2015 MLB Team Season Previews – Giants
Man, will the Giants ever get any respect? They won the World Series for the 3rd time in the last 5 years last season and they have, pretty much, the same team, but do not have good betting odds to win it all this season and have the 3rd best betting odds to win the NL West.
MLB Lines & Matchup Insight
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Pablo Sandoval bolted for the big bucks, but the pitching should be legit again and the offense, even with Hunter Pence out for the first few weeks with an injury, should still be solid.
2015 MLB Team Previews – San Francisco Giants
AL West: +500
American League: 9/1
World Series: 20/1
Key Additions: 3B Casey McGehee, OF Nori Aoki
The Giants don’t have stars going to the plate besides Posey and perhaps Hunter Pence, but they are a pretty good lineup from bottom to top and if their pitching can be like they are capable off the Giants will be great again.
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Projected Starting Line-Up
1. Angel Pagan, CF
2. Joe Panik, 2B
3. Buster Posey, C
4. Brandon Belt, 1B
5. Hunter Pence, RF
6. Casey McGehee, 3B
7. Brandon Crawford, SS
8. Norichika Aoki, LF
OK, so Posey is out for a while and Sandoval is now in Boston, but the loss of Michael Morse may be the bigger issue. The Giants may see a drop off in runs from last season, but the Giants are generally spotted a few runs, which they have seemed to protect for the last few seasons. Hey, there is a reason they have won the World Series 3 times in the last 5 seasons and it is not their intimidation offensive lineup.
Posey will be back, Pence will belt in key runs, and the underrated bottom of the order will get it done again.
Projected Starting Rotation
1. LHP Madison Bumgarner
2. RHP Matt Cain
3. RHP Tim Hudson
4. RHP Jake Peavy
5. RHP Tim Lincecum
Cain has one of THE best arms in the Majors when he is healthy and he was not last season finishing with a record under .500 and the Giants still won the Fall Classic.
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Bumgarner was a stud in the World Series and while Hudson and Peavy are not spring chickens they still have gas left in the tank. Yeah. Lincecum is the #5 starter, but he has 2 Cy Young awards. Come, on betting against the Giants with this staff?
Bullpen
Closer: RHP Santiago Casilla
Setup men: RHP Sergio Romo
Middle men: LHP Jeremy Affeldt, LHP Javier Lopez, RHP Jean Machi
Long man: Vogelsong, Petit
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The bullpen is a good one and Vogelsong will not have to close many long games this season with the staff being back in form, which is should be this season even with injury concerns to Cain and Hudson.
Casilla can get men out and while he will blow saves he will be there to close when it counts.
The Giants were not a great team last season, but they caught fire at the right time and I think they will make the playoffs again even in the much tougher NL West. The Giants may not repeat, but they are a good bet to get back to the playoffs.
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