Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

According to Giants owner Greg Johnson, maybe don't get your hopes up about Shohei Ohtani signing with the SF Giants afterall. In an interview with the SF Chronicle, Johnson noted that they have the flexibility to add impact talent, but that it would come at the cost of being able to make other moves to fill out the roster. That is only true, by the way, if the team is unwilling to blow past the breakeven point—something that Johnson has made clear he is not inclined to do: "our goal is to break even every year," per Johnson.

Also discussed is the Donnie Ecker effect. The SF Giants thrived in 2020 and 2021 with Ecker as their main hitting coach. They hit like crazy and won like crazy. Since Ecker left for the Rangers prior to the 2022 season, the Giants have been dramatically worse offensively with a record just barely over the .500 mark. It remains shocking that they let Ecker leave, although we don't know the full story behind his departure.

Finally, some mailbag questions are addressed. What does host Ben Kaspick think the Giants' final win total will be? Which NL teams represent the best and worst possible matchups for the San Francisco Giants in the postseason? Why is a lifelong fan slightly repulsed by this team?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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The San Francisco Giants followed up an energizing win with yet another lifeless loss. The Giants' offensive funk has been persistent and profound. Even when the SF Giants show signs of coming out of it, they have another game like yesterday in which they scored only one run—again. Some of the pitching hasn't been much better. Home run-allowing machine Ross Stripling continued to serve up taters like it was his job. Several of Farhan Zaidi's moves haven't panned out in recent years, starting with the decision to let Kevin Gausman leave. Instead, they brought back Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani, Stripling, Sean Manaea, and Carlos Rodón. Rodón was great but left after a year and Manaea is showing signs of life, but otherwise it's looking like a rough collection of signings, particularly when Gausman wanted to return but SF didn't make him an offer.

There was some controversy about Gabe Kapler seemingly making opposite moves with Wade Meckler in the span of three days. In the first game of the series, Kap let Meckler hit agianst a lefty with the bases loaded when Heliot Ramos was an option to pinch hit. In the series finale, he pinch hit Slater for Meckler with the bases loaded down by five runs. While this stirred some emotions, Slater is clearly a superior option against a lefty compared to Ramos (or, probably, Meckler) and so the decision was justifyable. The one argument that holds weight is that Joc Pederson was on deck and there was only one out. So Meckler could hit for himself (and hope to stay out of a double play) and Slater could hit for Joc. Slater's recent struggles don't matter much compared to his recent and prolonged stretch of excellence as a pinch hitter and vs. LHP in general.

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There's something about the City Connect jerseys. When the San Francisco Giants wear them, they win. The Giants picked up a rare feel-good win over the Rays on Tuesday, and just about everything went right. The SF Giants scored seven runs. They pitched a shutout. They hit two home runs. They even gained a game on most teams in the wild card race.

SF Giants fans were even treated to a rare Gabe Kapler ejection. Kapler fought for Wade Meckler, who had several calls go against him in his first two MLB games. It was nice to see the Giants manager sticking up for his players, something that he hasn't done enough, frankly.

Jakob Junis and Sean Manaea led the Giants to victory on the mound. Manaea has quietly been dominant for almost three months, starting with his outing in Minnesota. Among 129 pitchers with at least 50 innings since May 22, Manaea ranks first in FIP and is top 10 in other key categories like strikeout rate and K-BB%.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Another day, another dreadful result for the San Francisco Giants' offense. The Giants scored just two runs in a loss to the Rays as their historic offensive slump continued. Prior to the game, the SF Giants added Wade Meckler to the MLB roster, hoping he could provide a desperately needed spark. While he didn't do so last night, there are lots of reasons to be hopeful about the 2022 eighth rounder who dominated across three levels of the minor leagues this season.

But it's getting to be crunch time, and the Giants need results. Their .270 wOBA since June 25 is the lowest in MLB by 21 (!) points. However, the San Francisco Giants have compiled a .302 expected wOBA over this span. While a .302 wOBA is certainly nothing to get excited about, it's a heck of a lot better than .270 and suggests there has been an element of bad luck during this stretch. The minus-32 point gap is more than twice as large as the next closest team's.

