Sports
San Francisco Giants Are MLB's Biggest Disappointment in 2024
The San Francisco Giants are wrapping up the season on a nice roll.
And that’s the olive on top of the two-hour-old sundae.
The Giants were 2024’s Most Disappointing Team. It’s one man’s opinion, and that makes it a unanimous selection.
Really, the only competition comes from the Rangers, but you know Bruce Bochy takes a siesta every season after winning a championship; the Rays, who finally played down to their talent level; and the Cubs and Red Sox, just because their names are permanently etched on the list.
En route to their third straight non-winning season after a 107-win campaign had them primed to be the 2020s Team of the Decade, the Giants were such a disaster in 2024, even the things that went right went wrong.
But let’s start with the things that truly did go wrong.
Management believed adding a bunch of B-level free agents and a reunion with an old-school manager who got run out of San Diego would be enough to increase the team win total from the 70’s to the 90’s. The fans disagreed. The fans were right.
The fans believed the team’s many highly trumped-up prospects were ready to take the team toward the top again. Management disagreed. Management was right.
It took the first half of the season for management to admit its mistake. It’s taken the second half in order for the fans to recognize their miscalculation.
The result: a team that was projected to be a playoff contender but never really was, one that seriously lacked in both power and speed. And now there’s a new debate…
Let’s fire the general manager. Let’s dump the manager. Let’s sign 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt. Let’s give 19-year-old Bryce Eldridge a chance.
Ugh. Here we go again.
Nothing is more disappointing than not being able to identify the source of your disappointment, dooming you to experience it again. See: Giants, 2017-2020, and now 2022-24.
No team learns less from history. Remember, this was a franchise that won three titles last decade… and then failed to even make the playoffs the next season all three times.
The 2024 game plan pitched well at the owners’ meeting: Take Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Robbie Ray, Jung Hoo Lee, Jorge Soler and Jordan Hicks, add them to a team that had been in second place as late as Sept. 3 last season, and it’s 2010 all over again.
If only Chapman, Snell, Ray and Soler could turn back the clock like that.
Let’s talk Chapman. Great guy. Brilliant defensively. The fans love him.
Kinda sounds like Brandon Crawford, doesn’t he? In fact, the year after the Giants finally cut ties with their championship shortstop at age 37, they got so caught up in Chappy Mania, they added six – SIX – years and $151 million to his deal just so the fans could watch him turn 37 before uncomfortably cutting him, just as they did with Crawford.
With all the hoopla and the ours-until-retirement contact, you’d have thought Chapman was an MVP candidate, but, alas, he’s hitting .246 with 78 RBIs. Not terrible, but Crawford did better than that (.298 and 90) as a shortstop in 2021, before it cost the Giants $32 million just for fans to be able to gush “but he’s good defensively” as he aged predictably the next two years.
Even cutting ties with the cooked-past-well-done Crawford made the Giants look bad. Their much-ballyhooed replacement, Marco Luciano, was so ill-prepared this season, he not only got moved to second base, where he was equally fumble-handed, but also used as a 22-year-old DH so the fans would have less opportunity to boo him.
And then there’s Tyler Fitzgerald, the new heir apparent to Crawford’s sunglasses. He’s having a surprisingly good season…
Wait, this just in: Casey Schmitt, who knows Sacramento so well he should offer to be the A’s realtor, contributed a 6-for-14 spree to a shockingly encouraging 7-2 late-September run through Baltimore, Kansas City and Arizona. He’s now co-favorite to win the shortstop job next season, pending the availability of a veteran journeyman like Nick Ahmed, who walked in off the street and beat out Luciano last spring.
And then there’s Snell. Nothing says “Welcome to the Farhan Zaidi era of Giants baseball” quite like the lefty’s saga.
Unless you recall the previous lefty’s saga—aka the Carlos Rodon debacle—which was basically the Snell prequel.
You remember Snell. The best pitcher in the National League—maybe all of baseball—last season. The perfect addition for a team that plays in a pitchers’ park and has had trouble (understatement of the century) attracting big-time talent.
Scott Boras wanted big bucks. Oracle Park prints big bucks. It was a match made in…
March. Just late enough so that Snell, the key to a Giants resurgence, would struggle early, then get hurt.
The good news: The Giants gave themselves an out in Snell’s contract after one year. Zaidi’s logic: We’re going to make Snell prove it even though he’d already proven it.
The bad news: Boras also negotiated an out in the deal, and look who has turned into the best pitcher in baseball again. Luckily, the Giants have him locked up…
Until Sunday.
So what you have is a team that won 79 games last season, fired its manager, then signed a half-dozen veterans with resumes to complement a bunch of “can’t-miss” prospects who were deemed ready solely based on a memorable moment or two last September, some at Triple-A.
And here we are, a weekend before the end of the season, still struggling to top last year’s win total.
That’s disappointing. And so is this:
Veterans Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski are finishing strong, which means they’re likely to be retained to hit .240 again… and keep the Giants from mortgaging McCovey Cove to add Juan Soto or Paul Goldschmidt. Or maybe both.
And who needs Gerrit Cole, Corbin Burnes, Shane Bieber or Walker Buehler (all with California ties) when you’ve got Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, Landen Roupp and Mason Black?
Management: We can get Frankie Montas, who pitched well for Melvin six years ago, with an opt-out in case we’re wrong.
Fans: Have you seen what former 15th-round pick Tommy Romero has been doing at Sacramento? Let’s give him a shot.
