SF Giants schedule could aid playoff push in second half of season

Jul 18, 2024, 8:28 AM

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 30: Jorge Soler #2 and Heliot Ramos #17 of the San Francisco Giant...

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

It’s been a rollercoaster season for the San Francisco Giants thus far–but the heavy-lifting portion of the 2024 campaign has yet to arrive.

San Francisco (47-50) enters the second half of the season sitting three games out of the third and final National League Wild Card spot with 65 games remaining. In other words, making the MLB Playoffs is still well within reach for the orange and black.

It will be interesting to see how Giants president Farhan Zaidi handles the upcoming trade deadline (Tuesday, July 30th at 3 pm PDT) as San Francisco navigates multiple injuries to its lineup, starting rotation, and bullpen.

The recent return of Blake Snell, who looks like his Cy Young Award-winning self following back-to-back starts without allowing a run over 12 innings, has helped a Giants rotation that currently ranks 23rd of 30 MLB teams in ERA (4.41).

2021 American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray (Tommy John surgery recovery) and 2023 All-Star right-hander Alex Cobb (hip surgery) are closing in on returning to San Francisco’s rotation in the coming weeks–if not days–which could cause Zaidi to look towards acquiring bullpen help amid closer Camilo Doval’s recent struggles.

Of course, the Giants can only look at what’s directly in front of them, and the upcoming schedule should have San Francisco feeling confident they are on the verge of turning things around.

According to Tankathon, the Giants hold the easiest remaining strength of schedule in the National League (second-easiest in Major League Baseball):

NL Remaining Strength of Schedule: Where do the SF Giants rank?

Three of San Francisco’s first four series out of the All-Star break will be against the Colorado Rockies (twice) and the Oakland Athletics, with both teams closing in on falling 30 games under the .500 mark.

The SF Giants’ schedule will also provide them with plenty of chances to chase down those ahead of them in the standings:

Arizona Diamondbacks: 6 games
San Diego Padres: 6 games
St. Louis Cardinals: 3 games
Cincinnati Reds: 3 games

Consistency will be needed down the final stretch, but the schedule is playing into San Francisco’s favor as the Giants continue its push towards the playoffs on Friday night in Colorado.