It’s tough to be the best. It takes a lot of work, dedication, and commitment. Your San Francisco Giants are the best at something, and it should be noted.
As of this morning, the Giants have allowed the fewest runs in the National League, 214. That is an accomplishment the team should be proud of. Of course, with the good, sometimes comes the bad. The Giants have scored only 214 runs. That’s right, the Giants have scored and allowed the exact same number of runs so far this season. And what makes this so notable is that that is the worst total in the National League. The Giants are first in runs allowed, and last in runs scored.
UPDATE: As one might expect from a team with so little offense, the Giants came within a hair’s breath of being no-hit today. Not for nothing, but this team is pretty much a no-hitter waiting to happen.
As for the last word on the runs differential discussion, talking about a team that outscores its opponents 12-6 is pointless, no team scores 12 runs per game. But a team that posts an average score of 5.1 to 3.8 (like the Dodgers) is, in fact, better than a team that posts an average score of 4.1 to 3.8. (and the Giants aren’t even that good). A team that scores over a run per game more than they allow is a juggernaut, and I can’t understand how anyone could fail to see that.
14 Backtalkers
I think that Run Differential doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves. Baseball has no shortage of statistics, a situation exacerbated by the growing legitimacy of sabermetrics. And here we have a statistic which is simple, easy to understand, and surprisingly useful for both understanding current performance and gauging future performance… and it’s rarely mentioned. ESPN has been showing RD in their baseball standings page for a couple of years now, and maybe people will pay more attention to it. It’s a great statistic, IMO.
Okay – I’m not really disagreeing with you, John, about the usefulness of run differential, nor with +Mia about the value of winning streaks. Sure, both of those are good indicators of a team’s success more often than not.
My point really was that neither is a fixed formula for predicting success – there are too many exceptions and other variables. One problem with just looking at winning streaks is that a team my just be streaky – maybe it has even more long losing streaks that cancel out the wins.
If you outscore your opponents, it doesn’t matter by how much. What matters is the number of wins. If a team wins more close games than blowouts, the differential is smaller. That doesn’t necessarily mean the team is inferior to one that wins lots of games 12-6, or that the latter will beat the former in a short series.
Without making any predictions about how things will play out over the rest of the season, the fact that the Giants are three games over .500 with a 0 run differential seems like a good thing, no? Especially considering they’ve had a couple of catastrophic road trips already. If they continue to play well, or get better, they’re in decent position. If not, not they’ll be out of it in a hurry.
I guess, as usual, people here aren’t satisfied with a team that’s less than dominant – one that bludgeons all comers into submission to the point that defense is irrelevant and opponents are left gasping far behind. Maybe someday, somewhere . . .
John,
No argument that run diffrential is meaningful. But, so many statistics have become over-used and misleading. There are too many stats out there that are misleading. A .soft .300 batting avg with a .200 wisp…and era for a reliever can be deceiving. Inherited runners scored should have been made a major stat long ago. You can always dig up a stat to support a claim….but in the end…the w is all that matters.
There should be an * by all NL East teams record for being able to play the Nats 18 times…who will most likely eclipse the 62 Mets as the worst won-loss record. At least the Mets had the excuse of being a first year expansion team.
If the Gigantes are in any division besides the NL West…no more than 4 out.
For the record…my whipping boy Rowand is on fire…and I never thought I would see his average above .300….ever. Eating crow big time…hope it continues.
The Mets are desperately in need of a ss…I’m sure they’d have plenty of interest in Renteria.
Watching a lot of the NL teams…I truly believe there are only three teams in the NL better than the Gigantes…and in a short series with Lincecum and Cain…no one wants to face the Gigantes.
Not saying we are a playoff team…but the wild card is attainable…even with our anemic hitting. If the Dodgers were not playing out of their heads…there would be less negativity on the Gigantes. I for one…did not think this team would be over .500 this far into the season. We need to build momentum vs the D-bags and A’s going into a tough stretch next week. If we are 5-10 over .500 by the All Star break…the second half takes on a different perspective.
