Basketball

The 5 best developments of the 2021 Giants season


So much went right for the Giants in 2021.

It is your right as a fan to wallow for another couple weeks, if not months. It is your right to stare into the abyss and wonder what would have happened if Wilmer Flores swung at the first-pitch hanger, and it’s your right to do it when you’re on a beach in 2032, way past the point when it should bother you.

But it’s far more important to recognize that the 2021 season was Good and Fun, even if it wasn’t perfect. It was, perhaps, the most enjoyable season I’ve ever covered professionally, even if the ending was a little “Lost.” It takes a lot for a grumpy, washed baseball writer to get excited for every single three-hour game in a 162-game season, but I was there.

So much went right for the Giants in 2021.

And before we get into the roster minutia and transaction sniffing that will dominate the offseason, it would be rude not to spend more time on this brilliant season. Here are five things that went right for the Giants in 2021 that should help them immensely in 2022 and beyond:

The discovery of LaMonte Wade Jr.

Do not expect the late-inning stuff to continue. Hope for it. Giggle when it happens. Continue to use the nickname. But don’t count on it. There have been a lot of baseball players over a lot of seasons, and almost none of them had a measurable ability to be better in close-in-late situations. Tony Gwynn might be an outlier, but we probably shouldn’t be in the habit of hoping that anybody might be the next Tony Gwynn.

Instead, just look at the player Wade might be.

He’s young.





READ NEWS SOURCE

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.