The San Francisco Giants entered the 2025 offseason knowing exactly where their biggest weakness lies — hitting left-handed pitching. Despite boasting one of the most expensive rosters in the National League, San Francisco’s offense consistently faltered whenever a southpaw took the mound. Their collective .214/.279/.351 slash line (78 wRC+) against lefties was among the worst three in baseball, better only than the Pirates and Rockies.
It’s a stunning contrast for a team that otherwise held its own. Against right-handed pitching, the Giants posted a 104 wRC+, proving they could hit — just not when the matchup flipped. In a season where they missed the playoffs by only a few games, that glaring imbalance may have been the deciding factor between contention and collapse.
The issue isn’t simply about skill — it’s also about roster construction. With big-money regulars like Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers underperforming against lefties, and only Heliot Ramos (107 wRC+) managing to stay above average, San Francisco’s supposed offensive core left far too many runs on the table. Devers’ 65 wRC+ versus lefties, in particular, underscores how much the Giants struggled to adjust.
To fix this, the path forward might look familiar. Once known for their aggressive platooning strategy, the Giants could revisit that formula — though likely not to the extreme of past seasons. The front office could target low-cost role players who thrive in these matchups, such as Starling Marte or Willi Castro (both posted 109 wRC+ against lefties).
There’s even a more tantalizing, if unlikely, option: Paul Goldschmidt. The longtime Cardinals star punished left-handed pitching to the tune of a 169 wRC+ last year, and seeing him in a Giants uniform — after years of tormenting their pitching — would be poetic. Yet, given his position and price tag, that scenario remains more fantasy than forecast.
Ultimately, improvement must come from within. The Giants already have an abundance of right-handed bats, and there’s only so much room to add more without disrupting balance. What the team truly needs is for its expensive veterans to hit lefties like they’re paid to.
If they can lift their performance even modestly in those matchups, the Giants’ offense could take a major step forward — turning a near-miss in 2025 into a genuine playoff run in 2026.
