A Revival in the National League West Leaves the Giants Behind
Betting MLB
The resurgence of the Colorado Rockies, the Arizona Diamondbacks in the highly competitive National League West division is exactly what baseball needs this season. The LA Dodgers were favored to win the division and rightfully so. However, the NL West is becoming the best division in baseball with a revival of two teams at or near the top. LA, Colorado and Arizona are all within a game of each other with winning streaks of 16 games among them last week. The San Francisco Giants never knew what hit them. They were favored to compete with the Dodgers but they were left behind at the starting gate.
This season has produced some surprising parity in Major League Baseball. However, many cases of inconsistency and missed expectations have enabled other teams to move up the standings and compete on a higher level.
While the spotlight has been on the struggles of the Cubs, Mets and Cardinals, the one team missing the mark completely is the San Francisco Giants.
The summer has been a complete and total disaster for the Giants, who went from a postseason contender last fall to 20 games out of the National League pennant race. It has been a wildly uncharacteristic season as well for the club, one more defined by in-game problems and off-field accidents. As June slips away, it is the Giants who have clinched the dubious honor of most disappointing team of 2017.
What indicated the Giants being 20 games out of the NL West race by late-June. After all, the Giants have been one of the steadiest teams of the last decade. A club that has avoided the trend of employing high salaried sluggers every winter in exchange for tools-first players that fit their system. The list of substantial talents with Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner and coaching excellence of Bruce Bochy have lost their touch.
But the facts that no other team has reached October’s summit in the last 10 years more often than the Giants. But this season they have never been stuck in the valley of futility.
If the season was to come to close today, the Giants would have finished with their worst winning percentage since moving west in 1958. The closest they have been to their current depths is a 100-loss 1985 campaign, where they finished 33 games out of the NL West race.
Many things are needed for the Giants, but perhaps a house cleaning sale would be the best place to start. Outside of the trades that need to be done, it is also time to turn the page on some ineffective players as well, starting with pitcher Matt Cain. Although he is virtually dead weight with no trade value due his bloated contract, Cain is in the way of progress. As was the case with Tim Lincecum, who was cut loose for obvious reasons. Trying to carry your old heroes from yesterday is a strain on any teams performance.
A resurfacing can be done quickly, but the team cannot hesitate. A quick look around the NL West should be an eye opener. Even back at full strength, this team is not equipped to handle the Rockies, Dodgers and Diamondbacks of today with a 10-18 record against their three division contenders on the year.
With a host of promising pitching prospects, the Giants cannot fail to act with urgency in recognizing the realities surrounding the current team chemistry which could place them near near the bottom in the future.
It was a great run and deserves a great deal of respect for the tenacity of the three championships titles. You could justify it by proclaiming an off year which happens to successful teams but the Giants will have no answers for the Rockies and Diamondbacks for years to come not to mention the yearly divisional favorites in LA. No relief in sight!!
