(03-12-2025, 05:59 AM)Mick Wrote: Officially and unofficially, I'm going to stick with a 90-win prediction. For the past three years, the spring training record mirrored the regular season record, all very close to .500:
2022, 8-7, 81-81
2023, 14-15, 79-83
2024, 15-12, 80-82
After beating the A's yesterday, the Giants are 12-3, .800.
Separately, after 16 seasons of really successful spring trainings (.600 or higher), the Giants had just five losing seasons. Nine of the 16, they finished 88 or more wins.
Also...enormous difference is the fielding. The Giants have 11 errors in 18 spring games (including ties and split squad). Only three of the 11 errors were committed by players likely to make the final roster. In 2024, they finished 27th in Rtot, 24th in 2023, 29th in 2022. And 5th in 2021, the 107 win season.
Five of the eight everyday players are gold-glove caliber (Bailey, Chapman, Adames, Yastrzemski, Lee), including three of the four up the middle. Flores has career positive Rtot at 1B, including a 7 in 2023 (pre-knee injury). Ramos has hugely positive Rtot in LF, +8 last year (-3 in CF). Wade is the one so-called weak link and he made 1 error at 1B in 87 starts there (admittedly with a league-leading 10 errors the year before). Their fielding is fun to watch. All their outfielders are fast, most of their infielders are sure-handed.
BTW...Ramos batted leadoff yesterday. If you look at his career splits, he does best at leadoff by a significant margin. Wouldn't be surprised to see him there more permanently.
To start the season, I believe the plan is:
Ramos will lead off v. LHP
Wade v. RHP