Is Winning Sustainable for New Giants Core in 2025?

The San Francisco Giants have opened their 2025 campaign with an absolute bang, putting together their best start since 2003, when they also started the year 8-1. In fact, up until their loss to the Reds on Monday night, the team by the bay was the last team in all of Major League Baseball with just a single loss.

With an energy reminiscent of their magical 2021 season, where they won 107 games and shocked the world, this year’s team seems determined to recapture that same lightning in a bottle but with a fresh, aggressive identity.

A lot of this identity is being referred to as “Buster Ball”, a nod to former franchise cornerstone Buster Posey, who is now steering the ship from the front office as the President of Baseball Operations.

This new version of the Giants is aggressive in a lot of different ways, including stealing bags, manufacturing runs, and cashing in on opportunities with runners on base. To add to the fun, San Francisco has been airtight defensively; Prior to committing their first of the season last Friday, they were the last team across MLB to not commit an error.

However, the real question remains: Is this level of success sustainable? Let’s take a look into what has been driving the Giants’ early run of dominance to start the year.

Stats and rankings taken prior to games played on April 8.

The Outfield

No unit on this team has made a louder statement to open the year than the Giants’ outfield.

Leading the pack is Heliot Ramos, who’s showing that his 2024 All-Star campaign was no fluke. Through 10 games, Ramos holds a .279/.295/.558 slash line with a 137 wRC+ and three long balls. His bat looks legit, and if he can maintain this type of production at even a slightly regressed level, he could be a true cornerstone for the franchise and even an extension candidate.

Jung Hoo Lee has been another major positive for this team. After missing the majority of last season with shoulder surgery, he now looks completely healthy.

Lee is slashing .333/.385/.500 with a 151 wRC+, and he currently leads the league in doubles with six. His contributions from center field, with both the glove and the bat, have made him one of the more valuable players on the roster to start the year.

The longest-tenured Giant on the roster, Mike Yastrzemski, is showing just how valuable he could be in a contract year. Yaz is holding a 172 wRC+ with a .333 average, and he even delivered a huge three-run home run against the Mariners after San Francisco went down 2-0 earlier in the game.

His platoon partner is finally getting consistent reps and is taking advantage of the opportunity as well. In five games, Luis Matos has yet to strikeout, has hit a home run, and has an insane wRC+ of 192.

While a lot of the numbers throughout this outfield will come back to earth, the combination of above-average bats and solid defense across this group gives the Giants a strong case as one of the better outfields across baseball.

Other Offensive Contributors

Outsie of the outfield, the Giants have benefited from timely hits up and down the entire lineup.

Wilmer Flores has reemerged in dramatic fashion. He has already matched his entire 2024 home run total with four bombs in the first week and a half of play.

What’s even more impressive is that he’s been doing it in the big moments. These include a go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Reds, and a walk-off single against the Mariners.

On the left side of the infield, Matt Chapman is continuing to play like one of the best third basemen in the game. After leading all of spring training in home runs, he’s picked up right where he left off with a 153 wRC+ while continuing his elite defensive play at third.

When piggy-backed by Jung Hoo Lee in the lineup, the two have formed a very productive duo for San Francisco.

Big addition Willy Adames has had a slower start to the season compared to his teammates. However, he captured the heart of San Francisco when he hit a walk-off, two-run single against the Mariners in the team’s home opener. Once Adames finally gets going, this lineup could be scary.

The Rotation

San Francisco’s rotation has been just as vital to their early success.

After a shaky Opening Day start, Logan Webb has returned to his true ace form. Across his last two starts, Webb has thrown 14 innings of one run ball while striking out 16 batters. If he continues throwing like he has in the last two outings, Webb could make a serious push for Cy Young consideration down the line.

Robbie Ray is in his first full season back from injury and has looked solid. He opened the season with five perfect innings before giving up a couple of runs in the sixth. He followed that outing up with a six-inning effort of one run ball.

While his strikeouts are down (only two in his second start), his ability to limit damage and go deeper into games lengthens this rotation significantly.

Going into his second season as a starter, Jordan Hicks has been possibly the most intriguing development on the staff and could be a real X-factor for this team.

He dazzled in his season debut, throwing six shutout innings with six strikeouts in his first career game in his hometown of Houston, Texas. Hicks’ sinker has averaged 97.7 mph across his first two starts, giving him one of the more electric starter arsenals in baseball.

The team has also gotten decent contributions from Justin Verlander and Landen Roupp. Verlander had a solid season debut in Cincinnati before getting roughed up by the Mariners in his second start. Lastly, after winning the fifth starter role, Roupp struck out eight batters in his first start of the year, going four innings.

The Bullpen

Our very own Jack McMullen and Peter Appel shouted out this group on the Just Baseball Show, as the Giants’ relievers have exceeded expectations. Through the first week and a half, Giants relievers have combined for a 2.13 ERA over 38 innings.

Several pitchers have yet to allow an earned run, including Randy Rodríguez, Erik Miller, Hayden Birdsong, and Tyler Rogers. This is despite all of them being used in high-leverage situations.

Rodríguez has been particularly stellar, posting an impressive 47.4% strikeout rate and already accumulating 0.5 fWAR. Meanwhile, Ryan Walker continues to cement his status as one of the league’s best relievers, already locking three saves for the ball club.

Overall

It’s undeniable that some of these early numbers will begin to taper off a bit. Matos won’t avoid striking out forever, and Wilmer probably won’t homer in every series. However, this team’s foundation feels legit.

With a lineup that can get the job done, defense that has elite upside, a solidifying rotation, and a lockdown bullpen, the Giants look ready to compete. The NL West remains the most competitive and talented division in baseball, but this team has the pieces, and the mindset, to make a legitimate run.

The 2025 Giants aren’t just off to a hot start — they’re building something that looks sustainable. October may be months away, but the energy, identity, and execution of this team shows that they’re ready to make noise right now.