When the Giants and Cleveland Guardians lined up for the national anthem on Wednesday in Goodyear, there were quite a few head nods and waves across the field. On the home side, manager Stephen Vogt stood alongside Craig Albernaz, who became his associate manager after years in San Francisco as the bullpen coach. To Albernaz's right was Guardians field coordinator Kai Correa, who previously was the bench coach for Gabe Kapler and briefly replaced him at the end of the 2023 MLB season.

When the Giants and Cleveland Guardians lined up for the national anthem on Wednesday in Goodyear, there were quite a few head nods and waves across the field. On the home side, manager Stephen Vogt stood alongside Craig Albernaz, who became his associate manager after years in San Francisco as the bullpen coach. To Albernaz's right was Guardians field coordinator Kai Correa, who previously was the bench coach for Gabe Kapler and briefly replaced him at the end of the 2023 MLB season.

When the Giants and Cleveland Guardians lined up for the national anthem on Wednesday in Goodyear, there were quite a few head nods and waves across the field. On the home side, manager Stephen Vogt stood alongside Craig Albernaz, who became his associate manager after years in San Francisco as the bullpen coach. To Albernaz's right was Guardians field coordinator Kai Correa, who previously was the bench coach for Gabe Kapler and briefly replaced him at the end of the 2023 MLB season.

When the Giants and Cleveland Guardians lined up for the national anthem on Wednesday in Goodyear, there were quite a few head nods and waves across the field. On the home side, manager Stephen Vogt stood alongside Craig Albernaz, who became his associate manager after years in San Francisco as the bullpen coach. To Albernaz's right was Guardians field coordinator Kai Correa, who previously was the bench coach for Gabe Kapler and briefly replaced him at the end of the 2023 MLB season.

When the Giants and Cleveland Guardians lined up for the national anthem on Wednesday in Goodyear, there were quite a few head nods and waves across the field. On the home side, manager Stephen Vogt stood alongside Craig Albernaz, who became his associate manager after years in San Francisco as the bullpen coach. To Albernaz's right was Guardians field coordinator Kai Correa, who previously was the bench coach for Gabe Kapler and briefly replaced him at the end of the 2023 MLB season.

A three-man, multi-position equation of matchups looks like the Cincinnati Reds' answer to a troubling third base position as they open the season.

A three-man, multi-position equation of matchups looks like the Cincinnati Reds' answer to a troubling third base position as they open the season.

The San Francisco Giants are looking to prove doubters wrong this season. While they made some improvements to their roster, most notably bringing in Willy Adames and Justin Verlander in free agency, the reality is the Giants finished fourth place in their own division last year and don't seemed poised to take a huge step forward. One way San Francisco can exceed expectations is by getting improvements from the players who were previously on this roster. Jung Hoo Lee is back after his season-ending shoulder surgery.

The Giants moved Thursday's first pitch up an hour to avoid the rain that was headed for the valley, but there was nothing that could be done about the wind. It allowed his off-speed pitch to appear even slower than it usually does. The pitch is a new one, with a grip borrowed from American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Ray thinks it could be a game-changer in his second full season with the Giants, and right now it looks like he might have the same effect on the rotation.

This winter marked the dawn of a new era for the San Francisco Giants, with legendary catcher Buster Posey taking over the front office as the president of baseball operations. The team signed Willy Adames away from the Milwaukee Brewers, with the two sides agreeing to a massive seven-year, $182 million deal. With Adames in the fold, the Giants have one of the strongest left sides in baseball, pairing him with star third baseman Matt Chapman.

Spencer Steer has been the Cincinnati Reds' most durable and versatile player the past two seasons.

The San Francisco Giants made one of the more intriguing offseason moves by signing Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million deal. While Verlander's Hall of Fame credentials are undeniable, his age and recent struggles have raised questions about what he can still contribute. At 42, Verlander is coming off a difficult 2024 season in which he posted a career-worst 5.48 ERA over 90.1 innings with the Houston Astros. Through his first three outings in Arizona, Verlander has shown promise, posting a 2.45 ERA over 11 innings with a 1.00 WHIP. While Verlander's early results are encouraging, there are still concerns about his long-term durability and effectiveness.

The San Francisco Giants made one of the more intriguing offseason moves by signing Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million deal. While Verlander's Hall of Fame credentials are undeniable, his age and recent struggles have raised questions about what he can still contribute. At 42, Verlander is coming off a difficult 2024 season in which he posted a career-worst 5.48 ERA over 90.1 innings with the Houston Astros. Through his first three outings in Arizona, Verlander has shown promise, posting a 2.45 ERA over 11 innings with a 1.00 WHIP. While Verlander's early results are encouraging, there are still concerns about his long-term durability and effectiveness.

The San Francisco Giants have spent the past few years hovering around mediocrity, finishing with 80, 79, and 81 wins over the last three seasons. Despite some notable offseason moves under new president of baseball operations Buster Posey, the team still has significant issues preventing them from breaking into serious postseason contention. While the bullpen, lineup depth, and overall consistency all pose challenges, the biggest flaw for the Giants heading into the 2025 season is their starting rotation. The Giants were linked to some of the biggest free-agent arms on the market, including Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell, but ultimately failed to land a true frontline starter.

The San Francisco Giants have spent the past few years hovering around mediocrity, finishing with 80, 79, and 81 wins over the last three seasons. Despite some notable offseason moves under new president of baseball operations Buster Posey, the team still has significant issues preventing them from breaking into serious postseason contention. While the bullpen, lineup depth, and overall consistency all pose challenges, the biggest flaw for the Giants heading into the 2025 season is their starting rotation. The Giants were linked to some of the biggest free-agent arms on the market, including Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell, but ultimately failed to land a true frontline starter.

This winter marked the dawn of a new era for the San Francisco Giants, who got the offseason started with a bang when they overhauled their front office. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was relieved of his duties and replaced by the legendary Buster Posey. It is a tall task that Posey is facing as San Francisco is stuck in a brutal division with some very good rivals. The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers are who everyone is chasing after they loaded up their roster in the offseason.

The 161st game of the 2024 MLB season was not one that anyone will remember. The Giants edged the St. Louis Cardinals in a matchup of disappointing teams that had long since been eliminated from the playoff race. Beck threw four innings and allowed one run in his first start of the year, but it's not the result that was meaningful. Beck missed most of the season after needing surgery last March to remove an aneurysm from his upper right arm.

The 161st game of the 2024 MLB season was not one that anyone will remember. The Giants edged the St. Louis Cardinals in a matchup of disappointing teams that had long since been eliminated from the playoff race. Beck threw four innings and allowed one run in his first start of the year, but it's not the result that was meaningful. Beck missed most of the season after needing surgery last March to remove an aneurysm from his upper right arm.

The 161st game of the 2024 MLB season was not one that anyone will remember. The Giants edged the St. Louis Cardinals in a matchup of disappointing teams that had long since been eliminated from the playoff race. Beck threw four innings and allowed one run in his first start of the year, but it's not the result that was meaningful. Beck missed most of the season after needing surgery last March to remove an aneurysm from his upper right arm.

The 161st game of the 2024 MLB season was not one that anyone will remember. The Giants edged the St. Louis Cardinals in a matchup of disappointing teams that had long since been eliminated from the playoff race. Beck threw four innings and allowed one run in his first start of the year, but it's not the result that was meaningful. Beck missed most of the season after needing surgery last March to remove an aneurysm from his upper right arm.