The Giants finished the first half of the regular season with a respectable 49-41 record, good for the third and final National League wild-card spot, but likely will need to improve upon their success if they hope to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
There was plenty for the Giants to be excited about in the first half, including the promotions and immediate success of a few top prospects, as well as standout performances from key veterans up and down the lineup. However, there are a few areas of concern.
Here are four players that need to step up in order for the Giants to make a second-half playoff push:
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Casey Schmitt
Hey, no pressure, rook.
Schmitt exploded onto the scene after his promotion to the big leagues on May 9 and provided a spark that fueled the Giants' turnaround after an underwhelming 6-13 start to the season.
His impressive defense and explosive bat even earned him the starting shortstop job over veteran Brandon Crawford.
San Francisco Giants
However, Schmitt has fallen on hard times, and that's putting it lightly. After hitting .325 through his first 22 games in May, Schmitt hit .140 in the month of June and is 1-for-18 so far in July, dropping his average down to .228 on the season. Schmitt has a well-below-league-average 62 wRC+ and has been worth -0.3 WAR in 50 games this season.
There is no doubt that Schmitt played a huge role in the Giants' first-half turnaround before his struggles at the plate, and that same spark he provided in May might be necessary for San Francisco's playoff push.
Anthony DeSclafani
Coming into the 2023 season, the Giants' starting rotation had the potential to be one of the deepest and steadiest units in the league. However, injuries and poor early-season performances have left little to be desired from a group that features far too many question marks right now.
For most of the first half, young ace Logan Webb, first-time All-Star Alex Cobb and DeSclafani formed a formidable 1-2-3 in the rotation before DeSclafani, admittedly, started to feel fatigued toward the midway point of the season, leading to a stint on the injured list and an uncertain role in the second half.
After posting a 2.70 ERA in five April starts, DeSclafani posted ERAs of 4.10 and 6.65 in May and June before his final outing on July 1.
While the jumbled mess at the back end of the rotation might be the most obvious area of concern for the Giants, a stable DeSclafani in the second half can help keep the Giants afloat while the remainder of the puzzle is sorted out.
Ross Stripling
As for the final two spots in the rotation, well ... may the best men win.
Some combination of Stripling, Alex Wood, Keaton Winn and Sean Manaea will settle into the four and five spots in the rotation at some point. The Giants have made it crystal clear that they hope to deploy some semblance of a normal five-man rotation in the second half, and Stripling will get the first crack at locking up a spot.
The team announced Wednesday afternoon that Stripling will start the first game back from the All-Star break on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The 33-year-old has pitched better since he was activated off the injured list on June 25 and has a long track record of success in the majors. If he can return to form, a veteran like Stripling can provide a huge boost to the rotation down the stretch.
Michael Conforto
The Giants were almost unbeatable when Conforto was red-hot in early May. Big homer after big homer propelled San Francisco to impressive come-from-behind wins on the road against the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers.
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He currently leads the team in home runs (13) and is second in RBI (44), but his batting average (.236) still has room to grow, even as a .256 career hitter.
His OPS+ of 104 is slightly above league average, but throughout his eight-year career, Conforto has averaged a mark of 122. All things considered, Conforto's first half of the season was ... OK, considering he missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. However, if the Giants are to make a serious push, his bat will play a big role.