Giants Achieve Season-First with 3 Home Runs; More Needed for Success
The San Francisco Giants broke a prolonged power drought on Friday. They homered three times in a 10-5 win over the Washington Nationals.
Friday’s breakout
Heliot Ramos, Casey Schmitt and Drew Gilbert supplied the long balls. Ramos and Gilbert each hit their first majors home run of the season.
Matt Chapman went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs. The club finished the night with 12 homers through 20 games.
Where the numbers stood
The team entered Friday with nine homers through 19 games. That total ranked among the lowest starts since the 1980s.
| Season | Home runs through 20 games |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 7 |
| 1980 | 7 |
| 1985 | 8 |
| 1992 | 9 |
| 2008 | 10 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1975 | 10 |
| 1979 | 11 |
| 1976 | 11 |
| 1974 | 11 |
Recent comparison
For perspective, the 2023 Giants had 32 homers through 20 games. J.D. Davis and Blake Sabol had five each that year.
Offensive outlook
The club recorded a season-first three home runs in a game. Far more long balls are required for sustained success.
Rafael Devers has two homers so far. That total ties him with former Giant Mauricio Dubón.
Rotation and bullpen
Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle have combined for zero quality starts in seven attempts. The rotation has not delivered consistent length yet.
The bullpen shows signs of stabilization. Keaton Winn, Caleb Kilian and Erik Miller have produced more effective outings than poor ones.
Lineup construction and catches
Luis Arraez and Jung Hoo Lee are contributing contact, but they are not sources of power. Patrick Bailey is in the same low-power group.
Daniel Susac started Friday with Logan Webb on the mound. That move suggests the club will experiment to spark offense.
Minor-league pipeline
Bryce Eldridge is hitting for average and taking walks in Triple-A. He has hit two home runs there this season.
Jesús Rodríguez and Nate Furman are producing singles and occasional doubles. Power has not arrived from the minors yet.
Drew Gilbert homered in Triple-A and also hit his first big-league homer Friday. Still, minor-league power remains limited.
What the Giants need
- More homers from Chapman, Devers, Ramos and Willy Adames.
- Sustained length and consistency from the rotation.
- Continued bullpen improvement to avoid high-leverage failures.
The club showed positive signs Friday. Yet the sample still points to a need for much more power if postseason odds are to improve.
Filmogaz.com will continue tracking the team as the season progresses.
