Mike Yastrzemski knows the Giants can't wait around to find their groove. How they start the 60-game 2020 MLB season can make or break their year.
The season is set the begin July 23, what usually is more of a middle point for baseball. Throw that out the window. For Yastrzemski and the Giants, every day is going to feel more like September. Every game matters in this sprint, it's simple as that.
"It's kind of like September baseball all the way around," Yastrzemski said Thursday on 95.7 The Game's "Damon, Ratto & Kolsky" show. "We were in a really good chance in August and September to play really meaningful games. I think we have a good core group that's kind of used to that."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
This roster certainly looks different than those of the Giants' World Series teams, but veterans like Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval will look to lead the way. They do have that experience, even though San Francisco hasn't seen the playoffs since 2016.
Yastrzemski believes the Giants have another advantage of experience, one that dates back even further.
[GIANTS INSIDER PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]
"We have a ton of guys who went to college," Yastrzemski said. "Even though we have guys who might have been out of college for a while, we all know what it's like to play a 58-game season. I think having that experience is going to be really beneficial.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
"You're gonna kind of lean on your past experiences and try and get an advantage like that."
The Giants' projected starting lineup, which will change nearly every game, does feature plenty of players who played in college, including Yastrzemski. What this team really needs more than anything, is another impressive season from none other than Yaz himself.
[RELATED: Why Krukow believes 2020 Giants have 'golden opportunity']
Finally making his MLB debut at 28 years old last season, Yastrzemski hit .272 with 21 homers in just 107 games. He feels like every game will be like September, and that should make Giants fans happy, too. Yastrzemski hit .292 with three homers in September last season, and certainly expects even better this year.
The Giants expect to shock many this season, and they'll need players like Yastrzemski to start off hot if they're to do so.