{"id":713985,"date":"2026-06-19T17:45:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T17:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/713985\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T17:45:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T17:45:13","slug":"giants-marlins-series-preview-the-marlins-best-hitter-was-briefly-a-giant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/713985\/","title":{"rendered":"Giants-Marlins Series Preview: The Marlins\u2019 best hitter was (briefly) a Giant"},"content":{"rendered":"

You probably don\u2019t remember the hiccup in time when infielder Otto Lopez was a San Francisco Gian<\/a>t, but it did happen. For 5 weeks or so, the team had a 25-year old second baseman who had hit .300\/.365\/.413 in 2,255 minor league plate appearances. Then, they designated him for assignment and he was claimed by the Marlins. Since then, he\u2019s hit .275\/.322\/.395 across 2+ seasons (1,343 plate appearances) and with some well above average defense has amassed 7.8 fWAR. This year, he\u2019s playing at an All-Star level: .336\/.368\/.473 (132 wRC+), 2.9 fWAR. He\u2019s been exactly as valuable as Luis Arraez, but was this another miss by the previous front office?<\/p>\n

You know, it\u2019s pretty interesting to chart how we got to the \u201cAw, geez, I\u2019m just trying to figure it out; baseball is hard\u201d dynamic of the current front office. A general disgust and distrust of computer numbers and \u201cphantom\u201d value, certainly some anti-Dodger sentiment mixed in, and the inability to find a proper post-Bochy figurehead in the dugout; but mainly, the missteps and misfires piled up. I think six seasons was good and plenty for that experiment, but I\u2019m starting to wonder if Buster Posey & Zack Minasian are simply speedrunning<\/a> the Zaidi era.<\/p>\n

Both Posey & Zaidi were both wiz kids in their respective areas of the industry. Both hired similarly inexperienced GMs to work under them. Both hired new managers after their first season on the job \u2014 those managerial choices were extremely controversial (for wholly different reasons, of course). Those managers were both well-groomed and appearance-focused. They both were prone to word salad. They both ticked off beat writers and fans alike for basically the same reason. Their managerial choices were somewhat inscrutable, though Gabe Kapler\u2019s strategizing worked out more often than Vitello\u2019s has. But, Buster has undermanaged and understrategized with the roster while Zaidi overmanaged and overstrategized. Both have had managers receive their vote of confidence only to see that manager lose control of the clubhouse (or, in Vitello\u2019s case, never really seem to have had it at all). The key difference might be the upcoming minor league talent, which appears to be thriving a lot more under the new regime.<\/p>\n

I mention all this because the Miami Marlins, led by Peter Bendix as the President of Baseball Operations, and now Gabe Kapler as their GM, seem to be what it would\u2019ve looked like if the Zaidi era had gone right. A steady stream of important trades and savvy waiver & rule 5 pickups coalescing into a scrappy team that doesn\u2019t cost much but stays competitive. Part of that is \u201canalytics,\u201d sure, but I\u2019m not blind to the Marlins having a lot of useful inventory to sell over the years and get back some quality, well-scouted (both by human scouts and data analysts) major league talent. Their primary starting lineup does not scream home grown:
C \u20141st round pick (2021)
1B \u2014 Acquired in trade with Orioles for Trevor Rogers (2024)
2B \u2014 Acquired in trade with Rays for a pair of minor leaguers (2022)
3B \u2014 International free agent signing (2019)
SS \u2014 Waiver claim (2024)
LF \u2014 Acquired in trade with Orioles for Trevor Rogers (2024)
CF \u2014 Acquired in trade with Padres for Luis Arraez (2024)
RF \u2014 Acquired in trade with Cubs for Edward Cabrera (2026)
DH \u2014 Rule 5 pick (2024)<\/p>\n

For this, the Marlins have a middle of the pack lineup (97 wRC+). I didn\u2019t look at the pitching side, but that\u2019s the 10th best in MLB heading into this series. If you\u2019re the Marlins, you need to be able to stay on top of the roster by constantly reinventing it, but if you\u2019re the Giants, all you really have to do \u2014 and, it\u2019s not easy, as they\u2019ve shown \u2014 is build a roster that is then supplemented by free agents rather than need to rely on them. A quick comparison.<\/p>\n

C \u2014 Rule 5 pick (2025)
1B \u2014 Acquired in trade with the Red Sox for a bunch of dudes (2025)
2B \u2014 Free agent (2026)
3B \u2014 Free agent (2024)
SS \u2014 Free agent (2024)
LF \u2014 2nd round pick (2020)
CF \u2014 Gilbert: trade, Bader: free agent
RF \u2014 Free agent (2023)
DH \u2014 1st round pick (2023)<\/p>\n

Of course, the real comparison point is the results. Since Buster Posey took over, the Giants are 112-124. The Marlins over this same span are just 116-121. Well, okay, that\u2019s not right. The other comparison point is the cost. The Giants have committed $376.2 million since the start of last season while the Marlins have only committed $144.7 million. There\u2019s also a bit more of a lottery ticket\/upside play going on with the roster \u2014 and if any of the younger players really blossom, they become trade bait that can help refresh the system and the cycle can start anew.<\/p>\n

Has the Marlins\u2019 approach been better? Hard to say. But the Giants have been penny wise and pound foolish. Ditching the thought of Kevin Gausman only to spend a lot more money finding a #2 starter. Their inability to draft, develop, or acquire younger players has necessitated resorting to free agency again and again.<\/p>\n