In other Giants news, Mike Yastrzemski suffered a setback with his hamstring that has caused him problems all season. Luis González was DFA'd, Anthony DeSclafani was placed on the 60-day IL, veteran infielder Johan Camargo was added to the MLB roster, and Mark Mathias was optioned.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code LOCKEDONMLB. 

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Anyone else feeling nauseous? The San Francisco Giants took their fans on a roller coaster ride, one that was as nauseating as it was thrilling in the end. The Giants' offense continued its miserable funk as they were only able to muster one run through nine innings. But SF Giants ace Logan Webb was making it stand, carrying a shutout until two outs in the ninth. Webb allowed a two-out double, and was removed for Camilo Doval, who allowed the run to score on a freak play. But Patrick Bailey (who else?) absolutely bailed out the Giants with a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th with the Giants down to their final out. What would've been perhaps the Giants' worst loss of the season became one of their best. And it's no surprise the rookie sensation Bailey was behind it all.

Locked On Giants and Locked On Rangers discuss the series, the wild ending to Game 3, and so much more. How has Gabe Kapler compared to Bruce Bochy? Would Bochy have let Logan Webb keep pitching after he allowed the double in the ninth? What impact has Donnie Ecker had on the Rangers? He seemingly played a huge part in the Giants' offensive success in 2020 and 2021, and is now doing the same thing in Texas. Which player on the other team would each host most want on his team? All of that and more on this crossover edition of Locked On Giants.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Download the Bunches App today and when you do, our friends at Bunches have featured the LOCKED ON MLB Bunch in the “Discover” tab. Find the Locked On MLB bunch HERE. 

Nutrafol

Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code LOCKEDONMLB. 

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Make Every Moment More. Right now, when you bet on a Super Bowl Winner, you can GET BONUS BETS EVERY TIME THEY WIN IN THE REGULAR SEASON! FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.

Sleeper

Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

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We don't need to look at numbers to tell us that the San Francisco Giants' offense has been dreadful for weeks. But in this case, a look at the numbers is warranted. The Giants have a .272 wOBA since June 25, the worst mark in MLB by a lot. However, their expected wOBA, based on strikeouts, walks, and quality of contact, is much, much higher. Their xwOBA is .306, which is not great by any stretch. But it is, however, 34 points higher than their actual wOBA. And that 34-point gap is double the next closest team. In other words, the Giants have been the unluckiest offense in MLB for six-plus weeks by two times.

Several veteran SF Giants players have fallen victim to bad luck. Joc Pederson, Brandon Crawford, LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto, Austin Slater, and Mike Yastrzemski all have well below average results since June 25, but above average expected numbers. If we think back on some of the balls they've hit that have been caught, it's not hard to recall the frequent moments of poor fortune.

Given all this, the Giants are lucky to have stayed afloat with such poor results offensively. Despite being by far the majors' worst offense over this span, the SF Giants have gone 18-20, which is far from disastrous. Their odds of winning the division have fallen drastically, but they're still in strong position to make the playoffs as a wild card team.

Finally, one under-the-radar factor that could draw Shohei Ohtani to the San Francisco Giants is discussed.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

Gametime

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.

Sleeper

Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Where would the 2023 San Francisco Giants be without Wilmer Flores? For the last six weeks, Flores has essentially been the SF Giants' offense. The Giants' decision to extend Wilmer Flores for three years, $16.5M is looking like a stroke of genius. Flores is having a career year in his fourth season with the Giants, so much so that he's essentially already been worth the entirety of the contract. The third year of the deal is actually a $3.5M player option, but if Flores declines it, it becomes an $8.5M team option.

But the other moves the SF Giants made between the end of the 2022 season and the start of the 2023 season haven't worked out so well. Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger simply haven't made the impact that was hoped or expected. Conforto has struggled to hit for any kind of impact power, and Haniger was ineffective before breaking his forearm and missing a bunch of time. Other signings like Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea also haven't been great so far. Luke Jackson and Taylor Rogers have mostly been good.

AJ Pollock left last night's game with side discomfort. Marco Luciano was then promtly removed from the River Cats game. It is likely that Luciano joins the active roster, but it's not clear if he will get more regular playing time this time around. Another player to keep an eye on going forward is Wade Meckler, who's now hitting at the minors' highest level. Meckler looks like someone who will really contribute with the bat, which is what the Giants need desperately right now.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

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This was looking like another difficult and frustrating loss. The San Francisco Giants gave away some runs with sloppy defense, only to storm back with a six-run ninth inning that felt like a therapy session for a struggling offense. It's no secret at this point that the Giants' bats have been in a major rut, but they broke out of it late in Anaheim. Wilmer Flores got things started for the SF Giants, and J.D. Davis continued a big night with a clutch walk. Patrick Bailey delivered a huge go-ahead double, and the flood gates opened from there.

