© Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants maneuvered their way through the highs and lows of spring training and are now on the threshold of the regular season. Despite a less-than-flashy 15-16 record and significant injuries that hampered this year’s outlook, the Giants finished spring training with plenty to smile about.
The Giants focused on improving their offense this offseason and it lived up to their expectations this spring. They led the major leagues with a .296 batting average and .360 OBP, along with finishing second in runs (209) and fifth in homers (49). That bods well for the Giants pitching staff, which lost Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija to late-spring injuries.
Now, it’s time for the Giants to focus on the regular season and carrying their spring success into a packed month of April. However, before giving way to the excitement of Opening Day, those players who helped the Giants through spring training must be acknowledged. Here’s a look.
Spring MVP: Buster Posey
Posey only played in two of the Giants’ first 17 games in Arizona, but still takes home the spring MVP award. Despite dealing with some ankle discomfort, Posey finished spring training batting .471 with a .486 OBP, two home runs, and six doubles. His batting average never dropped lower than .444 and his best game came against the Seattle Mariners on March 9, when he went 3-for-3 with two doubles, It was one of two three-hit games the Giants catcher enjoyed this spring.
Runner-ups: Brandon Belt (.356 BA, .443 OBP, 3 HR), Nick Hundley (.385 BA, .479 OBP, 3 HR), Evan Longoria (.317 BA, .404 OBP)
Spring Cy Young Award: Madison Bumgarner
Had Bumgarner’s injury come earlier and not three innings into his final start of spring training, it would have hurt his chances of being the Giants’ spring Cy Young Award-winner. Nonetheless, Bumgarner earned this honor after pitching his way to a 3.43 ERA in 21 innings spread across six starts. Only Trevor Bauer (39) and Max Scherzer (36) finished the spring with more strikeouts that Bumgarner (30). Five of those strikeouts came in a six-inning shutout Bumgarner threw against the Colorado Rockies on March 18, where he allowed only one hit and two walks.
Runner-ups: Chris Stratton (3.29 ERA, 27.1 IP, 28 SO), Ty Blach (3.63 ERA, 17.1 IP, 15 SO), Johnny Cueto (4.20 ERA, 15 IP, 16 SO)
Reliever of the Spring: Josh Osich
Osich pitched the best baseball of his career this spring. He was the only pitcher to remain scoreless in over 10 innings pitched this spring. In 11 innings, Osich recorded 16 strikeouts, allowing only two walks and six hits without giving up a run. Even when he pitched on back-to-back days, he surrendered only one hit and two walks while striking out four.
Runner-ups: Hunter Stickland (0.00 ERA, 7.1 IP, 8 SO), Madison Younginer (0.00 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 SO), Pierce Johnson (0.00 ERA, 7 IP, 9 SO)
Rookie of the Spring: Steven Duggar
Although Duggar was told he will start the season with Triple-A Sacramento after Tuesday’s finale, his strong showing during spring training awards him the Giants’ Rookie of the Spring honor. While his .236 batting average and .323 OBP didn’t turn many heads, his defensive ability caught the attention of the Giants. All spring, Duggar showed off his capability to run down fly balls that would have dropped in for base hits for previous Giants outfielders. Whether it was stepping in front of veteran Andrew McCutchen on a fly ball to right-centerfield or scaling the wall to rob a home run at Oakland Coliseum, Duggar showed the Giants that, defensively at least, he’s ready for the big leagues. It won’t be long before Duggar sees his name on the major league roster.
Runner-ups: Julian Fernandez (13.50 ERA, 7.1 IP, 12 SO), Kyle Jensen (.333 BA, .526 OBP, 5 HR), Chris Shaw (.235 BA, .297 OBP, 2 HR)
Best moment: Jerry Sands’ walk-off
It’s March 22, and the score tied 3-3 between the Giants and Chicago Cubs. The Giants send Gorkys Hernandez and Josh Rutledge to the plate, and both singled. A wild pitch moved each runner up a base, improving an already promising opportunity for Jerry Sands to send the Giants home victorious.
Since 2011, Sands suited up for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, but struggled to stay in the major leagues. Even after signing as a free agent with the Giants last June, the 30-year-old’s chances of making the club this spring were very slim.
However, none of that mattered on March 22.
As chants of “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry” started to fill Scottsdale Stadium, Sands worked Randy Rosario to eight pitches before singling past a drawn in infield and bringing home the winning run.
It very well could have been the biggest at-bat of his career, and it was at least the best moment of spring training.
Runner-ups: Jensen’s walk-off grand slam on February 27, Chris Berman serves as honorary manager on March 4
Biggest surprise: Mac Williamson
Looking back at his numbers from last spring, it might initially come as a surprise how well Williamson performed this spring training. However, they become shocking once Williamson’s numbers in the major leagues are taken into consideration. Last year, Williamson batted only .235 with three home runs, despite batting .324 with two homers last spring. This spring, he batted .318 over 20 games with four home runs, thanks to revamping his swing with the same trainer who helped turn Justin Turner’s career around. Although it wasn’t enough to earn him an outfield job with the Giants, Williamson’s willingness to make necessary adjustments was something the Giants hadn’t seen much of from their young outfielder in the past.
Runner-ups: Derek Holland (4.05 ERA, 20 IP, 23 SO), Jensen (.333 BA, .526 OBP, 5 HR), Johnson (0.00 ERA, 7 IP, 9 SO)
Comeback Player of the Spring: Hunter Pence
The Pence that finished spring training was a much different than the Pence that first arrived in Arizona. The veteran outfielder’s batting average dropped as low as .067 at the start of the spring, during which time he went 1-for-15 with 7 strikeouts. It took another four games for Pence to get his batting average above .200. However, after hitting a grand slam on March 11 against the San Diego Padres, Pence gradually worked his way to a .314 batting average with a .352 OBP and two home runs.
Runner-ups: Gregor Blanco (.303 BA, .405 OBP, 1 HR), Holland (4.05 ERA, 20 IP, 23 SO), Fernandez (13.50 ERA, 7.1 IP, 12 SO)
Keaton Moore is a KNBR.com contributor, follow Keaton on Twitter at @KeatonAMoore