But this ship has sailed. The Giants have turned away from the analytical approach and the notion of building a roster from the bottom up \u2014 unless, of course, Randy Winn has really transformed the Giants\u2019 farm system into a real winner, because that would really be nice, and there wouldn\u2019t have to be much too much consternation when a player leaves the Giants and is productive elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Who: San Francisco Giants (31-43) at Miami Marlins (37-38)
Where: loanDepot park | Miami, Florida
When: Friday at 4:10pm PT, Saturday at 1:10pm PT, Sunday at 10:40am PT
National broadcasts: None<\/p>\n

Projected starters
Friday: Landen Roupp (RHP 5-7, 4.24 ERA) vs. Lake Bachar (RHP 0-0, 2.97 ERA)
Saturday: Trevor McDonald (RHP 2-4, 4.64 ERA) vs. Max Meyer (RHP 7-0, 2.75 ERA)
Sunday: Logan Webb (RHP 4-4, 3.46 ERA) vs. Ryan Gusto (RHP 0-2, 7.24 ERA)<\/p>\n

Liam Hicks: In June, he\u2019s been just slightly better than Otto Lopez, posting a 159 wRC+ to Lopez\u2019s 152. He\u2019s done so by hitting for a bit more power (.189 ISO) and a higher on base (.422) thanks to impressive walk and strikeout rates (13.8% and 10.8%, respectively). On the season, he\u2019s hitting .280\/.362\/.477 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI, a 10.2% walk rate and 9.5% strikeout rate. The Marlins got him in the Rule 5 draft from Detroit. The 27-year old left-handed first baseman\/catcher has been another impressive find by the Marlins\u2019 front office.<\/p>\n

Kyle Stowers: He was the main piece of the Trevor Rogers deal with the Orioles back in 2024 and quickly became their middle of the lineup hitter, posting an impressive .912 OPS last season in 457 PA. He started this year on the IL and got off to a fast start (6-for-his-first-15), but it was a rough April and May after those first four games (.198\/.276\/.331 in 134 PA). However, in June, he\u2019s picked it back up, with a line of .241\/.323\/.537 in 63 PA. He\u2019s hit 4 homers and driven in 16 over this span, too. He has an .841 career OPS against the Giants, too (44 PA).<\/p>\n

Lake Bachar: Don\u2019t be fooled by the name. He might sound like a sixth-billed sitcom star from the 80s, but he has swing-and-miss stuff throughout his arsenal. A ~95 mph four-seamer hitters have just a .190 BA against; a 2,669 rpm slider with a 45.5% Whiff rate, a similarly wipeout sweeper, a curveball that has a 37.5% whiff rate, a splitter, and a sinker. He\u2019s basically a reliever, but because the Marlins have two starters on the IL (Janson Junk and Eury Perez), they\u2019ve resorted to opener\/bullpen game situations, and you can see how this arsenal makes him a perfect option. This month, Bachar has appeared in 5 games, starting 3 of them, and in 10.2 innings combined he\u2019s struck out 13, walked 3, allowed just 3 hits and a run (0.84 ERA \/ 1.78 FIP).<\/p>\n

Jung Hoo Lee: .364\/.391\/.364 in 6 games (23 PA) at loanDepot park and in the last calendar month (so, since May 17th; 80 PA) he\u2019s hitting .468\/.475\/.597 with a homer, a triple, 5 doubles, 3 stolen bases, just 1 walk (oof), but only 3 strikeouts.<\/p>\n

Luis Arraez: .349\/.385\/.454 in 105 games (446 PA) at loanDepot park is a good sign, I think. Also, in the last calendar month (so, since May 17th; 129 PA), he\u2019s hitting .339\/.362\/.513 with a pair of homers, 4 triples, and 6 doubles. He spent about 7 months in a Marlins uniform but was an All-Star for them in 2023 (.354\/.393\/.469 over the whole season). Chances are he\u2019ll be the Giants\u2019 sole representative this season\u2026 unless he\u2019s traded before the All-Star Game.<\/p>\n

Logan Webb: He certainly looks like he\u2019s returned to form after that IL stint. He\u2019s made just 2 starts in his career at loanDepot park (yes, the \u2018p\u2019 in park is lower case), but they came in 2022 & 2023; so, is his 6.35 ERA in 11.1 innings a portent or a fluke? The Giants are hoping for the latter, of course, and Miami\u2019s middle of the pack strikeout rate and high groundball rate for a lineup (43.8% \u2014 5th in MLB) certainly suggests that a Logan Webb who\u2019s on point will be setup to have another great game.<\/p>\n

This section sure has gone off the rails, hasn\u2019t it? I blame myself, of course, but it would be nice if I could put a poll down here in place of any rambling narrative I think up at the last minute, don\u2019t you think? Anyway, the Giants took 2 out of 3 from the Marlins back in April, which seems impossible given how bad the team has been this season, and the Giants have also taken the series in Miami the last two seasons, which also seems impossible, given how tough the Marlins have been on the Giants, historically.<\/p>\n

Yhe Marlins are running out two relievers to stanch the bleeding in their rotation, but they\u2019re also 23-16 at home this season with a +30 run differential. Hmm. But the Giants also have their two best starters going in the series, and even if one of them is unsalvageable bigot, I\u2019ll still say the Giants manage to win the series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You probably don\u2019t remember the hiccup in time when infielder Otto Lopez was a San Francisco Giant, but…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":713986,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[363,297108,99],"class_list":["post-713985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-mlb","tag-san-francisco-giants-game-information","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=713985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/713986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=713985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=713985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=713985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}