San Francisco Giants Have The Best Record In The Majors

The San Francisco Giants, with a bullpen trying to find its way, too many injuries to keep track of, and a makeshift lineup, have somehow found themselves with the best record in the majors.

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With the All-Star Game upon us, the San Francisco Giants, despite an overwhelming number of obstacles that would have derailed lesser teams, will incredulously go into the annual Mid-Summer Classic with the best record in baseball.

Take another second to let that sink in. With 57 wins so far, the Giants have more W’s on their record than any other team in baseball. Sure, before the season started, fans and players alike had high hopes. It is an even year, after all. But then the season got going and soon after, the Giants’ ship appeared to be taking on water.

The offense was utterly disappointing. Finding a guy on the roster hitting above .300 — or even close to it — was tough. The bullpen was another glaring question mark. Javier Lopez and Santiago Casilla didn’t look like the reliable relievers we were used to. And San Francisco’s closers weren’t putting hitters away either.

The Giants’ starting pitchers were supposed to be the bright light, but Jake Peavy and Matt Cain were both stumbling. Both had ERA’s well over 6.00 and were struggling to get past the fifth inning. Suffice it to say, April was not kind to the Giants.

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However, the offense hit their way out of their slump and the pitching suddenly became lights out. The Giants were on the upswing until those dreaded injuries set in. They lost Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, Joe Panik, Kelby Tomlinson, Matt Duffy, and reliever Sergio Romo.

Suddenly, the Giants were without half of their playmakers, and once again the ship looked like it would sink.

To help bail out the water, San Francisco brought in Conor Gillaspie, Grant Green, Ruben Tejada, Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson to fill in the numerous holes left by injuries. And somehow, they have impressively held their own.

Related Story: Giants Morning Minute: Bullpen, A Good Problem

However, with so many new faces at AT&T Park, they leaned heavily on Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Buster Posey, and those three have dazzled. Their defense has been spot on and their hitting timely.

Over the last month, these three are all hitting over .300. Crawford, Belt, and Posey haven’t just stepped up, they’ve hit it out of the park. Not to mention the pitching brilliance of Johnny Cueto (2.47 ERA), and Madison Bumgarner (1.94 ERA).

Let’s also not forget the man behind all this, the magician that is Bruce Bochy. How he has been able to piece together a makeshift lineup mid-season and continue to roll over teams is nothing short of a miracle. Half his starting lineup went down and he treated it like a bump in the road, not a season ending catastrophe.

When a team is able to overcome as many obstacles as the Giants have this season — and then come out on top of the Major Leagues — it is scary to think about what they can do when the starters return.

Next: San Francisco Giants Morning Minute: Bum Dominates, plus Tidbit from First Half

Looking forward, the race for the NL West will be a fun one to follow. The Dodgers are 6.5 games back, but have had their fair share of injuries as well. After the All-Star Break they will welcome back the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Andre Ethier.

The NL West is heating up and will soon be a battle of the returners for that top spot. If the first half of this season is any indication, the second half will be a combination of frustration and elation, and undoubtedly an exciting one to watch.