 MVP after hitting 45 home runs and 126 RBIs.
Unfortunately, McCovey didn’t win a World Series with the Giants. He had about as good a chance as anyone to become a legend in that sense, facing the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series in 1962. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and trailing 1-0, McCovey hit a sharp line drive that was snared by Bobby Richardson. If the ball had been just two feet higher, the Giants probably would have won the World Series, as there was a man on second and third.
Second Base
Jeff Kent
1997-2002
There are few second basemen in the history of the league who had the power that Jeff Kent possessed. While he was a journeyman throughout his career, his best years came in San Francisco. Kent has the record for most home runs in history by a second baseman, and a majority of that impact came in San Fran.
Kent was a decent player with the Blue Jays, Mets, and Cleveland. Then, when he joined the Giants in 1998, he became the best power-hitting second baseman in the league. In his very first season, he was eighth in MVP voting after hitting 29 home runs with 121 RBIs. He continued that impact, hitting between 22 and 37 home runs in each of his seasons with the Giants.
In those six seasons, Kent won three Silver Slugger awards, and he won the 2000 NL MVP. That season, he hit 33 home runs with 125 RBIs. He beat Barry Bonds for that award.
Kent was the unsung hero in the Bonds-Kent duo, putting up great numbers for years in San Francisco. Of course, their own falling out led to Kent signing with the Houston Astros, effectively ending the best stretch of his career. Still, there’s nobody else in this conversation.
Shortstop
Travis Jackson
1922-1936
Travis Jackson was one of the few New York Giants who are on the list, but we can’t discount that those teams won in the early decades of baseball history. Jackson was a key cog in the team that won the 1933 World Series. He made his debut in 1922, the year the Giants won their second consecutive World Series, but he wasn’t on the postseason roster. He became a utility infielder in 1923, and he took on a starting role in 1924.
At that point, the Giants had been to four straight World Series. He was joining a franchise that was getting used to winning. Jackson didn’t play for the most formidable teams until later in his career, when the Giants made it to the World Series in 1933, 1936, and 1937 (the latter of which came after Jackson retired).
His career was tumultuous, and the Giants always had him on watch, which made his career that much more impressive. He must have thrived on the pressure, because he hit over .300 six times and received MVP votes in every season from 1927 to 1931. He was also the starting shortstop for the National League in the second-ever All-Star Game.
Third Base
Matt Williams
1987-1996
There were a few really good third basemen who played for the Giants. Recently, they had both Evan Longoria, Pablo Sandoval, and Matt Chapman. If you go back to their New York days, Art Devlin was a really good player, but there’s only one person who makes sense for this slot. Matt Williams was holding down the hot corner for the better part of a decade in the 1990s for the Giants.
The third-overall pick in the 1986 MLB Draft was brought in to change the culture in San Francisco after a long stretch of disappointment. At that point, the Giants had made the playoffs once since losing the 1962 World Series. It was a long stretch of failure. Williams helped being in an immediate change.
He was called up to the majors in April of 1987, and the Giants finally got back to the playoffs that season. He struggled at first, and was sent back down to the minors in 1988, but that was the wake-up call he needed. Williams became a hitting machine after that, winning the Silver Slugger for third basemen four times (once with Cleveland).
Williams dominated in the field too, winning three Gold Gloves with the Giants. He is the best third baseman to put on in the Bay Area.
Catcher
Buster Posey
2009-2021
We could talk about some of the other catchers in the history of the Giants, but there’s no point. Buster Posey is possibly the best catcher of this era. He was a seven-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger, a two-time Comeback Player of the Year, a batting champion, a Gold Glove award winner, and the 2012 NL MVP. His trophy case needs to be reinforced.
And those are all regular-season awards. Let’s talk about the insane run Posey has had in the playoffs. In his first three playoff appearances, he won the World Series. That’s such an insane thing to think about. Posey was still entering the prime of his career in 2010, just a 23-year-old catcher, and he helped hold down this lineup.
The Giants got a chance to secure one of the hardest positions in baseball with the best in the league for a long time. He’s one of those rare players who was great from start to finish, hitting 18 home runs with a .304 batting average in 2021, his final season. He led the Giants back to the playoffs with a franchise record 107 wins, and said goodbye to baseball with his last Silver Slugger award.
Only Pete Rose has won Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, and three World Series championships before Posey. He is in elite company and will walk into the Hall of Fame once eligible.
Right Field
Mel Ott
1926-1947
Mel Ott was a consideration for third base, but he played a large majority of his career in right field. Ott was a superstar in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. He was at the top of the game for his entire career, making it to the All-Star Game 12 times and leading the National League in home runs six times.
Ott’s career is the stuff dreams are made of. He literally started in the minor leagues, when his owner said he was too small, which ends most careers in this era. He went to play for his company’s baseball team in Louisiana, and the owner was so impressed he told the New York Giants owner he should give him a tryout. So, for anyone raking for their company softball league, bigger things could still happen for you.
Ott was a hit early in his career, pun intended. He took over as the starting outfielder in 1929 at the age of 20, and he was dominant. Ott broke a 6.0 WAR 10 times in his career, leading baseball in the stat (which obviously didn’t exist at the time) in 1938.
Many try to downplay Ott’s numbers because of the short porch at the Polo Grounds, but New York’s stadium also had crazy metrics throughout the stadium, and Ott was often the NL leader in road game home runs. He also played with National League ball specifications, which many believe made it harder to hit home runs. Ott was a superstar, and even at his size, he’d be a power hitter in today’s game.
