SAN FRANCISCO — In one respect, it’s appropriate that the Giants, in a season featuring so many highs and so many lows, ended right in the middle.
81 wins. 81 losses.
This is the space that the Giants have occupied since winning a franchise-record 107 games four years ago. In ’23 and ’24, they finished just below .500. In ’22 and ’25, they finished exactly .500. And for the Giants, this season, one that ended with a 4-0 win over the Colorado Rockies Sunday, may be the most frustrating of them all.
Logan Webb was not hyperbolic on Tuesday night following the Giants’ elimination from postseason contention when he said “this is the most talented team I’ve been on.” There is legitimacy to that statement given the composition of this roster. But objective wins — not subjective talent — determine who goes to the playoffs.
In the end, three wins were the difference. If the Giants finished with 84 victories, they would’ve snuck into the playoffs as the third NL wild card over the Cincinnati Reds. It’s a signal that they were painfully close. It’s also a signal they may not be that far. Now, the Giants embark on one of their most consequential offseasons in recent memory, one that could be defined by seismic change.
“I think it stings more because it makes you think about some of those stretches we went through and some of those games that we dropped,” said third baseman Matt Chapman. “I guess you can play the shoulda, woulda, coulda game all you want, but if we could’ve just found a way to win a few more games and limit some of those bad stretches, we would probably be in the playoffs.”
“I feel like this year, it was either really good or really bad,” said shortstop Willy Adames. “When you play like that, it’s tough to feel good about the year. When you’re not consistent, it’s tough to make it to the postseason.”
President of baseball operations Buster Posey will have no shortage of decisions to make in the coming days, none more consequential than determining whether Bob Melvin will be this team’s manager next season.
Posey gave Melvin a vote of confidence in July when he exercised Melvin’s option for the 2026 season, a move the team announced in the middle of a weeks-long tailspin. The team proceeded to finish the year 36-41 and fall out of the postseason picture, plagued by extreme stretches of losses and wins.
Melvin said following Sunday’s game that he hadn’t received any assurances that he will be the manager next season, adding that he will talk to somebody in the organization Monday. Should Melvin return, it would not be shocking if his coaching staff looks considerably different. When asked about their manager, Adames, Chapman, Webb all praised Melvin.
“I feel extremely grateful to play for him,” Chapman said. “He’s the same guy every day. He’s been steady for us. He’s always honest with the players. He has their back. He’s done the best with what we’ve given him. A lot of us probably didn’t play to our capabilities.
“If you ask guys in this room, I think a lot of guys would say they wish they were able to play a little bit better and more consistent, whatever it is. He never turns his back on his and always has our backs. I got nothing but good things to say about BoMel. Obviously, I love him.”
Once that decision is made, Posey and the rest of the Giants’ brass will shift its attention to fortifying their roster, generally, and their pitching depth, specifically. While San Francisco can call on Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp to anchor the rotation, the bullpen is devoid of the same high-leverage arms that excelled in the first half.
To this end, Adames said he’s more than willing to help recruit during the offseason.
“I want this team to be better,” Adames said. “I’m going to do whatever I can to make it happen. We already got Rafi. We need more help. I know Buster is going to do whatever it takes. He doesn’t like to lose. He’s already mad. I know he’s going to do whatever it takes.”
The Giants, for their part, ended their season on a high.
Webb struck out eight batters over 5 1/3 innings to finish his season with a 15-11 record, 3.22 ERA and 224 strikeouts over 207 innings — the most in the majors.
Adames homered on the first pitch he saw, becoming the first Giant to hit 30 homers in a single season since Barry Bonds.
Rafael Devers became the first player to play 163 games in a season since Justin Morneau in 2008, capping off his first season as a Giant by hitting his 35th home run of the season.
Along with those accolades, Wilmer Flores received a proper sendoff.
Flores, an impending free agent, was replaced on defense by top prospect Bryce Eldridge prior to the third inning and received a standing ovation as he walked off the field. With Devers and Eldridge in the mix, Sunday afternoon likely marked Flores’ final game in a Giants uniform.
“I have as much respect for Wilmer Flores as anybody I’ve ever met,” Melvin said.
All those fuzzy feelings helped mask the reality, if only temporarily, that this team failed to meet their collective expectations of playing baseball in October.
This team will look different when it hosts the New York Yankees for Opening Day next March. The fall and winter will determine the extent of that difference.
“We’re all very disappointed in how this ended,” Webb said. “I know the fans are disappointed. We’re more disappointed than they are. We just have to put our heads down. A lot of us live in Arizona so we’re going to be together all offseason and do everything we can to get this franchise back to where it’s supposed to be.”
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