Giants Still Searching for Answers Against Left-Handed Pitching
The San Francisco Giants came into this offseason with a clear weakness staring them in the face: they just couldn’t hit left-handed pitching in 2025. We're not talking about a minor slump here - their 78 wRC+ against southpaws was the third-worst mark in all of baseball. Only the Pirates and Rockies were worse, and that's not exactly the company you want to keep when you're trying to contend.
Now, fast forward to February, and the Giants have made a few moves - bringing in Harrison Bader and reportedly adding Luis Arráez. But when you look under the hood, it’s hard to say those moves directly address the core issue.
Let’s start with Bader. On paper, he’s a right-handed bat, and that should help in theory.
Over his seven-year career, he’s posted a .760 OPS against lefties - respectable, no doubt. But that number has been trending in the wrong direction.
Last season, he managed just a .689 OPS in those matchups, and over the past two years combined, that number dips to .651. That’s a far cry from a lefty masher.
The Giants didn’t necessarily bring Bader in for his bat, though. His glove has been elite since his debut with the Cardinals back in 2017, and his defense remains among the best in the league.
Still, from a matchup perspective, he’s not the fix.
Then there’s Arráez. One of the best contact hitters in the game, but like a lot of left-handed hitters, he’s simply not as effective against left-handed pitching.
Over his career, he’s posted a .673 OPS against southpaws, and last season was more of the same - .644 OPS in 204 plate appearances. That’s a decent sample size, and it paints a clear picture: Arráez isn’t the answer against lefties either.
So where does that leave the Giants? Still leaning on internal improvement - and that’s a risky bet.
Heliot Ramos is one of the few bright spots here. He posted a .743 OPS against left-handers in 2025, but even that was a steep drop from the eye-popping 1.189 OPS he put up in 2024.
If he can find a middle ground between those two seasons, he could be a real asset in those matchups. But that’s a big “if.”
Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers, both right-handed hitters who should, in theory, do damage against lefties, struggled mightily. Chapman posted a .674 OPS, and Devers - a lefty who has historically held his own against same-sided pitching - put up just a .582 OPS. That’s a problem, especially when you consider the roles these two are expected to play in the heart of the lineup.
Willy Adames is a bit of a wild card. He’s shown reverse splits in the past - meaning he’s actually hit righties better than lefties - so the Giants probably aren’t banking on him to be a lefty killer either.
There’s also the platoon angle. Jung Hoo Lee and Patrick Bailey could be candidates to sit against southpaws, but that’s easier said than done.
Lee is a major investment and a key piece of the outfield puzzle. Bailey, meanwhile, brings so much value behind the plate that it’s tough to justify pulling him just for a matchup.
At the end of the day, the Giants are still built in a way that leaves them exposed against left-handed pitching. In the grind of a 162-game season, you can sometimes work around that.
After all, most pitchers are right-handed. But when you get into a short series - three or five games - or late-game situations where a lefty reliever comes in to shut things down, that weakness gets magnified.
So far this offseason, San Francisco has spent money and made moves - but not necessarily in the area they needed it most. They’re hoping some of their core guys bounce back and find their form from previous seasons.
That’s not out of the question. But it’s also not a guarantee.
And when you’re trying to chase down the Dodgers and keep pace in a loaded National League, “hope” isn’t a strategy you want to rely on.