Vaughn Dalzell breaks down why it’s time to fade the San Francisco Giants in the NL playoff market.
San Francisco Giants to Miss the Postseason (+650)
San Francisco is tied with Philadelphia at 62-52 for the top NL Wild Card spot, but there are 48 games remaining for both teams and between 47 and 51 left for every team.
The Giants own the second toughest strength of schedule remaining (.529), highlighted by 14 games against the Dodgers and Padres, plus nine against the Braves and Rays for 23 of the 48 remaining contests.
Those four matchups in particular will play a pivotal role in the Giants’ Wild Card hopes with plenty of season left. The Giants are 1-3 in the past four games, which isn’t a huge deal, but with series against the Angels, Rangers, Rays, Braves, Phillies, Reds, and Padres to finish out August, the Giants are in for more losses than wins.
Since the All-Star break, the Giants have played 24 games and own the worst batting average (.207), and are bottom three in OPS, SLG, and OBP with the seventh-most strikeouts (228) and second-fewest homers (21) during that span.
San Francisco is 13-11 in those 24 games since the All-Star break and won five of those 13 contests against the Pirates and Athletics. On the other hand, the Giants were swept in two and three-game series by the Nationals and Athletics (separate series) during July.
The Giants hold a 3.0 game lead over the Cubs and Reds (60-56), are 3.5 ahead on the Marlins (59-56), 5.5 games atop the Diamondbacks (57-57), and a 7.5 game lead on the Padres. (55-59).
All of that can be withered away in one week and that could come soon, so I will take the +650 value on the Giants to miss the postseason now and hedge later, if need be.
With a 13-11 record since the break, with one of the worst offenses, and the second-toughest strength of schedule remaining, it’s time to fade the Giants.
The final 10 games of the season also come against the Dodgers (7 games) and Padres (3 games), so the NL Wild Card and the NL West division race won’t be determined until the final week of the regular season.
Pick: Giants to miss the postseason (1u)
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