Teams that have won the World Series have typically struggled the following season. After winning the World Series in 2013, the Boston Red Sox went 71-91 last season. The year after winning their second World Series in three years, the San Francisco Giants went 76-86 in 2013. San Francisco won three World Series Championships in the last five seasons, but have followed up with a disappointing season. When it comes to 2015, this Giants roster is vastly different, and they are already suffering with injuries.
Hunter Pence fractured his left forearm on March 5 after being hit by a pitch in an exhibition game, typically a 6-8 week recovery time. Just a month after the injury, Pence is now out of a cast and working to regain strength in his wrist. While the progress is excellent to see, he is still three weeks away from returning to the lineup. Pence is a big part of the Giants offense and a leader in the clubhouse, so his absence is a substantial blow to a lineup lacking a powerful bat in the middle of the order.
After having bone chips removed from his elbow last August, Matt Cain again felt forearm soreness after his last start of spring training. While an MRI cleared Cain of any ligament damage, he was placed on the disabled list with a flexor tendon strain. His return to the mound is still up in the air, leaving even more questions surrounding the Giants' rotation.
Not only are the Giants going to be without Cain and Pence to start the season, but they are also without one of their top offensive producers in Pablo Sandoval, who signed with the Boston Red Sox this offseason. Sandoval has always been a legitimate power threat for the Giants. But has been a cornerstone, offensively, to their recent postseason success. He is going to be extremely difficult to replace in the lineup on a daily basis.
This N.L. West has also seen plenty of change, with the San Diego Padres emerging as the biggest mover in the division. They have made some big moves this offseason, acquiring Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris, Craig Kimbrel and signing James Shields. While the Padres are serious contenders, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still viewed as the top dog in the division, and have the roster to be successful. The Dodgers just haven’t put it all together come October, when it’s truly do or die.
The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks aren’t expected to do much this season. The Rockies have Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, who are phenomenal hitters, but they’ve missed quite a bit of time over the years due to injuries.
With the Giants being the defending champs, and winning three World Series’ over the past five seasons, they’ve gained a lot of respect throughout the league. They still have Buster Posey, an MVP of the team, as well as Madison Bumgarner, who had a historically memorable 2014 postseason. That being said, they have lost key players from these championship teams, and the pitching isn’t as lights out as it once was.
This is an improving division with the Dodgers taking the lead and the Padres emerging as close competition. With this current roster, the Giants are set for a disappointing season. The fact that they are in a division with less competition in comparison to others is an advantage, but they have lost some top producers, who are going to hard to replace.