San Francisco Giants: 4 Bold Predictions for the 2017 Season
Two Giants Hit Over 20 Home Runs
Early last season, it seemed like power might not be a problem for the Giants. They hit at least one home run in each of the first 10 games of the year, including four (going back-to-back-to-back at one point) on opening day. That proved unsustainable for the lineup, and they finished with 130 home runs over the course of the year. Only the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves hit fewer.
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The Giants were the only team in either league that had no player cross the 20-home run mark. Brandon Belt led the way with 17 home runs, falling one shy of the career-high he set in 2015, but he will pass both those plateaus and reach 20 for the first time in 2017. Belt is already a fantastic hitter with a knack for finding his way on base, as well as a great defender, and this slight surge in power will just make him that much more valuable.
Joining him in that 20-club will be Mac Williamson, which is a much more bold prediction than Belt reaching that mark. Belt’s spot is basically secure, save for an injury, but Williamson has to work hard to get the left field job and hope for Jarrett Parker to have a subpar spring.
Williamson has proven that he has a ton of power. He hit six home runs, his first six big league home runs, in a 25-game span between June and July last season. He also hit 25 in 2013 when he played with the High-A San Jose Giants. When he earns the everyday job, he’ll become the team’s best source of power, and a very strong presence in the middle of the lineup.