Sports

Chasing Orange October

The San Francisco Giants’ playoff chase

Kenny Hernández ’27 and Brandon Meis ’27 • September 19, 2025

Oracle Park on a sold-out sunny day

It’s no secret that the San Francisco Giants have had a rollercoaster of a season. Starting the year off strong at the top of their division, it’s safe to say the team looked far better than the years prior. During the midseason, the team began losing traction, eventually having the worst offense in baseball. This long skid led to the team dropping below a .500 record for the first time in the entire season. As the regular season comes to a close, the franchise finds itself in a tight Wild Card race, fighting for a spot in the postseason.

Ending the 2024 season with a disappointing 80–82 record, the team concluded another mediocre year. Soon after, the front office made the expected decision to fire controversial General Manager, Farhan Zaidi. Notably, his replacement, aka Giants legend and 3-time World Series Champion, Buster Posey, had fans looking forward to a new era.

The 2024–2025 offseason saw the departure of star pitcher Blake Snell, who then signed with the Giants’ rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the other hand, starting pitcher Robbie Ray made it official to be on the Oracle Park mound until 2026. As the new President of Baseball Operations, Posey signed star shortstop Willy Adames to a massive 7-year, $182 million contract in hopes of finding a successor for Giants legend Brandon Crawford. Additionally, the franchise welcomed the aging star, 3-time Cy Young award-winning pitcher and 2-time World Series Champion, Justin Verlander, into the starting rotation. Posey’s signings were clear indications of his vision for a contending Giants baseball team.

In spring training, the Giants led the league with a noteworthy record of 21–6. Their momentum clearly showed as the team began the regular season with an 8–2 record, placing them at the top of the NL West. Following April and May, the Giants held a steady 31–25 record, closely trailing the Dodgers, while the San Diego Padres were also in pursuit, two games behind the former. Fans found joy within the qualities of the team that were comparable to the Giants’ 2010–2014 dynasty, which consisted of regular, marvelous walk-offs and clutch late-inning wins. The team was tied together by high-energy players, like Adames, who brought a brand new spark to the team, and Giants veteran Wilmer Flores, who was getting consistent hits.

On June 15th, the Giants made shocking headlines after trading with the Boston Red Sox for All-Star hitter Rafael Devers. In return, the Giants let go of starting pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, who both had underwhelming seasons. Hicks collapsed with an 8.20 ERA, and Harrison was not much better with a 4.56 ERA. Fan reception towards Devers was positive as they believed the new slugger with 15 home runs and a solid .265 batting average could push them in the right direction, serving as a regular Designated Hitter. The trade brought hope to the City as Devers was assumed to be the next big lefty hitter since Barry Bonds. The shocking exchange was crucial for the Giants, who in the upcoming weekend were to face the Dodgers. With matching records, the teams were set to face off in a series that would decide the front-runner of the NL West. Unable to defeat the defending champions, many were led to believe this was what triggered the Giants’ downward spiral that followed.

Post-trade, the Giants began to struggle. The team posted a lackluster 11–13 record starting from the trade to the All-Star Game. When the All-Star break rolled around, the Giants’ bullpen was the only asset keeping the team afloat, leading the MLB with a combined ERA of 2.51. Notably, submarine veteran Tyler Rogers had the best year of his career with a 1.80 ERA. Additionally, young star Randy Rodriguez posted a jaw-dropping, league-leading 0.71 ERA. Erik Miller, Ryan Walker, Spencer Bivens, and Camilo Doval also showed their value to the bullpen through added support in early-inning and late-inning situations.

The Giants continued to struggle, eventually having, statistically, the worst offense in the MLB, something that was not expected following the Devers trade. With a discouraging July and a forgettable August, the team was further pushed towards abandoning the season. The Giants showed some life with Patrick Bailey’s walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies and Rafael Devers’ 2-home run game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sadly, these standout performances would not be enough to regain their momentum back.

With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the Giants suffered a homestand 6-game losing streak, losing any hope of obtaining the right players that could make them playoff contenders. As the team once again approached a sub-.500 records, Posey would give up Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, and fan favorite, Mike Yastrzemski. The reception was mixed as most fans were appreciative of all three players. Rogers and Doval were crucial to the bullpen, and Yastrzemski was Posey’s former teammate who shared the spotlight with him on the 2021 NLDS team. Fans came to the realization that Posey’s new management is serious and legitimate.

To many, these trades were definitely hard to process, but in the end, they welcomed many prospects and draft picks to the franchise, including new phenom, Drew Gilbert. The 24-year-old former Tennessee Volunteer debuted in late August, introducing the roster to his vibrant persona. With his animated, quirky on-field and dugout antics, fans quickly fell in love with the right-field rookie. Since Gilbert’s addition on August 8th, the Giants have gone 17–14, coming within 1.5 games behind the New York Mets for a Wild Card spot.

Notably, the Giants won the 3-game series against, arguably, the best team this season, the Milwaukee Brewers. Since then, the Giants found themselves having a bit of fuel left in the tank. Currently, they sit inches away from a Wild Card spot as the New York Mets continue to fall behind. This past weekend, the Giants faced the Dodgers in a 3-game series at Oracle Park. An unforgettable Friday night performance from the team saw 43-year-old Justin Verlander go 7 innings, only giving up one run. With a tied game going into the 10th inning, Patrick Bailey launched a walk-off grand slam off of Tanner Scott to end the game victorious. Sadly, even with hopes of carrying the same energy for the rest of the weekend, the Giants ended up losing the following two games of the series. Following this setback, the Diamondbacks passed them in the NL West, as well as in the Wild Card race. This narrow race has the team looking to redeem the lost series with an abundance of wins in the upcoming games.

The oncoming journey into October shall be a very daunting one. The Giants will first have to come out victorious in the majority of the remaining regular-season games, which includes a brutal 4-game series in Los Angeles against the NL West-leading Dodgers. The team will also have to pass the Mets, Diamondbacks, and Reds, teams which they very closely trail. Analysts believe that the team has a 7% chance of making the playoffs. If San Francisco’s pride and joy can earn their Wild Card spot, they will likely have to face defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a 3-game Wild Card series. If triumphant, fans will once again be gifted the joy of Orange October.

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