"That beautiful smell is in the air; that intoxicating cocktail of cut grass, sunscreen, and overpriced domestic brews. It's the distinct aroma of renewed, unlikely-to-be-fulfilled hope. Folks, it's time for San Francisco Giants baseball once again. Yes, pitchers and catchers have reported to Scottsdale. The sun is shining, the mountains are shrouded in a purple haze, and, at least for the time being, the local nine are both active and undefeated."
"Because if the spreadsheets that rule this wonderful game in our age of information are to be believed, this is as good as it gets. As we stand on the precipice of the 2026 season, the question hanging over Scottsdale Stadium isn't whether the Giants will win the World Series. It isn't even if they'll win the division. The question, whispered in the silence between the pop of a mitt and the crack of a bat, is far more banal:"
Spring training has begun in Scottsdale, with pitchers and catchers reporting and a warm, hopeful atmosphere of cut grass, sunscreen, and beer. The roster features new players, non-roster invitees, and notable depth pieces. Major projection systems uniformly forecast a middling season, repeatedly labeling the team as 'mid' and anticipating roughly .500 performance. FanGraphs' main projection is the only system forecasting a winning record, with 82.4 projected wins. The analytics consensus raises concern that the club may again settle into the middle of the standings, delivering occasional excitement but ultimately producing another average campaign.
Read at The Mercury News
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