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 and leading the National League in ERA (2.34), ERA+ (180), and WHIP (0.953).   An All-Star for the first time, Schmidt finished second in Cy Young voting to Houston’s Roger Clemens.  Schmidt returned to the All-Star Game the year after, on the back of an 18-7/3.20 ERA year, where he was fourth in Cy Young voting but was named by The Sporting News as their Pitcher of the Year.

Schmidt's output declined after those two years, but he was still good enough in the first half of 2016 to make the All-Star team.  He left the Giants as a Free Agent for Los Angeles, but shoulder issues held him to only 10 MLB Games over the next three years, leading to his eventual retirement.

With San Francisco, Schmidt went 78-37 with a 3.36 ERA and 1,065 Strikeouts, and the team enshrined him on their Wall of Honor in 2011.

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 1954.  That year, Dark was also fifth in MVP voting.  

The popular player was traded to St. Louis during the 1956 Season, but never achieved the success he did as a Giant, where he had 1,106 Hits and a .292 Batting Average.

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 two seasons, but as the Giants got better, so did Cain.

The right-hander was an All-Star in 2009, posting his first sub-three ERA (2.89), and had a 14-8 record.  Cain's contribution to the Giants rotation helped them win it all in 2010, and he was 12^th in Cy Young voting (13-11 3.14 ERA).  The next two years were better for Cain, as he was an All-Star in both those years, and in 2012, he was the 22^nd Pitcher to throw a perfect game.  Also, a top ten finisher in both years for the Cy Young (8^th in 2011 & 6^th in 2012), Cain won two decisions in that postseason where the Giants won the World Series again.

2012 ended Cain's peak, as he never had a year with a winning record or an ERA under four again.  In his last five years, Cain was a lower-tier Pitcher but still coveted for his leadership.  He retired after the 2017 Season, with 1,694 career Strikeouts, and the Giants inducted Cain into their Wall of Fame the year after.

"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 Agent before the 1942 Season, but he served three years in the American Military during World War II service.  When he returned, he was in the Minors for most of his 1946, before he was called up, and had 154 Hits and 29 Home Runs in his official rookie year of 1947.

Thomson made the following two All-Star Teams, excelling in the latter year with his first 100-RBI (109 RBI, 27 HR) year, with his only .300 season (.309).  Thomson remained a solid power hitter, belting at least 24 Home Runs over the next four seasons, the last three seeing him break 100 RBI.  The year he hit his most famed Home Run (1951) was his best campaign, with career-highs in Home Runs (31), Triples (14, and league-leading), and he was eighth in MVP voting.

The Giants traded Thomson to the Milwaukee Braves after the 1953 Season, and with the proper respect to Thomson, the timing was good, as he was never an All-Star again.  He briefly returned in 1956 but was traded again before the next season began.

As a Giant, Thomson batted .277 with 1,171 Hits and 189 Home Runs.