The SF Giants have spent another season staring at the same problem in the grass: outfield defense that just won’t get where it needs to go.
They tried to address it last offseason by bringing in Harrison Bader, and they shifted Jung Hoo Lee to right field. On paper, that was the kind of move that was supposed to change the look of the group.
In reality, the results have been largely familiar. The Giants still sit near the bottom of the league in outfield defense, and Bader’s stint has already gone sideways after he appeared in just 30 games.
There’s a real chance his Giants tenure is already finished.
The numbers tell the story. In 2025, the Giants outfield posted -21 Defensive Runs Saved, -18 Outs Above Average, and -15 Fielding Run Value.
This year, the unit has been a little better, but not by enough to call it solved: -2 DRS, -12 OAA, and -15 FRV. However you slice it, the group is still near the bottom.
The good news is that one area has started to move in the right direction. Center field, which was a major weak spot last year, has shown real progress thanks to Drew Gilbert and Jonah Cox.
Gilbert has produced 5 OAA and 4 FRV in center, while Cox has added 3 OAA and 2 FRV there. Together, that’s a respectable defensive tandem at a premium position.
The corners are where the trouble still lives.
The Giants have made at least one adjustment there by sending Heliot Ramos to the New York Yankees. Casey Schmitt struggled in left field, though part of that was the simple fact that he was learning the spot as he went. Even so, he has the athleticism and arm strength to become a solid outfielder if the development keeps moving.
Right field remains the bigger headache. Lee has continued to grade out as a below-average defender, and he’s doing it in what is arguably the toughest right field in baseball. That opens the door to a possible move to left field, with the Giants then looking to upgrade right.
And that’s the challenge facing the front office this offseason. They don’t just need a better defender.
They could also use a right-handed-hitting platoon bat. Finding one player who checks both boxes would be the ideal outcome, but it won’t be easy.
There has been some progress, especially in center, but the Giants still have plenty of work to do if they want the outfield to stop being a yearly issue.
In Other News...
Three Giants May Have Already Lost Their Place In The Next Core
The Giants are already staring ahead to the next wave of roster decisions, and not every young player is trending toward being part of it. Grant McCray still offers defensive value, but his bat has lagged enough to make his path far less certain. Nate Furman has also slipped into a tougher spot, with a low batting average and a place behind other infielders on the depth chart, while Brett Harris has not done enough to make much of an imprint.
None of that guarantees a clean break, but it does leave San Francisco with a familiar offseason problem: making room for players who look more likely to fit into the 2027 picture. Harris appears especially vulnerable to a designation for assignment, and the broader point is hard to miss. The Giants are sorting out which young pieces can still grow with the club and which ones may already be fading from view before the next core fully takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Are Sending A Message Oracle Park Cant Ignore
Attendance at Oracle Park has been trending the wrong way this season, and the drop has been hard to miss for anyone watching the stands as much as the scoreboard. The Giants have gone from drawing just over 36,100 fans per game in 2025 to just over 35,400 in 2026, and the slide has been even more pronounced during the year itself, with early-season crowds above 37,000 giving way to a dip below 32,000 in August before a modest September rebound.
The organization has responded by offering credits to season-ticket holders, a clear sign that the club knows fan turnout has become part of the conversation as the season wears on. Oracle Park has long sold itself as one of baseballs best atmospheres, so when seats start opening up more than usual, it becomes more than a business issue. It is a message from the fans, and one the Giants cannot afford to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Got A Loud Reminder About Next Years Lineup
The Giants spent much of this season searching for a leadoff answer, cycling through 15 different players in the top spot and setting a franchise record that says plenty about how unsettled the lineup has been. Even so, a recent 10-inning win over the Cardinals offered a glimpse of how much noise the younger fringe pieces can make when they get a chance.
Drew Gilbert delivered the biggest swing with a go-ahead two-run pinch-hit homer, Jonah Cox chipped in with multiple hits, steals and runs, and Anthony Molina turned in 5 2/3 scoreless innings before Joel Kuhnel finished it off for the save. It was the kind of all-hands contribution that can matter in the short term, but it also served as a loud reminder that the Giants still have some sorting to do before next years lineup comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]