Center Field
Willie Mays
1951-1972
And the hits keep coming. Literally. Willie Mays is considered by many to be the best player in the history of baseball. When people look up “five-tool player” in the dictionary, a picture of Mays should be there. He was insane at the plate, finishing his career with 660 home runs. He was dynamic in center field, with his over-the-shoulder catch from the 1954 World Series still being emulated more than 70 years later.
Mays even finished his career with more than 3,200 hits and over a .300 batting average. Breaking an 11 WAR has only happened 20 times in the history of baseball. Mays has done it twice.
He made the All-Star Game 19 times in a row with the Giants, which just shows an incredible knack for consistency and ability to stay healthy. This was a time when it might have been the greatest era for outfielders ever, with Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robsinon, Harmon Killebrew, and Al Kaline. And yet, Mays was still head and shoulders above the rest.
We can argue so many statistics, but the one that impresses us the most might surprise many. The Gold Glove was created as an award in 1957. He ended up winning it 12 times in a row after that. Mays did everything for baseball, and he cannot be touched as a player… Unless…
Left Field
Barry Bonds
1993-2007
Barry Bonds is statistically the best player in the history of baseball. His most famous records include the single-season home run record (73 in 2001), the all-time career home-run record (762), and seven MVPs. He has more walks than any player in history, being lauded for the greatest eyes in the history of baseball. Some say he could call balls and strikes from the dugout. He was exceptional with his ability to predict how pitches would move, proven by his 12% strikeout percentage, remarkably low for a power hitter like Bonds.
Many of his records will never be broken, like his 626 intentional walks. We know about the hitting statistics, but can we talk about the baserunning for a second? Barry Bonds is the only player with 500 home runs and 500 steals. We talk about how impressive Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 season is, but what about a 500-500 career?
Bonds was the San Francisco Giants for 15 years. He dominated like nobody we’ve ever seen and likely will ever see again. He dragged his team to the 2002 World Series, and he did his best to win it by himself. He still holds the record for highest slugging percentage in the World Series, pounding the ball to the tune of 1.294. That’s not his OPS, that’s just his slugging percentage. He hit .474 with a .700 on-base percentage. He hit four home runs in just 17 official at-bats. It might be the best single-series performance in history.
Of course, Bonds is a beacon of controversy, surrounded by talk of performance-enhancing drugs and a bad attitude, but enough is enough. This is one of the best players in baseball lore. Let him into the Hall of Fame.
Designated Hitter
Bobby Bonds
1968-1974
We could go in so many different directions, but why not bring the father-son duo together and have the Bondses hit back-to-back? Bobby Bonds is underrated today, as he let his career go in the later years, but in those early years with the San Francisco Giants, he looked like one of the most talented players in baseball.
He became the first player in the 20th century to hit a grand slam in his MLB debut, showing the Giants they were in for something special.
Just like his son, Bobby Bonds could hit the ball a mile and run like the wind. The two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner with the Giants didn’t have his son’s eyes, but he held just about every other skill known to a baseball player. This was the ultimate feast or famine player, possibly in baseball history.
Bonds lasted nine seasons with the Giants, and many might argue for others to be here, but we have to look at the talent here. Bonds was as talented as any player in this organization, and having him as the designated hitter would bring a different dynamic to the lineup, just like he did in the 1960s.
Starting Pitcher
Christy Mathewson
1900-1916
We can argue about so many fun options for the San Francisco pitching staff. Tim Lincecum (or Big Time Timmy Jim as we like to call him) was a dominant force in the 21st century. Madison Bumgarner is still considered the most clutch pitcher of this era. Matt Cain and Jason Schmidt had short but incredibly impactful peaks. However, this is Christy Mathewson.
Mathewson made his MLB debut in 1900. The Factoryville, Pennsylvania native won 373 games in his career and lost just 188. He was incredible on the mound, leading all of baseball in WAR in each season from 1907 to 1909 (he led just the National League in 1910).
What’s most incredible was his performance in the 1905 World Series. He pitched three times and had three full-game shutouts. It’s a record that hasn’t been matched and likely never will. It will definitely never be beaten. Matthewson also owns the record for most World Series shutouts with four. This isn’t an accumulator like so many pitchers of this era. This was true and utter dominance.
Closing Pitcher
Robb Nen
1998-2002
Robb Nen isn’t a player you hear about much today, but his career was fascinating. After proving to be one of the best and most clutch closers in baseball for the Florida Marlins in 1997, he was traded immediately after winning the World Series. Nen pitched a scoreless ninth and 10th innings in Game 7, helping the Marlins walk off the World Series in the 11th.
He was traded to the Giants before the 1998 season. He entered a situation with big shoes to fill. The Giants just lost Rod Beck to free agency, who led the franchise with 199 saves. Nen came in and was even better.
In his very first year, Nen had 40 saves and a 1.52 ERA. He would continue to be the best closer in baseball, finishing fourth in Cy Young voting and 12th in NL MVP voting in 2000. He could have been a legend, but in a moment when his team needed him most, he sacrificed his career in Game 7 of the World Series.
With his rotator cuff hanging on by a thread, the Giants asked Nen to save them with men on and holding onto a shaky one-run lead. Unfortunately, Nen wasn’t his normal effective self, and Troy Glaus hit the game-winning double. That appearance caused two years of rehab, as he had multiple surgeries on his shoulder. Nen would never appear in a major league game again, leaving behind a legend at just 32 years old.