Offense is struggling again, but Giants have taken huge leaps in one area

SAN FRANCISCO — When third base coach Ron Wotus makes the right decision sending or holding a runner, he often returns to the clubhouse after the game to find a text from Tim Flannery, the man who so famously did that job in San Francisco through three title runs. In his first season back on the field, Wotus has given one of his predecessors quite a few opportunities to offer congratulations.

The Giants are not a good offensive team, but in one respect, they’re vastly improved from previous seasons. Through 135 games, just 27 Giants have been thrown out while running the bases, the lowest total in the league. A year ago, 51 Giants were thrown out trying to advance (this stat doesn’t include pickoffs or stolen base attempts), and in 2016 it was 58. In both of those seasons, the Giants were right around league average.

In his first year, Wotus has watched just seven Giants get thrown out at the plate, the second-lowest figure in the league. Last year it was 16, and the year before it was 14.

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Two nights ago, Wotus waved his arms as Steven Duggar sprinted around third and easily scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. As it turns out, that would be Duggar’s last act as a rookie. A torn labrum has ended his season, and somewhere on the long list of reasons this is a bummer is the fact that it takes away from something else the Giants were starting to do really well. The Giants have stolen 15 bases in 17 attempts since August 13 and 10 consecutive successful attempts. Duggar had three of those 10 steals.

“We have more speed on the team now since Duggar has come up, he’s more of a base stealer. Alen Hanson came into the mix, so a lot of times it’s the personnel on the field which dictates that," Wotus said. "We have played some teams where pitchers haven’t been as quick to the plate, so we’ve been able to take advantage of that.”

Duggar was five for six stealing bases as a rookie. The Giants won't get to keep testing him in September, but as they try to retool in the offseason, that’s a trait they should keep in mind. This is not a team that hits homers, but a bit more athleticism would go a long way towards getting to that elusive four-runs-per-game mark.

Wotus was this week’s guest on The Giants Insider Podcast. For more of his thoughts on Duggar, coaching third, what he’s learned being up-close with Nolan Arenado, underrated defenders in the National League, and more, you can stream the podcast here or download it on iTunes here.