Can the Giants make a run in the AL West?

Let’s start this by making it clear that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the most difficult team to challenge, regardless of what division it is. Even after winning the World Series, they continued to spend from their almost unlimited war chest to add more stars to the roster.


That leaves the other National League West teams in a precarious spot. One of those teams is the San Francisco Giants, who finished two games under the .500 mark in 2024 (80-82) and then lost Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, via free agency to, yes, the Dodgers.

So now maybe they’re further behind, with the last two NL champions (Dodgers, D-Backs) there to contend with them, in addition to the San Diego Padres, who still have some talent in their dugout.

So how might the Giants fare in 2025? Well, this is how the linemakers see it: 

MLB Futures odds from BetOnline:

To win World Series:  +6600 (66/1)
To win NL Pennant:    +4000 (40/1)
To win NL West division: +2800 (28/1)
To make playoffs: No -300, Yes +240
Over/Under Total Wins: Over 79.5 (-130), Under 79.5 (+100)

This club made a change in the front office during the off-season. Legendary Giants catcher Buster Posey became the team’s top baseball executive.

Posey came into his job knowing that he didn’t have as much money to spend as the Dodgers, and that he was going to have to produce players from the minor league system and make his free agency opportunities really count.

He hopes he’s done that with shortstop Willy Adames, who, after Juan Soto, was probably the most productive offensive player available in free agency. Adames hit 32 homers with 112 RBI’s for Milwaukee last season. But the Brewers couldn’t afford him. He solidifies an infield that now has Tyler Fitzgerald (with interesting power-speed potential) at second base and Matt Chapman (27 homers and a Gold Glove) at third. 

At first base the Giants have Lamonte Wade . . . for now. It appears he’s going to be a stopgap until Bryce Eldridge arrives. Eldridge is San Francisco’s best prospect; a 6’7” two-way player who hit a 450-foot homer in spring training and will ultimately find his way into the majors as a first baseman. But that may not be this season; at age 20 the Giants are not looking to rush him. They sent him down early because he needs to get some experience. He may start the year with the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels as he develops (particularly on defense).

James Tibbs III, who starred at Florida State, is another top prospect, but after just 26 games of Single-A ball, he’s not cracking the lineup anytime soon. An intriguing proposition is Jung Hoo Lee, who came from Korea with big expectations but hurt his shoulder and was out after just 37 games last season. He can run and is an above-average outfielder. In his first full season, Heliot Ramos hit 22 homers and made it to the All-Star Game. He’ll spend some time at DH as well. 

Grant McCray has a nice combination of power and speed, and he’ll have a chance to play a lot. Jarar Encarnacion, who spent quite a bit of time in the minors, got off to a terrific start in spring training. Mike Yastrzemski is off a season with 18 home runs, but he’ll have to do better than his .231 average and .302 on-base. As a whole, San Francisco had too many people with very low on-base averages, and they’re not going to gain ground on teams like the Dodgers and Diamondbacks unless that improves. 

The Giants are very happy with Patrick Bailey behind the plate. He has not been a great hitter, but he won a Gold Glove in only his second season in the majors.

He does a good job handling this pitching staff, and in a park like theirs, pitching is a key factor. Logan Webb (13-10, 3.47 ERA in 2024) was Cy Young runner-up two years ago and has led the league in innings pitched the last two seasons. He’s a pro’s pro. The Giants have reason to expect something big out of Robbie Ray this season. Last year he was coming back from Tommy John surgery and then got shut down with a hamstring injury. But in his seven starts he struck out 12.6 batters per nine innings, indicating he should have no problem with velocity. He’s got to keep the ball under control, but the 2021 AL Cy Young winner looked great early in the spring.

Justin Verlander had a 5.48 ERA last season, but he’s back at age 42, and if he believes he’s got something left, we’ll trust him there. How much they’ll actually get out of the three-time CY Young winner is anyone’s guess.

Bet on MLB Baseball at one of these Elite-rated sportsbooks!

There are other possibilities for the rotation. They include Landon Roupp, who spent most of his time in the bullpen in 2024; Keaton Winn, who they still believe in a great deal; Haydon Birdsong, who made 18 starts and gave up more than five walks per nine innings, and Tristan Beck.

The Giants were hoping that southpaw Kyle Harrison, a touted prospect, could become a mainstay in the rotation, but he was a disappointment in ‘24, so he may be fighting for a spot in the back end of the rotation.

One guy worth watching may be left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who has yet to play in the majors. His background is a bit choppy, and he issues a lot of walks, but he also strikes out a lot of people and has a high-level changeup. At age 24, it’s getting close to “now or never” time for him to break in and break out. He’ll start the season in the minors. 

Ryan Walker, who had ten wins and a 1.91 ERA, emerged as the closer. But Camilo Doval, who had a rough 2024 after being very formidable in the closer’s role the previous two seasons, is showing signs of a comeback. He gave up just two hits to the first 21 batters he faced in spring training. When you add Tyler Rogers to this, along with capable people like 6’11” Sean Hjelle (pronounced “Jelly”), Erik Miller and Spencer Bivens, you’ve got some depth in the ‘pen for manager Bob Melvin.

Now let’s consider the case of Jordan Hicks. Most baseball fans know about the former St. Louis Cardinal, who has reached speeds of up to 105 mph on the radar gun. The Giants decided to convert him from a reliever to a starter last season, with mixed results. His velocity dipped, as he tried to pace himself, and he was not strong after a few innings, or a few months.

We’re wondering if having him in the rotation is a mistake. After all, his “smoke” is the best thing he does, and taking that away is like neutering the guy. If there was any way he could get back to the bullpen, it would give the Giants even more depth there. And perhaps all they’d need from most starters is a good five innings before sending out a procession of Rogers-Hicks-Doval-Walker. Just a thought.

Here’s another thought - it will be quite a challenge getting to the postseason, with the Dodgers, D-Backs and Padres in their own division and the triumvirate of the Phillies, Braves and Mets in the East. But a slip-up on the part of any of those teams might leave the possibilities open at +240.

We do have enough confidence to lay -130 on a season of 80 or more wins (over 79.5).

BetOnline has the largest selection of MLB futures available anywhere. So if you think you’re pretty good at predicting baseball props in advance, take a shot and join us! On a daily basis during the season, check out Odds Boosters and get tremendous payouts on pre-selected parlays, and remember that there are all kinds of ways to open an account, including sixteen different cryptocurrency options!