Just wondering if anyone besides me thinks the wild card is attainable? After watching enough of other NL teams…I feel it is.
Anything is possible in this strange game of baseball.
The Dodger own the Giants and the NL West. Think Blue.
Sorry dude…wrong site for you. Go down the hall into the bathroom and think brown.
Scott,
I just don’t see it. Seems that LA, StL, Chi, Mil, NY, & Philly are better teams. The G’s have very few ways to win – basically Shut-Em-Down.
While that’s been a .500 recipe so far, the cascading effect of a starter (rotation’s made em all so far) getting hurt for any time, will put pressure on the pen that’s been their saving grace with Metters and Miller throwing 50 unexpected great innings.
With starters 3-5 being 6 inning guys, gotta wonder if that’s sustainable. The D is improving, but good enough to support a staff that is all the team has going?
All that said, I was discussing the possibility with a G Fan buddy of Houston giving away Tejada (3B!) for pure salary relief, and giving Beane something (Fred and Draft choices + Minor Leaguers not named Baum or Ald) for Holiday (LF!).
Now that would make for an interesting Summer
El,
Totally agree that LA,Philly, Mil are better…maybe NY(when healthy). But STL and the Cubbies are not. I watch them both a couple games a week. STL just got swept by the Rocks at home…and are reeling. The Cubs are so overated and w/o Soriano have as big a power outage as the Gigantes. The league will get smart and start walking Pujols…like they did to Bonds…and that will shut the Cards down. W/O Pujols…the Cards line-up is as bad or worse than the Gigantes.
I watch more MLB than the Gigantes…and there are a lot of teams out there far worse the the Gigantes. Time will tell. The NL Central has parity and teams will knock each other off, while the East has the advantage for the wild card because of18 games against the Nats. They should be 40 out by Sept.
Like I siad earlier…the next couple weeks will determine which direction to take. I would trade Renteria,Howry, and with Rowands recent burst…there might be some interest…But, I doubt any team will pick-up his contract.
Agree with your call on Medders and Miller…they deserve far more credit for the recent success.
I still feel it’s a possiblity…maybe not as long a shot as most think.
Just my opinions…and I could be wrong.
Zach Wheeler, welcome to the Giants. Not sure what to make of grabbing a HS player when we need hitting now, but it’s hard to not get excited to think of a rotation of studs in a few years, hopefully 2-4 hitters can pan out (sandoval included) and then maybe we can open up the wallet and grab a real hitter to round us out
What makes the Runs Scored number even more abysmal – the Giants don’t have to face the best Runs Allowed team in the league!
John,
As of tonight’s victory over the Diamondbacks the Giants are 31-27 and only a half game behind the Mets for the NL Wildcard (the Mets are 31-26). Pehaps you need to take a second look. Perhaps the Giants can indeed compete for the playoffs without the elite offense you think is required. Perhaps leading the league in run prevention like the Dodgers did in the 60’s and soring just enough can still get the job done.
I’m always open to being wrong. I just don’t see it. Even if they were to make it to the post season, (a major long shot), they will be facing top teams, with so much more hitting then they have, that they will be huge underdogs.
They’re four games over .500 right now, and unless they add a hitter or two, they will regress as the season goes on.
The Mets, Brewers, Cards, Reds, Cubs, and even the Rockies will put pressure on them, and they have no margin for error.
They are beating long odds every day they don’t fall apart.
John,
Good pitching beats good hitting more times than not. So…never count the Gigantes out.
Beating the odds is what it’s all about in life.
I feel the wild card is for ours to lose.
60 games into the 2009 Season (no small sample size here) and our Giants are tied for the NL Wildcard Lead!
Go Giants! Now Sabean go get us another bat or two for the heart of the season and the stretch drive!
[...] Peter G mentioned that I called the no-hitter: …. As one might expect from a team with so little offense, the Giants came within a [...]