Countdown to Opening Day: #9 San Francisco Giants

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#9: San Francisco Giants: The every other year treat

PROJECTED LINEUP
CF Angel Pagan
2B Marco Scutaro
C Buster Posey
1B Brandon Belt
RF Hunter Pence
3B Pablo Sandoval
LF Mike Morse
SS Brandon Crawford

PROJECTED ROTATION
Matt Cain
Madison Bumgarner
Tim Lincecum
Tim Hudson
Ryan Vogelsong

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Sergio Romo

Set-up: Santiago Casilla

Top Prospect: Kyle Crick (RHP)

There is nothing that really separates last year's Giants team from the team they bring to Spring Training this season, but going on a gut feeling I am calling San Fran out as a team not to sleep on. Let's bank on bounce

Matt Cain

back seasons from Matt Cain and Pablo Sandoval. Let's bank on breakout seasons from Brandon Belt and Hunter Pence producing more of the same. And I am always willing to bank on GM Brian Sabean. The savvy front office face always seems to tweak and turn his team around.
It would pretty remarkable to win three World Series championships in five years, but I am not going to count the Bay boys out. It';s been a trend since 2008. Wins over those years? 72, 88, 92, 86, 94, 76 - I believe my projection of 90 wins, while it is completely arbitrary and a mere guess, would probably be the number baseball prospectus should come up with for this group with other calculations.
Plus upgrading Gregor Blanco with the run producing potential of Mike Morse and replacing home/road split nightmare Barry Zito with a savvy sinker baller in Tim Hudson will only help them scare the Dodgers and the rest of this improving division.

CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - Not only does Matt Cain bring his ERA back down, Tim Lincecum regains his Cy Young stuff. Originally it looked like the Dodgers were run aways in the division and clearly the best rotation. But by season's end, Cain, Lincecum, Bumgarner and Hudson is untouchable. The offense does not even need to be gigantic for the Gigantes to succeed.

Tim Lincecum

REAL TALK - The Giants are not going to be anything different than they have been over the last five years, but just being healthier overall and a little bit luckier puts them back into the playoff picture. I am not going to pick them any postseason series or claim their third title with this core group, but just because they finish fourth last year does not mean they are going to do it again.

Breakout: Brandon Belt (1B)

Bust: Tim Lincecum (RHP)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Matt Cain (RHP)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 76-86 (4th in NL West)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 90-72 (2nd in NL West) 

**Check back tomorrow for the Kansas City Royals*