The San Francisco Giants found some rhythm offensively after winning a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies and the first game against the Baltimore Orioles.
But after losing back-to-back games 6-2 against the Orioles, the Giants fell to 6-10 in the early part of the season.
The Giants dug themselves into an early hole to start the season after getting swept by the Yankees. They only put up 1 run in the three-game series.
The Giants are 29th in the MLB in runs scored through 16 games, and one specific group is really struggling.
San Francisco Giants’ Outfield Struggles at the Plate
The numbers are not good for the Giants’ starting outfield. The Giants’ outfielders have a combined -1.2 wins above replacement. Center fielder Harrison Bader has the lowest of the group at -0.6 WAR. Right fielder Jung Hoo Lee has a -0.3 WAR, and left fielder Heliot Ramos has a -0.1 WAR.
The Giants signed Bader this offseason to a two-year, $20.5 million contract after the center fielder had one of the most productive seasons of his career. He put up a 4.0 WAR season in 2025, where he played for the Minnesota Twins before getting traded to the Phillies. Bader had a batting average of .277 with 17 home runs and 54 RBIs. He is also a former Gold Glove winner and was signed to help shore up the Giants’ outfield defense.
But he has a team-worst .115 batting average and only has 6 hits in 52 at-bats this season. And after his rough start, the Giants sat Bader in Sunday’s loss to the Orioles.
GettySan Francisco Giants’ center fielder, Harrison Bader
Jung Hoo Lee is another player whom the Giants have heavily invested in. They signed the former KBO star to a 6-year, $113 million contract in 2023. Lee played in only 37 games before a season-ending injury in his rookie season, where he had a .262 batting average. He improved last season, where he tallied a 1.7 WAR season with a respectable .266/ .327/ .407 line.
Lee played his first two seasons at center field before being moved to right field after the Giants signed Bader.
But the right fielder has only a .185 batting average with 10 hits in 54 at-bats this season.
“I know that a lot of people saw me play in the KBO at my peak. I really want to bring that version of myself to the major leagues. I want to tell everybody that I’m trying my best,” Lee told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Heliot Ramos is unlike the other two starting outfielders who signed with the Giants via free agency. Ramos was a highly rated prospect who came through the Giants’ minor league system. After bouncing up and down, the left fielder finally got his opportunity for consistent playing time in 2024.
Ramos was named an All-Star in 2024 after hitting 22 home runs and 72 RBIs. He posted a .269/ .322/ .469 line, but that production dipped last season, where he slashed .256/ .328/ .400.
Ramos has the best batting average (.241) of the group, but he has yet to hit a home run.
It is obviously still early in the season, but the Giants’ outfield has to be more productive if San Francisco wants to make the playoffs.
San Francisco Giants’ New-Look Outfield is Struggling