Top 50 San Francisco Giants
You have to go far back to look at the origin of the San Francisco Giants.
The franchise began in 1883 as the New York Gothams, changing their name to the Giants shortly after. In the pre-modern World Series era, New York won the 1888 and 1889 Pennants, and in 1905, they captured their first World Series. The Giants won the World Series again in 1921, 1922, 1933, and 1954, but like the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Giants were not going to be the top dog in NYC, and they moved to San Francisco in 1956.
Even though they had Willie Mays in tow, it would take long after he left until the turn of the century for the Giants to win another title. San Francisco won the 2010, 2012 & 2014 World Series, giving them eight in total.
This list is up to the end of the 2023 regular season.
Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
"The Giants win the Pennant!" The Giants win the Pennant." Bobby Thomson became immortalized with that call, as "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" completed the biggest regular season comeback as the Giants rallied from 13 ½ Games back from Mid-August in 1951 to force a three-game playoff. Thomson hit the walk-off Home Run to win Game 3 and the Pennant, and even though New York lost the World Series to the Yankees, it remains among Baseball's most iconic moments. Of course, Thomson was more than that Home Run, but we had to start there! Thomson was signed as an Amateur Free…
Matt Cain was a Giant throughout his 13 years of Major League service (2005-17), and despite his losing record (104-118, he was a vital leader of a squad that won three World Series wins in the 2010s. Cain made it to the Majors in 2005, three years after he was a First Round Pick, and he was immediately plugged into the starting rotation. The fifth-place finisher for the National League Rookie of the Year in 2006 (13-12, 4.15 ERA), Cain had better ERAs in 2007 and 2008, but San Francisco was not yet a contender, and he went 15-30 in those…
Al Dark won the 1948 National Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves, but the slumping Braves dealt the Infielder to the Giants, a move that helped New York elevate to the top rung of the National League standings. Dark arrived in New York in 1950 and had at least 160 Hits five years in a row. Batting over .300 three times, Dark was also a three-time All-Star and the National League leader in Doubles (41) in 1951. That year, the Giants won the Pennant but not the World Series, though Dark would help lead New York to a Title in…
Before Jason Schmidt arrived as he arrived in San Francisco as part of a trading deadline day trade with Pittsburgh in 2001, there were no reasons to believe that he would emerge as the ace of the staff. The starter, who began his career in 1995 with Atlanta, had never finished a season with an ERA under four or finished with more than 13 Wins, but the Giants uniform brought out the best of Schmidt. Schmidt finished the season 7-1, and he resigned with the Giants. After a decent 2002 (13-8, 3.45 ERA), Schmidt had the season of his life, going 17-5…
Art Devlin was an excellent defensive Third Baseman in the dead-ball era, finishing four times in the top ten in Defensive bWAR, and three times was the leader in Assists by a Third Baseman. Devlin was not the best hitter in the National League, but he was competent, collecting at least 120 Hits in his first seven seasons and using his speed to swipe at least 20 Bases in six of those years, including a league-leading 59 in 1905. That was the year that he helped New York win the World Series. A Giant for eight years before he was sold…
Jack Clark made a lot of progress in quick fashion, first tasting Major League action in 1975, two years after he was taken deep in the 13th Round. Two years later, he was a starter in Rightfield for the Giants, but it was not until the year after that he broke out. Clark's 1977 was a 25 Home Run year with a .306 Batting Average. Jack "The Ripper" went to his first All-Star Game and was fifth in MVP voting. An All-Star again the following year, he belted over 20 Home Runs (26) and would break that mark the third year in a row…
Originally a Pitcher, Roger Bresnahan morphed into a Catcher and Outfielder in 1901 for the Baltimore Orioles. As the Orioles imploded during the 1902 Season, Bresnahan was released and was one of many who followed Manager John McGraw to the New York Giants, and it was in the Big Apple where he proved his skills. Bresnahan had his best year in 1903, helping New York win the Pennant, putting forth career bests in Hits (142), Stolen Bases (34), and the Slash Line (.350/.443/.492). The Giants elected not to participate in the World Series but did in 1905 when Breshanen had his second…
Jeff Tesreau was with the New York Giants for all seven of his MLB years (1912-19), but had he not learned the spitball, it is possible that he would not have made it at all. Tesreau’s first season earned him the ERA Title (1.96), and he was also the leader in H/9 (6.6) and ERA+ (173). He had another great year in 1913, finishing sixth in MVP voting with his third consecutive H/9 Title (6.6) and a 26-10 record. Winning 17 decisions against 7 Losses, Tesreau was part of New York's march to winning the Pennant, though they lost to Boston in…
George Kelly is a forgotten power hitter in the early days of the long game, and considering who was exploding around him, his ghosting is not surprising. Playing mainly at First Base, Kelly was with New York in his first two years in the Majors (1915-16) before the Pittsburgh Pirates chose him off waivers. It was a brief stay in Western Pennsylvania, as the Giants claimed him back off waivers less than a month later. The bouncing around ended for Kelly, who secured a regular role for the Giants in 1920 and excelled as the league leader in RBIs (94). The First…
George Wiltse earned the name "Hooks" for the way he could work a curveball, a specialty he showed off as a New York Giant for a decade. Joining the Giants in 1904, Wiltse helped New York win four Pennants, with him helping to win the World Series in 1905. Wiltse was a back-to-back 20-Game winner in 1908 and 1909, and he never had a year where his ERA was under 2.50 until 2010, his seventh season in the Majors. An above-average Pitcher, Wiltse was also a good hitter, batting .215 with 155 Hits in New York. Wiltse was released after the 1914…
Freddie Fitzsimmons played the first dozen years of his career with the New York Giants after being acquired from Indianapolis of the American Association in the summer of 1925, and the year after, he was a fixture in the Giants rotation until he was traded to crosstown Brooklyn during the 1937 Season. The righthander would not have a losing record in New York until 1935, which included a 20-Win year in 1928, 19 Wins in 1930, and 18 in both 1931 and 1934. Fitzsimmons cranked out well over 200 Innings nine years in a row (1926-34), and though he did not…
Brandon Belt played the first twelve years if his Major League career with the San Francisco Giants, where he predominantly played at First Base. An All-Star in 2016 (his best year, with 17 HR, 82 RBI, and .868 OPS), Belt was never considered an elite performer but played a role in the Giants World Series wins in 2012 and 2014. Belt might not be considered a power hitter, but this is a respectable metric for him, as he had seven years with at least 15 Home Runs, including a surprising 29 HR year in 2021, where he only played 97 Games. …