Upstart San Francisco Giants Still Considered One of Five Best MLB Teams

The San Francisco Giants are off to one of the best starts in MLB, earning themselves a coveted spot in the latest power rankings.

Apr 21, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) celebrates with teammates after the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

It has been a dream start to the 2025 season for the San Francisco Giants, owners of a 16-9 record that's tied for the third-best winning percentage in MLB.

The flip side is that the Giants are tied for the second-best record in their own division with an identical record to that of their archrival Los Angeles Dodgers, both a game behind the San Diego Padres.

In ESPN's latest edition of the MLB power rankings published Thursday morning, the Giants slipped one spot but remain in the top five, sitting at No. 5 slot after checking in at No. 4 last week.

Analyst Alden Gonzalez provided his thoughts on the team's season so far, noting a bounce-back contributor who has fueled an uptick in San Francisco's offensive output.

"When franchise icon Buster Posey assumed the role of president of baseball operations, he set out to build the Giants into a team that would win on the strength of pitching and defense," Gonzalez wrote. "While that develops, the Giants have enjoyed a much-needed spark of offense from Jung Hoo Lee, who's slashing .333/.388/.581 with 10 doubles."

He has been a revelation in his second year in MLB after an injury-shortened rookie campaign.

Jung Hoo Lee's bat-to-ball skills are some of the very best in the sport, as according to Statcast data, he occupies the 97th percentile in expected batting average.

He rarely swings and misses (95th percentile) or strikes out (89th percentile), and he's slugging more than well enough at .581 to serve as an elite offensive engine near the top of the batting order.

His peripherals suggest he won't slug that well all year long, but he's doing enough to be more than a one-trick pony that primarily contributes singles and little else.

On the mound, Logan Webb is putting himself in the NL Cy Young picture with a 1.98 ERA and 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings rate through six starts, but no other member of the Giants rotation has an ERA below Robbie Ray's 4.07 mark.

Something has to give there if San Francisco is going to continue winning games at this clip, but Hayden Birdsong, Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Randy Rodriguez have all been phenomenal out of the bullpen.

With a well-rounded lineup, lockdown bullpen and dominant ace, the Giants appear poised to make their first appearance in the postseason since 2021 despite their tough division.