There is no reason to soften the reality of what happened to the San Francisco Giants in 2026. The team endured another profoundly disappointing season.

San Francisco finished 65-97, producing its third-highest loss total since the franchise relocated to the city in 1958.

The Giants missed the postseason for a fifth consecutive year and ended the season 35 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

Tony Vitello completed his first season as manager, and the outcome almost certainly fell well short of what he anticipated when he accepted the job.

That does not mean every development during the season was negative.

San Francisco enters an extremely important offseason needing to identify the encouraging pieces that emerged from an otherwise difficult 2026 campaign.

Rafael Devers began the season facing substantial expectations. For the most part, he fulfilled them, often producing while the team around him continued to collapse.

Devers hit .258/.340/.525 with 37 home runs, 98 RBIs and an .865 OPS in 148 games. He led San Francisco in both home runs and RBIs.

His performance became even more impressive after the Giants revealed late in the season that Devers had been playing through a core muscle injury.

The issue eventually required season-ending surgery.

Before San Francisco finally removed him from the lineup and placed him on the Injured List on Sept. 13, Devers finished his season with an exceptional power surge. He hit 12 home runs over his final 21 games.

Devers remains under contract through 2033. After completing his first full season with San Francisco, there should be little doubt that the Giants can build their offense around him.

His ability to produce despite the core injury demonstrated how dangerous he can remain even when his body prevents him from performing at full capacity.

Devers consistently provided the lineup with the power it lacked elsewhere and continued changing games during an extended period of collective failure.

He also handled the pressure attached to being the most productive hitter on a losing team.

Opposing pitchers could approach him carefully because the rest of the lineup offered inconsistent protection, yet Devers still finished as San Francisco’s leading run producer.

The next step is ensuring that his recovery proceeds without unnecessary setbacks. Core surgery can affect the movements involved in generating power, making a complete rehabilitation more important than rushing him back for Opening Day.

A healthy Devers should again occupy the center of the Giants’ lineup in 2027. However, San Francisco cannot expect him to repair the offense by himself.

The front office must add hitters capable of reaching base consistently and punishing pitchers who avoid challenging Devers. Better support would create more favorable opportunities and reduce the burden placed on him throughout a complete season.

Devers proved in 2026 that he can deliver the production expected from a franchise centerpiece. His contract provides long-term certainty, while his performance supplied one of the few reliable positives from a disastrous year.

The Giants now must construct a stronger roster around him rather than allowing another productive Devers season to disappear inside another losing campaign.