Welcome to Giants baseball, where next year’s slogan will be: The Bay Area’s best… and the Bay Area’s worst.
Sports
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Apr 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn (29) scores a run during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Bryan Reynolds singled in the go-ahead run to trigger a three-run 10th inning and lift the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-3 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday, handing the Brewers their fourth consecutive loss.
Left-hander Angel Zerpa (0-2) started the 10th for Milwaukee. Pinch-hitter Marcell Ozuna drew a one-out walk. Nick Yorke ran for Ozuna and Reynolds singled to left, scoring automatic runner Henry Davis from second. Both runners advanced on a ground out. Grant Anderson relieved Zerpa, and Nick Gonzales delivered an RBI single to left, with Reynolds continuing home on a bobble by left fielder Greg Jones.
Yohan Ramirez kept the Brewers off the board in the 10th for his first save. Gregory Soto (2-0) delivered a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates snapped a 2-2 tie with a run in the sixth off starter Jacob Misiorowski. Ryan O’Hearn was hit by a pitch and Gonzales singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Spencer Horwitz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
The Brewers tied it in the bottom half on Sal Frelick’s second sacrifice fly of the game. Jake Bauers and Tyler Black opened with consecutive singles, chasing starter Mitch Keller. Isaac Mattson replaced him, and Bauers advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Frelick followed with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Pirates went in front 2-0 with two runs in the fourth. Reynolds was hit by a pitch to open the frame and O’Hearn singled. Reynolds took third on a fielder’s choice, and Horwitz followed with an RBI single. Konnor Griffin added a two-out RBI single, but the Pirates stranded runners at second and third.
Milwaukee countered with two in the bottom half. Bauers singled and continued to second on an error. Black doubled Bauers to third. Bauers scored and Black advanced to third on a ground out. Frelick tied it with a sacrifice fly to right.
Misiorowski struck out nine in six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He also walked one, hit two batters, and had a wild pitch.
Keller allowed three runs on five hits in five-plus innings, striking out six and walking two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
Apr 25, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) slides into home to score a run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Salvador Perez had three hits including a home run, Cole Ragans pitched six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals routed the visiting Los Angeles Angels 12-1 on Saturday night.
Nick Loftin had two hits and drove in four runs for the Royals, who go for their first series sweep of the season on Sunday. Kansas City has won three of four, scoring at least six runs in each game.
Ragans (1-4) allowed a run on five hits and struck out 11 batters without a walk. It was the third time this season Ragans went six innings and allowed one run or less.
Jo Adell homered and Vaughn Grissom had three hits for the Angels, who have lost six of seven.
Walbert Urena (0-3) lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Los Angeles pitchers issued 10 walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Perez lined a homer to left leading off the second inning. Jac Caglianone walked, went to third on a single by Michael Massey and scored on a single by Loftin to make it 2-0.
In the third, Bobby Witt, Jr. doubled and Vinnie Pasquantino walked. Perez lined a single to left, scoring Witt and Isaac Collins walked to load the bases before Loftin walked, forcing in Pasquantino.
Adell homered to center leading off the fourth to pull the Angels within 4-1.
Loftin reached on an error leading off the sixth. Kyle Isbel singled and Carter Jensen walked to load the bases. With one out, Pasquantino walked, scoring Loftin.
The Royals broke it open with a three run seventh. Caglianone led off with a walk and Collins singled. Massey lined a single to left, scoring Caglianone. Loftin smacked a grounder that got past shortstop Zach Neto. Collins scored and Massey raced for third and came home on Neto’s throwing error to make it 8-1.
Loftin and Jensen hit two-run singles to make it 12-1 in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees score late to break open close game against Astros
Apr 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) celebrates with center fielder Trent Grisham (12) after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Austin Wells socked a leadoff home run to ignite a three-run seventh inning as the New York Yankees claimed a three-game series against the host Houston Astros with an 8-3 win on Saturday.
Wells’ second homer was the third of the game for the Yankees, who improved to 5-0 on their current nine-game road trip and have won eight straight overall. The Yankees were locked in a pitcher’s duel before Wells snapped a 2-2 tie by driving an inside fastball from Astros reliever Kai-Wei Teng (1-1) out to right field.
Teng faced only three batters before ceding the mound to left-hander Bennett Sousa, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and made his season debut. The Yankees made it a forgettable appearance for Sousa, who issued four walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Sousa walked Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr., with Bellinger and Chisholm forcing home Grisham and Ben Rice (who had singled) in succession to up the lead to 5-2.
Rice delivered a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth that plated Ryan McMahon. Rice and Jose Caballero recorded three-hit games for the Yankees, with Caballero extending the lead to 2-1 in the fifth with his third homer, a solo shot to left off Astros starter Mike Burrows.
Burrows matched his career high of eight strikeouts while working five innings. He allowed five hits and issued three walks. Burrows surrendered a solo home run to Grisham, his fourth on the season, with one out in the third inning that enabled the Yankees to erase a 1-0 deficit.
The Astros grabbed that lead in the bottom of the first. Carlos Correa roped a leadoff double to left-center and scored when Isaac Paredes added an RBI single to left two batters later. Yankees starter Ryan Weathers immediately settled down and retired 11 consecutive batters after Paredes’ run-scoring hit.
Yainer Diaz opened the fifth with a single, but Weathers didn’t allow another run until Correa led off the sixth with his second homer, a 391-foot blast to left-center that tied the game at 2-2.
Weathers surrendered two runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Right-hander Fernando Cruz (2-0) earned the win in relief for the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
