The San Francisco Giants have had a bad year. Despite that, there is cause for optimism.
Nothing about the 2026 Major League Baseball season has been easy for the San Francisco Giants. But now, it is nearly almost over.
The Giants have just five more games to play in a season that, up to this point, has seen them string together just 65 wins. Soon, it will be time to look toward 2027 and beyond.
Speaking of 2027, what do the Giants have to look forward to? Let’s dive into it.
Young hitters
Recently, The Athletic released end-of-season power rankings that featured a new sub-category identifying what each organization can look forward to in 2027.
For the Giants, who remain at No. 27 in the rankings, there are young hitters on the roster who have an upward trajectory.
The Athletic made sure to criticize San Francisco’s bullpen, which deserves it for being unable to stop the opposing team from scoring runs, and the pitching staff overall is in a bad spot. But at the plate, there is potential.
For example, Rafael Devers is one such player who elicits a reason to be encouraged. At 29 years old, he does not exactly fit the young category like someone such as Bryce Eldridge, but he is still in his prime years, and his turnaround this season was extremely impressive.
In April, things were bad for Devers. Across 20 games, he produced an egregious .196/.231/.284 slash line with a .515 OPS. He was in a brutal early-season slump, but he got it out of his system.
From May until his season ended earlier in September due to a core muscle injury, Devers was dominant at the plate. His pre and post-All-Star break OPS went from .798 to .987, and he finished his season with 37 home runs — one shy of tying his career high.
Beyond Devers, Eldridge looks very promising. Over 107 games, the 21-year-old has a .269 batting average and an .825 OPS with 17 home runs.
For the Giants, they must get the best version of Devers. After all, they are responsible for the eight remaining years on his 10-year, $313.5 million deal he signed with the Boston Red Sox before he was traded last season.
As The Athletic points out, San Francisco might be able to turn things around sooner rather than later if it can address its pressing need at pitcher. For now, things may be rough, but this organization is capable of turning things around.