The story of this game before the outburst in the ninth was probably going to be about defensive mistakes by Luis Matos and AJ Pollock. Pollock completely misread a ball over his head in right that led to the Angels scoring the go-ahead run late. Earlier in the game, Matos made two mistakes on one play that allowed the Angels to take the lead. Matos is still young and developing, but his defensive performance thus far hasn't been great and it was almost very costly yesterday.

With the win, the SF Giants gained some more separation in the wild card standings. The Giants now hold a four-game lead over a playoff spot, although they remained four games back of the Dodgers. FanGraphs estimates the Giants' odds of making the playoffs to be in the neighborhood of 80%.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

Gametime

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

Make Every Moment More. Right now, when you bet on a Super Bowl Winner, you can GET BONUS BETS EVERY TIME THEY WIN IN THE REGULAR SEASON! FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.

Sleeper

Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

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The San Francisco Giants have played some of their worst baseball against the worst teams in baseball. After going winless in Oakland over the weekend, the SF Giants fell to 4-12 vs. the A's, Royals, Nationals, and Tigers, four of MLB's worst teams. That of course means that the Giants are 57-39 vs. everyone else. Do the Giants play down to their opponents? Or is this kind of result simply random? It's probably more random, especially when we consider the fact that last year the 81-win Giants were sunk by going 10-28 vs. the 111-win Dodgers and 89-win Padres.

The Giants are fortunate to have a winning record over the last six weeks, as they've literally been the worst offense in baseball over that span. The San Francisco Giants' 74 wRC+ since June 18 ranks last in MLB. They're last in batting average, last in slugging, second to last in on-base percentage, and last in ISO. They've been outscored by 20 runs over that time, but somehow they're 23-19. The SF Giants must perform much better offensively over the season's final 50 games if they want to get to the postseason.

The schedule gets much tougher over the next month, but maybe that's a good thing for these Giants. Next they go to Anaheim to play in front of Shohei Ohtani for the final time before he reaches free agency (unless these two teams meet in the World Series). The Angels are fighting for their lives right now after losing their last six games. This is a big series for both teams.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Finally, that good old problem to have comes around for the San Francisco Giants. With Thairo Estrada, Mitch Haniger, Mike Yastrzemski, and John Brebbia likely to come off the IL this month (Estrada as soon as Saturday), the SF Giants must decide who comes off the 26-man roster. Additionally, players like top prospect Kyle Harrison may be added in the coming weeks as well, and he's not even on the 40-man. Isan Díaz, Casey Schmitt, Luis Matos, and AJ Pollock are the position players whose spots are in jeopardy, and the pitching side is even more difficult to sort through with Tristan Beck and Ryan Walker, two pitchers performing well, the only ones who might reasonably be sent down. Jakob Junis and Alex Wood might be DFA candidates, or an IL stint could be used. Worth keeping in mind: rosters expand from 26 to 28 in September.

What should Giants fans make of the team's offensive approach? Is it time to question whether Justin Viele is up to the task as SF Giants hitting coach? To answer the question we must go all the way back to 2020, when Donnie Ecker, Viele, and Dustin Lind were hired as hitting coaches to Gabe Kapler's staff. In 2020 and 2021, the San Francisco Giants hit very well, with Ecker the team's primary hitting instructor. The Texas Rangers took Ecker away in 2022, however, and the Giants haven't been the same since. So it's starting to become more clear that Ecker's influence is being missed and the Giants need to evaluate whether they have the personnel in place to get the most out of their hitters.

What to make of the Giants' new jersey patches? For the first time ever, the SF Giants are wearing an advertisement on their classic jerseys. It is, unfortunately, here to stay as teams are raking in tens of millions a year from these deals. Finally, what are the odds outfielder Wade Meckler gets called up to the Giants at some point? They seem to be pretty high, as Farhan Zaidi said as much in a recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

Gametime

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.

Sleeper

Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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