San Francisco Giants Lack of Youth Only Thing Holding Team Back in Watchability

The San Francisco Giants are making a move up the watchability ranking despite lacking much dynamic youth talent.

Apr 13, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) celebrates with shortstop Willy Adames (2) after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have been one of the more pleasant surprises in baseball in the early going of the 2025 MLB regular season.

After taking two out of three games from the New York Yankees over the weekend, they are now 11-4, right behind the San Diego Padres, who are 13-3, in the National League West race with the Los Angeles Dodgers right behind them at 11-6.

It will be interesting to see if the Giants can keep up this hot start, as there are areas of the team that have yet to even get going.

Overall, their offense has not been great, with a combined slash line of .220/.301/.403.

The lineup has been carried mostly by center fielder Jung Hoo Lee, right fielder Mike Yastrzemski and designated hitter Wilmer Flores. Third baseman Matt Chapman is the only other starter with an OPS+ over 100 but he has struggled in his own right with a .176/.354/.333 slash line.

How successful the team is this season will be determined by their offensive output. If they can score runs, they are going to compete.

However, it will have to come internally from the veterans on the roster getting on track, as there isn’t much help on the horizon.

That played a big part in the watchability rankings that David Schoenfield of ESPN recently put together.

San Francisco is on the rise, coming in at No. 16 overall in large part because of their incredible start.

But, young talent is the only thing holding them back right now.

“There isn't much on the youth side (I'm not counting Lee there since he played in Korea's highest league before coming to San Francisco), especially with top prospect Bryce Eldridge beginning the year on the IL in Double-A with a wrist injury,” Schoenfield wrote.

While their ranking was low in the young talent department, there are some legitimate building blocks already featured on the roster.

Catchr Patrick Bailey is arguably the best defensive catcher in baseball. If he can get his production up to league-average levels at the plate, he will be a multi-time All-Star.

However, he is only one of four regulars, along with Lee, Heliot Ramos and Tyler Fitzgerald, who are not going to be 30 years old by season end.

On the mound, some of the Giants’ youth is shining through in the early going.

Landen Roupp won the No. 5 spot in the rotation during spring training and Hayden Birdsong has been excellent out of the bullpen.

The team isn’t worried about his long-term outlook as a starter, but he is making the most of his new role with four appearances and 9.0 shutout innings.

The 1.5 out of 10 on the young talent rating does seem a little harsh, and had Lee not been included, it could have been even a little lower.