Four bold Giants predictions for second half of 2023 season
Four bold Giants predictions for second half of 2023 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The second half of the 2023 MLB season certainly will be a roller-coaster ride for the Giants.
San Francisco (49-41) currently sits one-half game up on the Philadelphia Phillies (48-41) for the third and final National League wild-card spot and finds itself in a good position to possibly make a run at the NL West division title, sitting 2.5 games behind both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers.
With 90 games down and 72 to go, here are four bold predictions for the Giants in the second half of the season:
Giants trade for front-of-rotation starter
The Giants have a few glaring holes on their roster right now, but probably none bigger than the starting rotation. Anchored by young ace Logan Webb and first-time All-Star Alex Cobb, the three-through-five spots in the rotation remain giant question marks.
Anthony DeSclafani, who is dealing with fatigue in his throwing arm, figures to slide back into the mix whenever he is activated off the injured list. However, the final two spots in the rotation could be filled by any combination of Ross Stripling, Alex Wood, Keaton Winn and Sean Manaea. The Giants have plenty of depth at the back end of the rotation, so adding to that jumbled mess seems unlikely.
This is why San Francisco will swing for the fences and trade for another top-end stater to pair with Webb and Cobb. A few notable pitchers who could be available are Chicago White Sox righty Lucas Giolito, St. Louis Cardinals starters Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery or Chicago Cubs ace Marcus Stroman.
Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber's name has been tossed around in trade rumors, and the former Cy Young Award winner certainly would qualify as a splash, but with the team currently sitting in first place in the AL Central, he could end up not being available.
Casey Schmitt sent down
The last month-plus has not been kind to the top-prospect-turned-early-season-savior, to say the least.
After batting .325 in the month of May, Schmitt has struggled mightily at the plate, with his average plummeting to .228 in 50 games this season. MLB pitchers have figured him out. The free-swinger is not drawing many walks or working deep enough counts to make up for his lack of production with the bat.
This is why the Giants, strategically, could send Schmitt down to Triple-A in order to complete the last bit of development that maybe was cast aside when he was thrust into a starting role in the majors on May 9.
I say "strategically," because of what happened when Schmitt debuted two months ago. He was an instant spark all over the field, a lightning rod that fueled the Giants' impressive turnaround that thrust them into playoff contention. A little bit of extra seasoning in a low-pressure environment in Sacramento could result in a similar outcome down the stretch, which certainly would help any playoff push.
Giants leapfrog D-backs, Marlins to secure No. 1 wild-card spot
The Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins being two of the better teams in the National League is not surprising one bit. What is surprising, is just how much success both teams have had this season. Both were viewed as up-and-comers and were expected to make noise, but with Arizona having a stranglehold on the NL West for most of the season before a recent skid and Miami currently boasting the second-best record in the league, something smells fishy. Pun intended.
The D-backs' offense caught fire early and hasn't slowed down much, while the pitching staff as a whole, outside of ace Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, has been rather average. It's fair to assume that on the heels of a 4-7 stretch leading into the All-Star break, Arizona could continue to come down to earth in the second half.
The same goes for the Marlins, who somehow have a negative run differential (-5) on the season. What? They don't score a lot of runs, and the pitching staff has stayed afloat while reigning Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara has been terrible. Yeah, something fishy is going on over there.
Webb wins Cy Young
And last, but certainly not least, is the potential storyline of the season for the Giants.
After being snubbed of an All-Star appearance, Webb capped off his impressive first half of the season with a ferocious complete-game shutout on Sunday.
These are supposed to be "bold predictions," but this is anything but that.
If the season ended today, Webb might be a shoo-in as a top-five finisher for the NL Cy Young Award. The 26-year-old currently leads all of MLB in innings pitched (126), leads all NL pitchers in WAR (3.2) is fifth in the league in strikeouts (127), seventh in the league in ERA (3.14), tied for fourth in WHIP (1.11) and fifth in FIP (2.91).
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The numbers speak for themselves, and so does his track record of success in the second half of the season. Webb will win the 2023 NL Cy Young Award.
This is shaping up to be one unforgettable season for the Giants' young ace.
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