Things have not gone particularly well for the San Francisco Giants during Buster Posey’s tenure as president of baseball operations. But despite the team’s struggles since Posey took over, especially in 2026, one of the franchise’s all-time great players is asking fans to be patient.
Between games of a doubleheader against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants retired Jeff Kent’s number. Kent played in San Francisco for six seasons and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026.
Kent noted the struggles during his speech but also expressed optimism about the future of the team.
Jeff Kent Sees World Series Titles in San Francisco Giants’ Future
During his speech, Kent, who was on the Giants when they moved from Candlestick Park to Oracle Park (then known as Pacific Bell Park) in 2000, noted the full crowds he played in front of. In doing so, he contrasted those crowds with the crowd he saw during his speech.
“This is a little sparse right now because I know the Giants are going through a little scuffle,” Kent said in his speech, which was shared on MLB’s YouTube page. “But let me tell you, we went through our scuffles and it led to three championships in five years. The Giants know how to build culture, and they will build a championship here. I know that.”
During the game, Kent joined announcers Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper. While in the booth, Kent once again discussed the team’s struggles.
“You know, I mentioned it in my speech,” Kent said. “It’s gonna take a little bit of effort for Buster to continue to build culture here. He’s doing it. I hope these fans don’t forget — don’t get too impatient. You can rip on him a little bit; that’s cool. But I hope they don’t forget too much.”
“Yeah, I mean, they have to remember, he’s got a plan,” Kuiper added.
San Francisco’s Farm System Has Vastly Improved
Before the 2026 season began, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel said that the Giants had the 19th-ranked farm system in baseball. But in his rankings released on Aug. 27, McDaniel placed San Francisco at No. 7.
“The system is looking up here, after adding Ramon Marquez, Joniel Hernandez and Henry Lalane at the deadline, Jackson Flora, Carson Bolemon, Kaden Waechter and Peyton Bonds in the draft, and seeing the continued rise of international signees Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernandez, Jhonny Level and Keyner Martinez,” McDaniel said.
Despite an overall brighter outlook, McDaniel did also note that, considering where most of those players are, patience will be needed.
“This group is largely at the lower minors, so they should all stay on the list next season and give this system ranking a good bit of upside.”
This is San Francisco’s second season with Posey serving as president of baseball operations. His playing career ended in 2021, a season when the Giants set a franchise record with 107 wins. That is the only winning record the team has had since 2016. Since that 2021 season, the Giants have gone 81-81 in 2022, 79-83 in 2023, 80-82 in 2024 and 81-81 in 2025. Through play on August 29, sits at 56-81 in 2026.
Giants Legend Calls for Patience With Buster Posey