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<\/a><\/p>\nThat\u2019s a really strong poll, with just 40% of respondents believing the team won\u2019t be vying for the division title or a Wild Card spot (thanks to those fans who took the time to cast a troll vote predicting they\u2019d be worse than the Colorado Rockies). Yes, I\u2019m perhaps prognosticating too negatively suggest that a third place finish won\u2019t push the Giants into the postseason for the first time since 2021, but that seems pretty reasonable given a non-NL West field that will almost certainly include the Mets, Atlanta, Phillies, Brewers, Cubs, and possibly the Reds. There might be room for just one other team in the NL West to make the postseason or realistically scrap it out.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s if you believe San Diego and Arizona are too weak to be serious competitors (and, if you\u2019re thinking about another division, the Reds) both within the division and that field. That might wind up being the case, but it\u2019s still a massive prognostication that, to me, outweighs projecting a Wild Card field that might only include one NL West team. Yes, absolutely, the Giants could wind up being the second-best team in the division, but San Diego\u2019s range of projections is so wide that while they could wind up in the 80 to 82 win range<\/a>, they could also get to 88 or 90<\/a>. The conventional wisdom all offseason<\/a> has been that the Giants will be chasing the Padres in 2026. The consensus with the Diamondbacks is that they\u2019ll almost certainly trail the Giants, suggesting a third place team at best (unless those trolls who cast the fifth place finish votes wind up being correct).<\/p>\n But that\u2019s enough about the playoffs. That\u2019s a six months from now problem. Today, it\u2019s about basking in the positivity. If I were to have predicted the results of this prediction poll, I would\u2019ve come pretty close to getting it right. The Giants are playing great and they\u2019ve got just enough \u201cnew\u201d in the mix to make the last three months of last season not only a distant memory, but in no way predictive for 2026. It certainly feels like there has been positive developments with the development section of the roster<\/a> and that\u2019s before you start thinking about Logan Webb, Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Heliot Ramos, and Jung Hoo Lee.<\/p>\n Indeed, this poll demonstrates that Giants fans have looked at the bullpen and concluded, \u201cYou know what? Keaton Winn will be 7th inning guy when the team breaks camp. Gregory Santos is the Prodigal Son who will setup Ryan Walker who will be a top tier closer despite how last season went. Buster Posey\u2019s spaghetti-at-the-wall bullpen makes all the sense in the world.\u201d They\u2019ve seen the first six weeks of the schedule \u2014 which goes Yankees, Padres, at Mets, Phillies, at Orioles, at Reds (then at Nationals), Dodgers, Marlins, at Rays, Padres, Pirates, and Dodgers again \u2014 and have concluded, \u201cHey, they go 22-22 and they\u2019re in great shape the rest of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n A bad Spring Training record would not have engendered such optimism.<\/p>\n While there are probably fans who place a bet on the Giants winning the World Series every year<\/a> no matter the odds, the Giants do appear to be a group with a lot more going on for it than wishcasting or \u201cthere\u2019s always next year.\u201d This is the second straight Spring Training where this basic roster core and executive group has looked competitive once assembled on a baseball field. Bob Melvin\u2019s ancient staff of been there, done thats didn\u2019t have any answers when that Spring Training success translated to regular season success but then floundered and you can bet that Tony Vitello and his coaching group won\u2019t rest on \u201cletting guys figure things out\u201d if things go as terribly midseason as they did in 2025. The team\u2019s makeup has changed with few changes to the team itself.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s SB Nation Reacts report had two more questions included with the team-specific questions and came about because of the suspensions for Max Kepler and Jurickson Profar, who both tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in their system.<\/p>\n