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After a relatively quiet offseason following the 2014 World Series, many questioned whether San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean had done enough to bolster the team’s offense. Though the front office added veterans Casey McGehee and Nori Aoki to the lineup, the Giants’ offensive approach has been nothing short of ugly to begin the 2015 season.
While it’s still early in the campaign, Giants fans might be getting nervous about the long-term implications of life without slugger Pablo Sandoval. The initial absence of Hunter Pence also compounds the Giants’ substantial offensive woes. According to the team’s chief executive officer Larry Baer, Pence should make his return by May, but other media outlets have reported that the right fielder still isn’t close to swinging a bat. Baer might be overly optimistic because the Giants are absolutely desperate for offensive production. We’re 10 games into the new season and not a single Giant has over four RBIs to his name. Comparatively, the Kansas City Royals have six different players who have notched at least five RBIs during their hot start to 2015.
Brandon Belt, who the Giants are still counting on to have an impact season, has been hampered by injuries yet again while collecting only two hits over 17 at-bats. Power hitting has been generally nonexistent, with the team swatting just six home runs and posting a collective slugging percentage of .341. Though Sandoval was occasionally mocked for his overly aggressive approach at the plate, his offensive swagger helped lift the Giants’ offense more often than not. Without Pence, San Francisco lacks a hitter who’s willing to swing for the fences on every single pitch. While all hitting coaches preach patience at the plate, every baseball team needs a couple guys who have the confidence to attack the ball with gusto. Right now, the Giants’ offense is highly inefficient and lacks the dynamism they’ll need to compete with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers this year.
Following a sweep at home by the Colorado Rockies, Sabean and Bruce Bochy probably suspect their shorthanded team has a tough road ahead. They didn’t actively pursue free agents like Chase Headley or Hanley Ramirez, instead preferring to sign innocuous veterans while continuing to rely on homegrown talent. Without many stud prospects to sacrifice, Sabean will have to get creative if he intends to make yet another mid-season trade in order to acquire offensive talent. The lineup needs Pence back as soon as possible, but he’ll probably take at least another 4-5 weeks to fully recover and iron out his swing. Until then, the 2015 season could quickly spiral out of control if the Giants don’t see a huge improvement from hitters like Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford or Joe Panik.
